Home >> Platform >> Conferences >> Dermatology Summit 2025
Hyatt Regency, San Francisco, CA
January 12, 2025
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The mission of the Dermatology Summit is to build a community of people who are excited about innovation in dermatology.
This conference uniquely brings together members of the financial community and business leaders from established and emerging companies in the dermatology space to help foster investment and partnerships in the next generation of dermatology companies and products.
Dermatology Summit 2025 Speakers
Cheri Ackerman, PhD
Cofounder & CEO
Concerto Biosciences
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Biography
A leader of scientific innovation and a winner of the Emerging Women Founder Award, Cheri co-founded Concerto to reinvent humanity’s relationship with microbes. Cheri led Concerto to raise oversubscribed Seed and Series A investment rounds, fueling the company’s development of transformative microbial treatments and industry partnerships. Cheri has built a strong company culture centered around rigorous science, intent listening, and compassion. She holds a PhD in Chemistry from UC Berkeley (Hertz Fellow) and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard (NIH Kirschstein Fellow).
Liav Abraham
Managing Director, Global Healthcare
UBS
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Biography
Liav Abraham is a Managing Director in UBS’ Global Healthcare group based in NY, where she focuses on advising life sciences companies on a variety of strategic and capital markets transactions, including in the dermatology and aesthetics therapeutic areas. Liav joined UBS in 2023 following the acquisition of Credit Suisse, and prior to her time at Credit Suisse, she was a biopharma equity research analyst at both Citi and Morgan Stanley, where she covered stocks in the pharmaceuticals sector. She holds an MBA from Columbia University.
Diego Alvarado, PhD
Vice President of Research
Celldex Therapeutics
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Biography
Dr. Alvarado is a Vice President in the Research Department at Celldex Therapeutics, where he oversees discovery and translational medicine activities. He joined Celldex in 2016 as a Director of Research, where he contributed to the discovery and preclinical development of several programs, including barzolvolimab (CDX-0159). Previously, he was a Director and Senior Scientist at Kolltan Pharmaceuticals from 2010 to 2016, where he oversaw the discovery, preclinical development, and biomarker discovery for several monoclonal antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates targeting receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). Dr. Alvarado did his postdoctoral work at the University of Pennsylvania with Dr. Mark Lemmon, focusing on the structural mechanisms governing activation and inhibition of receptor tyrosine kinases. Dr. Alvarado received his Ph.D. in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology from Indiana University in 2004.
Mathew M. Avram, MD, JD
Director Dermatology Laser & Cosmetic Center
Massachusetts General Hospital
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Biography
Dr. Avram is one of the leading medical authorities on cosmetic dermatology in the world. He is the Past-President of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, the leading organization in the United States for cosmetic dermatology with 6,400 physician members who elected him to this prestigious position. He has served as the Director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Dermatology Laser & Cosmetic Center for 18 years. He also serves as Faculty Director for Laser and Cosmetic Training in the Department of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Avram was elected by his peers and served as President of the American Society for Laser Medicine Surgery (ASLMS) in 2017-2018, the leading society in the world for laser and energy-based treatments with 4,400 members at that time. He was the 2015 recipient of the ASLMS Annual Leon Goldman Award for excellence in research, patient care, and education, and he was the 2016 recipient of the ASLMS Annual Ellet Drake Award for innovation in laser surgery.
Dr. Avram has co-authored or edited 7 textbooks that have been translated into 5 languages. He has 90 peer-reviewed publications in journals including the New England Journal of Medicine. He has served as co-investigator for five annual Best Science Awards at ASLMS. Dr. Avram has chaired 31 national meetings and has delivered over 800 invited lectures at national and international meetings on 4 continents. Dr. Avram served as co-chair for an annual laser and energy-based teaching session for the FDA in Silver Spring, Maryland for three years. He also has two U.S. patents.
This year, Dr. Avram was recognized by Newsweek magazine as one of the Top 10 cosmetic dermatologists in America. For 10 consecutive years, Dr. Avram has been selected as one of Boston’s Top Dermatologists by Boston Magazine. Dr. Avram is a frequent guest on ABC, NBC, CNN, CBS, FOX and is a regularly quoted medical expert in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and numerous other media publications.
