High risk, high reward
Dermatologic entrepreneurs put their innovative solutions to the ultimate test in today’s popular Derm Tank event.
D001 – Derm Tank
4-5:30 p.m. | Friday, July 17
Grand Ballroom East
The annual Innovation Academy session, D001 – Derm Tank, celebrates dermatologic advancement and supports resourceful physicians who are actively attempting to problem-solve real-world challenges.
This afternoon, a selection of finalists will pitch their prospective product, device, technique, or technology, by articulating its innovation, commercial viability, and value — all of which will be considered in adjudication. The highest-rated entrepreneur will receive $10,000 in seed funding.
Katherine Lee, MD, FAAD, won last year’s Derm Tank competition for CryoCaptures, a hardware and software solution that records cryotherapy procedures using proprietary thermal image recognition and artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
Katherine Lee, MD, FAAD
Dr. Lee said her winning concept is in the pilot process in multiple dermatology clinics throughout the country. She also discovered its efficacy in other instances, which has evolved into a broader platform called c-Captures, focused on AI-driven image recognition technology.
“We are currently developing new applications for prevention of wrong-site surgeries during Mohs surgery, mole and skin lesion tracking, and vision-enabled AI-scribe technology that will transform today’s audio-only AI scribes,” Dr. Lee said. “Our technology has also expanded into the development of agentic AI tools that can democratize EMR integration of novel technology.”
Arianne Shadi Kourosh, MD, MPH, FAAD, an associate professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School in Boston, will serve on the judging panel alongside Ashish Bhatia, MD, FAAD, and Mark D. Kaufmann, MD, FAAD. Dr. Kourosh shared what she and her colleagues are searching for during the pitches.
“We are looking for founders who can execute on validated solutions to real pain points in dermatology. The true value of an idea is in its execution into effective action with data validating both the need for the intervention and the outcomes, impact, and economics of the proposed solution,” Dr. Kourosh said. “Show us proof of concept — the evidence, even if preliminary, that your solution can make an impact and become self-sustaining after seed funding.”
Derm Tank is a unique opportunity, said Dr. Lee. And while the development process can be arduous, she said it is ultimately rewarding both personally and professionally.
“Our field advances because forward-thinking individuals are willing to challenge the status quo and build solutions that truly impact our specialty,” she said.
This session is not certified for AMA PRA Category 1 CME credit.
