Denver Art Museum
Denver, CO
March 26, 2026

The Dermatology Innovation Forum cultivates an ecosystem that transforms dermatological science into scalable, real-world solutions to improve patient lives.

The conference fosters entrepreneurship through connection, education, leadership development, and sustained advocacy and support.

Dermatology Innovation Forum 2026 Speakers

Michael Girardi
Michael Girardi, MD
Evans Professor and Vice Chair of Faculty Development & Scientific Innovation,

Department of Dermatology,
Yale School of Medicine
Michael D. Howell, PhD
President & Chief Executive Officer,

Mountaineer Biosciences, Inc
Jasmina Jankicevic
Jasmina Jankicevic, MD, MSc, CCRP
Chief Medical and Scientific Officer,

Indero
Justin M. Ko, MD, MBA, FAAD
Service Line Chief, Dermatology, Associate Chief Quality Officer, Physician Lead, Patient Experience and Ambulatory Access Transformation,

Stanford Health Care
Clinical Professor, Department of Dermatology,
Stanford University School of Medicine
Sancy A. Leachman, MD, PhD, FAAD
Chief Medical Officer,

SkinBit, Inc.
Adjunct Professor of Dermatology,
Oregon Health & Science University
Adjunct Professor of Dermatology,
University of Utah
Vijendra Nalamothu, PhD
Founder, CEO, CSO, Entrepreneur, Strategic Advisor,

Specialized in Dermatological Product Development & Commercialization
Adam Raff, MD, PhD
Senior Vice President, Clinical Development,

Orbital Therapeutics

Program

* Speakers, Topics, and Order subject to change

9:00 AM

Registration and Networking Café

9:30 AM

Entrepreneur Bootcamp

Michael D. Howell, PhD; President & Chief Executive Officer, Mountaineer Biosciences, Inc.

Jasmina Jankicevic, MD, MSc, CCRP; Chief Medical & Scientific Officer, Indero

Vijendra Nalamothu, PhD Founder & Chief Executive Officer, ApoStrata, LLC

11:00 AM

Networking Lunch

12:00 PM

Early Academic Roadmap for Entrepreneurs

Chair: Michael Girardi, MD, FAAD; Professor & Vice Chair of Faculty Development & Scientific Innovation, Department of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine

Skin as a Window to Human Health: How Accessible Tissues Reveal Hidden Disease

Co-Chair: Justin M. Ko, MD, MBA, FAAD; Service Line Chief, Dermatology, Associate Chief Quality Officer, Physician Lead, Patient Experience and Ambulatory Access Transformation, Stanford Health Care; Clinical Professor, Department of Dermatology, Stanford University School of Medicine

Co-Chair: Sancy A. Leachman, MD, PhD, FAAD; Chief Medical Officer, SkinBit, Inc.

Skin in the Game: Profiling Early-Stage and Growth-Stage Derm Ventures

Chair: Adam Raff, MD, PhD, FAAD; Sr. Vice President, Clinical Development, Orbital Therapeutics

Innovation Tank Winner – SquareMind

4:00 PM

Networking Reception

Sponsors

Premier

Major

almirall feel the science logo

Supporting

imaging excellence from canfield

Founders

aclaris therapeutics
imaging excellence from canfield
palo alto investors logo

For Sponsorship Opportunities, please contact Amanda Pacia at amanda.pacia@advancing-derm.org.

People

Conference Board of Directors & Advisors

Humberto C. Antunes
Partner

Gore Range Capital
Frederick Beddingfield, III, MD, PhD, FAAD, FACMS
Chief Executive Officer

Rubedo Life Sciences
Volunteer Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, Division of Dermatology
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
William Ju, MD, FAAD
President & Founding Trustee
Advancing Innovation in Dermatology, Inc.
Seth Orlow, MD, PhD, FAAD
Senior Advisor
Pharus Advisors, LLC
Professor & Chair of Dermatology
NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Thibaud Portal, PhD
Founder, President & Chief Operations Officer
Alys Pharmaceuticals
Francisco Ramírez-Valle, MD, PhD, FAAD
Senior Vice President, Immunology Research
Eli Lilly
Krisen Slaoui
Kristen B. Slaoui, PhD
Executive Advisor, Corporate Strategy and Development
Christina Weng
Christina Weng, MD, FAAD
Chief Medical Officer
Pelage Pharmaceuticals
Lecturer in Dermatology
Harvard Medical School
Dermatologist
Massachusetts General Hospital

Networking

The Dermatology Innovation Forum utilizes a conference app for meeting materials and networking, available to all registered attendees. The app will open in March.

Contact

Sponsorship Opportunities

Amanda Pacia
amanda.pacia@advancing-derm.org

General Inquiries

support@advancing-derm.org

Confirmed Speakers

Faye Silag
faye.silag@advancing-derm.org

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the agenda for the conference?

The current program agenda can be found here.

What is the cost of registration?

If registered by January, 16, 2026 – $185 Physicians and Academicians / $445 Industry
Registration after January, 16, 2026 – $245 Physicians and Academicians / $595 Industry
Department nominated Residents and Fellows – $45

What is included in the registration fees?

Conference registration includes:

  • Entrepreneur Bootcamp
  • Networking Lunch and Break
  • All Conference Sessions
  • Access to Conference App
  • Networking Reception

Cancellation Policy

Requests for registration fee cancellations for the conference must be received on or before February 27, 2026. At the discretion of the conference organizers, a refund via the method of original payment, minus a $125 non-refundable administrative fee, will be issued. No refunds will be made if notice is received after 3pm Eastern Time on February 27, 2026. Written notice of your cancellation should be sent to jamie.breslin@advancing-derm.org with a copy to support@advancing-derm.org.

I am a Sponsor. How do I redeem my contracted complimentary registration(s)?

Your company point of contact will receive an email with unique codes and instructions to register online. We encourage all complimentary and discounted registrations to be completed by January 16, 2026. If you have not yet received the email, please contact Faye Silag at faye.silag@advancing-derm.org.

How do I become a Sponsor?

If you are interested in a sponsorship opportunity, please contact Amanda Pacia at amanda.pacia@advancing-derm.org, for the sponsorship overview and level pricing.

What is the dress code?

Attire is business casual. Feel free to be comfortable in slacks, polo shirts, blazers, blouses and most importantly, comfortable shoes. We do recommend you dress in layers as temperatures in meeting rooms can vary.

Force Majeure

No damages or refunds shall be due for a failure of performance or because of a delay or cancellation by the occurrence of any contingency beyond the reasonable control of Host. These contingencies include, without limitation, threat of or actual war, terrorism, sabotage, insurrection, riot or other act of civil disobedience, act of public enemy, strikes, labor disputes, picketing or work stoppage (actual or threatened), failure or delay in transportation, an epidemic, pandemic or disease, act of government or any agency affecting the terms of this Agreement, accident, fire, explosion, flood, severe weather, natural disaster, or other act of God, interruptions or failure of the Internet or third-party network connections, or acts beyond the reasonable control of the responsible parties making the Event impossible to hold.

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