Orla Cunningham, PhD
Global Granular Program Lead
Alys Pharmaceuticals
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Biography
Following a postdoc in cancer cell biology, Orla returned to Ireland to establish Wyeth’s nascent antibody discovery & engineering group; subsequently acquired by Pfizer. In her role at Pfizer, Orla led multi-disciplinary internal antibody discovery teams, in addition to academic collaborations with universities across Ireland & the UK. She has supported pre-clinical programs from conception through development, with many candidates currently progressing through clinical trials. Orla left big pharma for the start-up biotech world in 2020, and is currently global program lead for Alys Pharmaceuticals, focusing on next-generation mast cell targeting. Throughout her 20 year career Orla has published and patented widely in the field of therapeutic antibody engineering.
Daniel Gil, PhD
Chief Executive Officer
Pelage Pharmaceuticals
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Biography
Dr. Gil has had a 30+ year career in Pharmaceutical R&D. He is CEO of Pelage Pharmaceuticals, which is conducting clinical trials on a regenerative hair growth treatment. He is also a Venture Partner with Visionary Ventures, an ophthalmology and aesthetics-focused fund. Until 2018, Dr. Gil worked at Allergan. As VP, Research Technologies and Portfolio, he oversaw preclinical to early phase 2 clinical development and directed the Medicinal Chemistry, Biologics and translational pharmacology research groups. His research contributed to development of 5 marketed drugs and he led 8 clinical development projects in the areas of Ophthalmology, Neuroscience and Dermatology. He is an inventor on more than 70 issued US patents and author on 50 peer-reviewed research articles. Dr. Gil has an undergraduate degree in Biology from Harvard University and a PhD in Pharmacology from the University of Pennsylvania.
J. Mark Jackson, MD
Vice President, Clinical Development
Evommune
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Biography
Dr. J. Mark Jackson joins Evommune from his position as a Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Louisville. Besides his academic appointment, he also previously served as an advisor to multiple pharmaceutical companies including AbbVie, Amgen, Arcutis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Dermavant, Galderma, Janssen, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB, and held a leadership role in a clinical practice with Forefront Dermatology. He has been involved in clinical research for over 25 years, with a focus on early drug development. Mark has authored over 50 articles in peer reviewed publications as well as chapters in numerous well-known dermatology textbooks. He has lectured nationally and internationally on topics involving lupus, neutrophilic disorders, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, systemic therapies for dermatologic diseases, drug reactions, advanced dermatologic disorders, and acne. He serves on the editorial review team for JAMA Dermatology, and the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, and served as President of the American Acne and Rosacea Society from 2019 to 2021. Mark received his undergraduate degree from Baylor University and his medical degree from Texas A&M College of Medicine.
Brian S. Kim, MD, MTR
Sol & Clara Kest Professor of Dermatology & Vice Chair of Research, Department of Dermatology
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Director
Mark Lebwohl Center for Neuroinflammation & Itch
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Biography
Dr. Kim received his MD from the University of Washington, was a HHMI-NIH Scholar, completed residency in dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania where he earned a Master of Translational Research (MTR). His research focuses on mechanisms that underlie skin inflammation and the sensation of itch as a fundamental, broad, model paradigm of neuroimmunology. He has >120 peer-reviewed publications, multiple NIH grants, designed pivotal clinical trials that led to novel FDA-approved treatments, and is an inventor of itch-centered technologies. His research has led to awards and funding from NIH, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, American Skin Association, American Academy of Dermatology, American Society for Clinical Investigation, American Dermatological Association, and International League of Dermatological Societies. He holds a patent for the use of JAK inhibitors for itch. He is on the SAB for Abrax Japan, Granular Therapeutics, Recens Medical, National Eczema Association, and Cell Reports Medicine.
Kim Domela Kjøller, MD
Chief Executive Officer,
UNION therapeutics
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Biography
After Graduating from the Copenhagen Medical Faculty in 1994, Kim Kjøller, held several positions at Copenhagen University Hospitals in medicine and surgery until joining the Danish Cancer Society, Institute for Epidemiologic Cancer Research in 1996. Joining the Pharmaceutical industry in the medical area in 1999 and has since held positions at Sanofi, Lundbeck, Sanofi Pasteur MSD and lastly LEO Pharma from 2010; from 2015 until 2020 as Executive Vice President R&D, and member of the Global Leadership team. Kim Kjøller has since 2021 served as chairman of the Danish Life Science Cluster, a private-public organization established to foster collaboration, between, academia, business, communities and regions to jointly progress innovation and improve health care delivery in Denmark.
