2025 AAD Annual Meeting Debuts New Sessions, Opening Ceremony

This content was developed independently and is not endorsed by the American Academy of Dermatology.

Clinicians and investigators will gather in Orlando, Florida, for the 2025 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting from March 7 to 11 to explore challenges across the dermatology field, anticipate future developments, and connect with peers and industry leaders.

The comprehensive program features over 300 sessions led by dermatology experts, organized into 6 categories: inflammatory dermatoses, pediatric dermatology, cosmetic dermatology, surgical dermatology, practice management, and melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers.¹

This array of sessions includes returning favorites from past meetings, like the late-breaking research sessions. These sessions will showcase new clinical trials, population-based studies, innovative technologies, translational biomarker research, and groundbreaking basic science.²

The featured research will cover various skin, hair, and nail disorders, focusing on discoveries that enhance the understanding of disease mechanisms, drive therapy development, or improve adverse event prevention. Two late-breaking research sessions will be held on Saturday, March 8, the first from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and the second from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Another session back by popular demand is “Hot Topics,” which will take place on Monday, March 10, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.³ This symposium will cover dermatology topics deemed most relevant by registrant consensus, reflecting member interests and concerns. Expert speakers will discuss recent trends and developments in the field, especially highlighting emerging and innovative therapies.

There are also over 50 new sessions, including “New Drugs, New Rashes: An Update on Cutaneous Drug Eruptions.⁴” This session, taking place on Friday, March 7, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. will help dermatologists to stay updated on management strategies for adverse drug reactions, which have become more common with the use of newer medications, such as anti-cancer drugs and biologics, that cause distinctive and serious cutaneous effects.

Another new aspect of the meeting is the opening ceremony on Friday, March 7, at 5 PM.⁵ It will include a welcome address from AAD President Seemal R. Desai, MD, FAAD, to set the stage for the remainder of the meeting. Attendees will also hear remarks from this year’s Gold Medal winner, Boni E. Elewski, MD, FAAD, who is receiving AAD’s highest honor in recognition of her contributions to the specialty.

To conclude the opening session, Desai will host a fireside chat with lifestyle expert and entrepreneur Martha Stewart. They will explore her contributions to health care, her connections to dermatology, and her personal and professional journey.

In an interview with The American Journal of Managed Care^®, Desai reflected on the goals of the 2025 AAD Annual Meeting. His message to members is that AAD is committed to providing them with the highest quality, cutting-edge education and various networking opportunities.

“When you come to our meeting, you’re coming to get the absolute best content anywhere in the world,” Desai said. “We want our members to know that we are making sure that they have the most exciting experience while they’re there because we know that it’s a time commitment, it’s a monetary commitment, and it’s an incredibly busy time for so many people. We want everyone to feel like, when they leave there, they received the best education and had the best networking experience.”

References

1. 2025 AAD Annual Meeting: Session spotlight. AAD. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://www.aad.org/member/meetings-education/am25/education/spotlight
2. Late-breaking research: session 1. AAD. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://am2025.aad.org/sessions/17283
3. Hot topics. AAD. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://am2025.aad.org/sessions/17427
4. New drugs, new rashes: An update on cutaneous drug eruptions. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://am2025.aad.org/sessions/17234
5. 2025 AAD Annual Meeting; opening ceremony and keynote address. AAD. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://www.aad.org/member/meetings-education/am25/education/keynote