That’s a wrap, Chicago!
This year’s meeting offered numerous cutting-edge sessions that showcased the latest research and developments in dermatology.
As the AAD’s Innovation Academy grows, so does participation, with this year marking the highest number of medical personnel in attendance. There were more than 1,100 total attendees — with an increase in attendance over last year’s meeting in Seattle.
The meeting kicked off with three different four-hour sessions that explored the fundamentals of building and leading a dermatology practice, including planning for what’s to come. These sessions included the Branding and Business of Dermatology, Navigating Practice Management in Dermatology: Insights and Innovations, and The Future of Dermatology.
Day one concluded with visionary keynote speaker Zack Kass, futurist and former head of Go To Market at OpenAI, sharing insights on how artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing health care, including the benefits and concerns of integrating AI into a dermatology practice.
Friday through Sunday featured one-hour Sunrise Sessions starting at 7:30 a.m., followed by focused parallel sessions diving deep into the hottest topics in cosmetics, cutaneous disorders, therapeutics, teledermatology, melanoma, and more!
On Friday morning, two renowned dermatologists honored the legacies of their predecessors during Celebrating Excellence: A Duo of Distinguished Talks. Robert S. Kirsner, MD, PhD, FAAD, delivered the Everett C. Fox, MD, Memorial Lecture, and Valerie D. Callender, MD, FAAD, gave the A. Paul Kelly, MD, Research Award and Lectureship.
Dr. Kirsner’s presentation, “Leveraging the Power of Skin: From Skin Grafting to Skin Substitutes,” detailed the power and role of skin as well as certain challenges that remain. In Dr. Callender’s presentation, “How Inclusion Drives Innovation: Redefining Clinical Trials for Excellence in Dermatology,” she detailed the diversity gaps in clinical trial designs and illustrated how inclusivity in medical research can produce better outcomes for patients.
New this year, posters were added to the AAD Innovation Academy, with more than 150 posters featuring groundbreaking research from your colleagues.
Join us next summer, July 16-19, in New York City for the 2026 AAD Innovation Academy!