Kim Kjøller is author/Co-Author of 40+ scientific publications, and has given lecturers at Scientific Meetings in Denmark and the Nordics as well as at Pharma Industry Meetings in Europe and the US.
Kurt Lu, MD
Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer,
Melanyze, Inc.
Eugene and Gloria Bauer Professor of Dermatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
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Biography
Dr. Lu is the Eugene and Gloria Bauer Professor of Dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, USA. He is a physician-scientist with expertise in tissue injury and regeneration, inflammation, and wound repair. Dr. Lu serves as the Director of the NIH-funded CounterACT Center of Excellence at Northwestern. His team investigates immunomodulating treatments and conducts bench-to-bedside clinical studies to mitigate inflammation caused by sunburns, chemical skin burns from chemotherapy treatments, cutaneous lymphoma, and radiation dermatitis. His research focuses on better understanding the immune-mediated mechanisms of tissue damage caused by environmental factors. This work has led to the development of vitamin D3 as a novel intervention for promoting tissue repair and includes studies on immune modulators, drug repurposing, and nanotechnology-based solutions such as synthetic melanin.
Recent exciting discoveries include the development of topical synthetic ‘super’ melanins for skin repair, which led to his startup. Dr. Lu is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Melanyze, Inc., an early-stage biotechnology company focused on developing synthetic melanin-based nanoparticles for skin regeneration, repair, and the treatment of complex inflammatory skin conditions. Melanyze is pioneering a new class of therapeutics to address critical unmet needs in dermatology and supportive oncology.
Jon Meneese, MBA
Chief Executive Officer and President,
Sagesse Bio
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Biography
Jon Meneese is a seasoned marketing and sales executive with over 20 years of experience leading U.S. and global teams at Galderma, Alcon, and Syneos Health. Jon has overseen the development of multiple products in the Dermatology and Vision Care space and has led cross functional teams to 50+ launches in more than 30 countries around the world.
Michael E. Meyers, MPH
Vice Chairman, Head of M&A and Strategic Advisory Services,
H.C. Wainwright & Co.
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Biography
Mr. Meyers is Vice Chairman, Head of M&A and Strategic Advisory Services at H.C. Wainwright & Co. Mr. Meyers primary advisory activities encompass, M&A, licensing, credit and royalty monetizations. He has ~ 30 years of investment banking, venture capital, public health, asset management and operating experience in healthcare, with an emphasis on the life sciences. Over the course of his career, Mr. Meyers has advised on ~ $150 billion of strategic and financial transactions.
Previously, Mr. Meyers was Head of Investment Banking with T.R. Winston & Company; CEO and CIO of Arcoda Capital Management, that he founded with Scott Gottlieb, M.D.; a Partner and Portfolio Manager with two asset managers; Managing Director, Partner and Member of the Board of Global Biomedical Partners AG, a life sciences venture capital firm; Director and Relationship Manager of healthcare investment banking with Merrill Lynch & Co. Mr. Meyers was also a Vice President of Health Care Investment Banking with Cowen & Company, and a Research Associate with Hambrecht & Quist.
Mr. Meyers holds an M.P.H. in Health Policy and Management from Columbia University, and an A.B. in Biology from Brandeis University.
Marco Quarta, PhD
Co-Founder & Chief Scientific Officer,
Rubedo Life Sciences
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Biography
Marco Quarta, PhD, is Co-Founder of Rubedo Life Sciences. He currently holds the CSO. Prior to that he held the CEO role for the first 6 years. Under his tenure the company raised over $60M, built its AI-driven discovery platform Alembic and moved to clinical stage-ready its first therapeutic program in dermatological chronic inflammatory diseases and skin aging.
He received his doctorate degree in Biotechnology from the University of Bologna and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Padua. He completed a post-doc in Aging and Stem cell Biology in the lab of Prof. Thomas Rando at Stanford University. He continued his work at Stanford directing a research team at the Center for Tissue Regeneration, Repair, and Restoration at the VA Hospital in Palo Alto, CA and Stanford School of Medicine where, he established a translational program in regenerative medicine. He has over 40 publications and patents in the field of aging, stem cells, regenerative medicine, and rejuvenation.
Marco also co-founded Wetware Concepts, YEBN, and Turn Biotechnology and served as an executive board member of the European Federation of Biotechnologies. He currently sits on the advisory board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) Calpoly Bridge program, and the advisory board at the Center for Healthcare Innovation. Marco is a member of the Paul F Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging Studies at Stanford University. He is co-founder and President of the scientific society Phaedon Institute, a non profit focused on Longevity Medicine.
