Brian Diffey is Emeritus Professor in Dermatological Sciences at the University of Newcastle, UK. His career was spent in the NHS, where he was Professor of Medical Physics and Clinical Director in the Newcastle Hospitals. His involvement with sun protection has spanned more than 40 years and his interests include the measurement of personal sun exposure, its effects in normal and diseased skin, and ways to minimize excessive exposure, especially through the use of topical sunscreens. He has advised a number of bodies on sun exposure and skin health including the World Health Organization, Department of Health, and the Cancer Research UK SunSmart programme, as well as patient support groups concerned with sun-related diseases such as vitiligo and xeroderma pigmentosum. He invented both the UVA Star Rating for sunscreens in conjunction with Boots in the UK, and the Critical Wavelength adopted by the Food & Drug Administration in the USA as the sole measure of broad spectrum protection. In 1999 he was awarded the Medal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists for his contributions to suncare, and in 2011 was honoured at the International Sun Protection Conference for significant innovation in the field of photoprotection. He is an honorary member of the British Association of Dermatologists, the Swedish Society for Dermatology and Venereology, and the European Society for Photodermatology.