Sergio Rossi
Managing Director & Partner,
Boston Consulting Group
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Biography
Mr. Rossi is Global Topic Leader in BCG’s Medical Aesthetics and a core member of the Health Care practice with a focus on Corporate Strategy and Marketing & Sales themes. He has over 15 years of experience in growth strategy, portfolio analysis, commercial models, GTM, pricing, loyalty programs, and digital. Mr. Rossi has led over 40 projects for multiple medical aesthetics / skincare / beauty / breast implants companies.
Prior to joining BCG, Mr. Rossi worked at Pfizer Ltd. for several years as a brand manager and, previously, as a business analyst in the strategy practice of Accenture. He holds an MBA from SDA Bocconi School of Management and a M.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering from Politecnico di Torino/Princeton University.
Nicholas Reder, MD, MPH
Chief Executive Officer & Founder
Alpenglow Biosciences
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Biography
Dr. Nicholas Reder is a board certified and award winning pathologist and the CEO and founder of Alpenglow Biosciences, Inc., a 3D spatial biology company. He received a B.S. in biochemistry from the University of Michigan, an M.P.H. in epidemiology from Emory University, and an M.D. from Loyola University Chicago before receiving his pathology training at University of Washington, where he completed an anatomic pathology residency followed by a genitourinary pathology fellowship. While in residency, Dr. Reder won the Castleman Award, the highest honor for a pathologist under the age of 40. Dr. Reder has published more than 30 peer-reviewed journal articles and is a listed inventor on 5 patents (3 issued, 2 pending). Under his leadership, Alpenglow Biosciences has raised over a combined $35M in venture funding and grant awards. Alpenglow has created a complete end-to-end solution including the 3D imager, 3D processing, and 3D analysis to provide deep insights into therapeutic efficacy, mechanism of action, and toxicity for biopharma research and clinical trials applications.
Michael Ringel, JD, PhD
Managing Director and Senior Partner
Boston Consulting Group
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Biography
Dr. Michael Ringel has been at BCG 25 years and is currently Managing Director and Senior Partner. He is on the Board of Hevolution US, the charitable organization focused on extending healthy aging for the benefit of all humanity, the Board of AFAR, one of the oldest organizations supporting healthy aging through biomedical research, and on the Executive Board of the Sheba Longevity Center, a clinic at one of the world’s best hospitals devoted to healthy aging. Dr. Ringel holds a B.A. summa cum laude in biology from Princeton, a Ph.D. in biology from Imperial College, and a J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School.
Lior Sahaf
Vice President, Business Development
Clexio Biosciences
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Biography
Mr. Sahaf is the VP of Business Development at Clexio Biosciences, where he leads partnering efforts for the company’s diverse pipeline. Prior to joining Clexio, Lior spent 3.5 years at Genentech-Roche, where he led business development deals. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Cody Simmons
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
DermaSensor
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Biography
Cody is a bioengineer and entrepreneur that has spent all of his career bringing new health technologies to physicians and patients. Prior to joining Dr. Maurice Ferre to build DermaSensor in 2016, Cody led commercial efforts for a Silicon Valley medical device screening startup and held BD and commercial strategy roles at Genentech. His academic and research background is in business, economics and bioengineering at Brown and Stanford Universities.
Edwin Tucker, MD
Chief Medical Officer
Jasper Therapeutics
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Biography
Dr. Edwin Tucker has over 30 years of clinical experience leading novel drug development. He is Chief Medical Officer at Jasper Therapeutics driving clinical development in mast cell mediated diseases including urticaria and asthma. Previously, he was Chief Medical Officer at Goldfinch Bio, a nephrology development stage company. Previously, he served as Chief Medical Officer at Mirum Pharmaceuticals, where he contributed to the achievement of key milestones in the development of medicines for adult and pediatric cholestatic liver disease including the first FDA approval for Alagille Syndrome. Prior to joining Mirum, Dr. Tucker was at Acerta Pharma LLC, now part of the AstraZeneca family of companies, ultimately serving as Chief Operating Officer. Prior to joining Acerta, he held leadership positions in development, medical safety and medical affairs at Genentech, Janssen Research and Development and Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals.
Dr. Tucker is a member of the Royal College of Physicians (UK) and received his M.B.A. from the University of Connecticut. Dr. Tucker holds degrees in Pharmacology and Medicine from the University of Leeds, United Kingdom. Additionally, he served as a managing director at Golden Seeds, an investment firm dedicated to pursuing early-stage investment opportunities in women-led businesses.
Program
Registration and Networking Café
Program*
* Speakers and presentation order subject to change
State of the Industry – Aesthetics
Scott Gottlieb, MD, Partner, New Enterprise Associates; 23rd Commissioner, US Food & Drug Administration
Michael E. Meyers, Vice Chairman, Head of M&A and Strategic Advisory Services, H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC
State of the Industry – Medical
Liav Abraham; Managing Director, Global Healthcare, UBS Securities
The New Paradigm of Mast Cell Therapies
Session Presented in Collaboration with the Allen Discovery Center for Neuroimmune Interactions (center website)
Moderated by: Brian S. Kim, MD, MTR; ; Sol & Clara Kest Professor of Dermatology & Vice Chair of Research, Department of Dermatology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; Director, Mark Lebwohl Center for Neuroinflammation & Itch
Diego Alvarado, PhD; Vice President of Research; Celldex Therapeutics
Orla Cunningham, PhD; Global Granular Program Lead, Alys Pharmaceuticals
J. Mark Jackson, MD, Vice President, Clinical Development, Evommune
Edwin Tucker, MD; Chief Medical Officer, Jasper Therapeutics
Panel: Investing in Longevity with Skin in the Game
Moderated by: 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
Marta Garcia, Vice President, Corporate Development & Strategy, Almirall
William Greene, MD, Chief Investment Officer, Hevolution
Uri Lopatin, MD; Operating Partner, Khosla Ventures
Michael Ringel, JD, PhD; Managing Director and Senior Partner, Boston Consulting Group
Markets and Medicines: Two dermatologists’ rapid-fire perspectives
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
Seth Orlow, MD, PhD, FAAD; Senior Advisor, Pharus Advisors, LLC; Professor & Chair of Dermatology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Entrepreneurial Company Showcase
UNION therapeutics; Kim Domela Kjøller, MD, Chief Executive Officer
Alpenglow Biosciences, Inc.; Nicholas Reder, MD, MPH, Chief Executive Officer & Founder
Sagesse Bio; Jon Meneese, MBA, Chief Executive Officer & President
Melanyze; Kurt Lu, MD; Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Panel: The Landscape of Longevity & Regenerative Medicine in Dermatology – Perspectives from the Corporate, Clinical, Regulatory, and Financial Sectors
Moderated by: Christina Weng, MD, FAAD; Chief Medical Officer, Pelage Pharmaceuticals; Lecturer in Dermatology, Harvard Medical School; Dermatologist, Massachusetts General Hospital
Mathew M. Avram, MD, JD; Director Dermatology Laser & Cosmetic Center, Massachusetts General Hospital
Daniel Gil, PhD; Chief Executive Officer, Pelage Pharmaceuticals
Michael E. Meyers; Vice Chairman, Head of M&A and Strategic Advisory Services, H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC
Panel: AI in Dermatology
Moderated by: Frederick Beddingfield, III, MD, PhD, FAAD, FACMS; Chief Executive Officer, Rubedo Life Science; Volunteer Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, Division of Dermatology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Sergio Rossi, Managing Director and Partner, Boston Consulting Group
Cody Simmons; Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, DermaSensor
Benjamin Yu, MD, PhD; Founder, Nuoli Health
Entrepreneurial Company Showcase
Concerto Biosciences; Cheri Ackerman, PhD, Cofounder & Chief Executive Officer
Clexio Biosciences Ltd.; Lior Sahaf, Vice President Business Development
Rubedo, Marco Quarta, PhD, Co-Founder & Chief Scientific Officer
Entrepreneurial Company Showcase
The program committee is accepting Entrepreneurial Company Showcase applications until October 18, 2024. Eligibility guidelines, details and the online submission form can be accessed below.
Learn More and Apply
People
Conference Board of Directors
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
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Biography
Dr. Beddingfield is a physician-scientist and biotech entrepreneur. He is currently CEO and Board Director of Rubedo Life Sciences. He also serves as Chairman of the Board of Sagesse Bio and as a director of Cytrellis Biosystems. Previously he was an Executive Partner at Apollo Health Ventures, a longevity and age-related disease fund. He served as CEO and director of Kira Pharmaceuticals developing biologics for immunology, inflammation, and rare diseases from 2020 to 2023. He was founder, president, chief executive and member of the board of directors of Sienna Biopharmaceuticals Inc. and took the company public in 2017. Previously he served as Chief Medical Officer of Kythera Biopharmaceuticals, acquired by Allergan in 2015. He has led the development and approvals of global leading brands in medical dermatology, aesthetics, neurology, metabolic, and other therapeutic areas. These brands include Botox, Juvederm, Voluma, Kybella, Latisse, Aczone, and Tazorac.
Since completing his training, Frederick has maintained a clinical and teaching practice at UCLA. He is a board-certified dermatologist and emergency medicine physician and fellowship trained in dermatologic surgery and cutaneous oncology. Frederick completed his medical degree with honors at UNC Chapel Hill, his residency and fellowship training at UCLA, and his PhD in Policy Analysis Research at RAND. He serves on the medical advisory board of the Children’s Skin Disease Foundation and Camp Wonder. He is co-founder of the Dermatology Summit and Dermatology Innovation Forum conferences, and a Board Trustee of Advancing Innovation in Dermatology.
William Ju, MD, FAAD
President & Founding Trustee
Advancing Innovation in Dermatology, Inc.
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Biography
William Ju, MD, FAAD is a board-certified dermatologist and has over 20 years of biopharmaceutical experience in a wide variety of therapeutic areas, including dermatology. He is president and a co-founding trustee of Advancing Innovation in Dermatology, Inc. Dr. Ju has been president and chief executive officer of Follica, Inc. and chief operating officer at PTC Therapeutics, Inc. (PTCT). In addition, he has held executive positions at Pharmacia Corporation/Pfizer, Inc. Merck & Co., Inc., and Hoffmann La Roche, Inc. in a broad range of product development and leadership functions. Dr. Ju served as project leader for SUTENT®, introduced CANCIDAS® into humans, and was part of the product development teams for CRIXIVAN® and TRANSLARNA™.
Dr. Ju began his pharmaceutical career at Hoffmann-La Roche where he was a clinical leader for the development of dermatology compounds. Before entering industry, Dr. Ju was a senior staff fellow in basic research in the Laboratory of Cellular Oncology under Douglas Lowy, M.D. and was affiliated with the Dermatology Branch at the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health. He obtained his M.D. with Alpha Omega Alpha honors at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and his A.B. with Phi Beta Kappa honors at Princeton University.
Seth Orlow, MD, PhD, FAAD
Senior Advisor
Pharus Advisors, LLC
Professor & Chair of Dermatology
NYU Grossman School of Medicine
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Biography
Seth Orlow, MD, PhD has over 25 years of experience in medicine, science, and finance. As a faculty member at New York University, Dr. Orlow rose to become Chair of its leading dermatology department. He serves as a Senior Advisor with Pharus Advisors, focused on strategic transactional/investment banking advisory services in the dermatology and personal care sectors. In 1995 he co-founded Anaderm, a dermatologic discovery company backed by Pfizer and OSI Pharmaceuticals. He participated in the sale of Anaderm to Pfizer in 2002. From 2001-2010, he rose from Advisor to Partner with Easton Capital Partners, a venture capital firm focused on healthcare and consumer products. At Easton, he was involved in the sourcing, diligence, funding, oversight and exit of investments in many healthcare companies such as Acorda, Conor Medsystems, Protez, Salmedix and Transave. Dr. Orlow has licensed technologies to companies ranging from Pfizer to SkinMedica. An author of over 200 medical/scientific publications, he is an internationally sought-after speaker and thought leader. A graduate of Harvard in Biochemical Sciences and with an MD-PhD in Molecular Pharmacology from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Dr. Orlow trained in Pediatrics and Dermatology at Mt. Sinai and Yale.
Kristen B. Slaoui, PhD
Chief Corporate Development Officer
Galderma
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Biography
Kristen B. Slaoui, PhD has been the Chief Corporate Development Officer at Galderma, the world’s largest independent global dermatology company, since 2020. Since joining Galderma, she oversaw several significant transactions including the acquisition of Alastin Skincare in 2021, adding to Galderma’s premium portfolio. Prior to this role, she spent 20 years with GSK, first in the research labs, where her work in pulmonary disease resulted in the discovery of the long-acting muscarinic receptor antagonist in the approved medicines Anoro™ Ellipta™, Incruse™ Ellipta™, and Trelegy™ Ellipta™. She holds multiple patents, has authored more than 40 original peer-reviewed publications, and she has had ongoing roles as a peer reviewer for a dozen established medical journals. She joined GSK’s Business Development team in 2006 and held various roles of increasing seniority, and executed more than $30 billion worth of deals and acquisitions, including the $3.6 billion acquisition of Stiefel Laboratories in 2009 (where she subsequently served as VP and Head of Business Development & Licensing), participating in the $20+ billion three-part transaction with Novartis in 2015, and the $5.1 bn acquisition of Tesaro in 2018, with transactions covering the pharma R&D, commercial, emerging markets, specialty pharma and consumer spaces.
Dr. Slaoui earned Bachelor’s degrees in both Biology and Classical Studies from Gettysburg College. She earned her PhD in Physiology from The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and completed an NIH Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA.
Christina Weng, MD, FAAD
Chief Medical Officer
Pelage Pharmaceuticals
Lecturer in Dermatology
Harvard Medical School
Dermatologist
Massachusetts General Hospital
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Biography
Qing Yu Christina Weng is a physician-scientist, entrepreneur, and biotech executive. She is the Chief Medical Officer of Pelage Pharmaceuticals, a biotech developing innovative treatments for hair loss by targeting stem cell metabolism. Prior to Pelage, Christina led business development and strategy at Kira Pharmaceuticals, a global company developing complement therapeutics. Christina co-founded Mymiel, a high-performance clean skincare line, where she served as Chief Strategy Officer. As faculty at Harvard Medical School and attending dermatologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital, she specializes in melanoma and pigmentary disorders. She is on the Board of Directors for the Dermatology Innovation Forum and the Dermatology Summit. She is on the Advisory Board for Immunis, a regenerative medicine company developing secretomes for age-related dysfunction.
Christina attended the California Institute of Technology, where she received her bachelor’s degrees in Biology and English with honors. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard Medical School, where she received her medical degree and was a fellow of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. She completed dermatology residency at the Harvard Combined Dermatology Residency Training Program with advanced clinical training at the MGH Laser & Cosmetics Center. Her postdoctoral bench research was at the Cutaneous Biology Research Center of MGH. Her clinical research has led to new guidelines recommended by the American Academy of Dermatology for drug monitoring. She has received research grants and awards from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, American Skin Association, American Dermatological Association, and National Institutes of Health. She holds multiple patents.
Sponsors
Premier
Major
Supporting
Founders
Networking
The Dermatology Summit utilizes a conference app for meeting materials and networking, available on both Apple and Android devices for all registered attendees. The conference app will open in December and instructions will be shared at that time.
The app will serve as a networking portal. Upon logging into the app, you will be able to update your profile, view other registered attendees in the app and communicate via chat. A 1:1 networking room will be available at the conference for your use should you wish to set up meetings on your own with other attendees.
Contact
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 October 31, 2024 – $795
Registration after October 31, 2024 – $995
What is included in the registration fees?
Conference registration includes:
- Networking Café
- Networking Lunch
- Networking Breaks
- All Conference Sessions
- Access to Conference App for Networking Opportunities
- Evening Networking Cocktail Reception
Cancellation Policy
Requests for registration fee cancellations for the conference must be received on or before December 12, 2024. 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 December 12, 2024. 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)?
After your sponsorship has been processed, you will receive an email with a unique code and instructions to register online. We encourage all complimentary and discounted registrations to be completed by December 12, 2024. 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.
I am a confirmed speaker, now what?
Please contact Faye Silag at faye.silag@advancing-derm.org.
Networking
Our app will launch in December, and you will receive an email at that time with download instructions.
Where can I make hotel reservations?
There are several hotels within a short distance from the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero, where the Dermatology Summit will take place.
Hotel |
Address |
Phone |
Hyatt Regency San Francisco |
5 Embarcadero Center |
415-788-1234 |
Grand Hyatt San Francisco |
345 Stockton Street |
415-398-1234 |
Beacon Grand |
450 Powell Street |
866-377-9412 |
Westin St. Francis |
335 Powell Street |
415-397-7000 |
JW Marriott |
515 Mason Street |
415-771-8600 |
Hilton San Francisco Union Sq. |
333 O’Farrell Street |
415-771-1400 |
Ritz-Carlton |
600 Stockton Street |
415-296-7465 |
Marriott Union Sq. |
480 Sutter Street |
415-398-8900 |
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.