March 23
Livingood Lecture: Unconscious bias keeping dermatology from reflecting the population it servesBruce Wintroub, MD, sees himself in the people business. His business also involves being the interim dean of the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, and professor and chair of the department of dermatology. > MORE 
Gruber Lecture: Immunotherapy advances and blocking BRAF improve melanoma treatmentsA greater understanding of how the immune system deals with melanoma is key in developing therapies that lead to long-lasting responses in melanoma, and blocking the BRAF oncogene that drives the growth of about half of melanomas results in high-frequency antitumor responses. > MORE 
Sulzberger Lecture: Researcher foresees avenues to reverse hair loss in male pattern baldnessDecades of research into the biology of male pattern baldness has led hair loss expert George Cotsarelis, MD, to envision treatments for the condition. Those possible treatments could include inhibiting the PGD2 lipid, regenerating hair follicles by creating a wound-healing response, and tissue engineering. > MORE 
Taming psoriasis: Newest biologics clear skin, offer hope of reregulating immune systemOver the past 20 years, knowledge of the causes of psoriasis has evolved from the general description of T cells to identifying a specific T-cell subset that affects the IL-23/Th-17 pathway that drives the disease. The result is the development of biologic drugs that promise to completely suppress the disease, and a hope that tolerance could be established in patients. > MORE 
Hall of Famer Johnny Bench talks baseball, skin cancerJohnny Bench is considered by many to be the greatest catcher of all time. > MORE 
AMA President-Elect: Physicians can shape the future of health careChanges to the U.S. health care system have left many physicians feeling overwhelmed, but they should push back against those feelings and instead lead the way to the establishment of a better, more sustainable, and effective system, said Steven J. Stack, MD, president-elect of the American Medical Association. > MORE 
Deputy Surgeon General Lushniak reaffirms his skin cancer Call to ActionDuring the year-and-a-half that he served as acting surgeon general, Rear Admiral Boris Lushniak, MD, MPH, put skin cancer prevention front and center.
> MORE
March 22
Stakeholders working to fill gaps in psoriasis researchPsoriasis patients, clinicians, and payers all need better outcomes. Getting to better outcomes doesn't necessarily mean better drugs, said Alice Gottlieb, MD, PhD, chair and Harvey B. Ansell professor of dermatology at Tufts University School of Medicine. Getting to better outcomes means better patient-centered measures to enhance research and treatment. > MORE 
New technology offers options for skin resurfacing and tightening, tattoo removalAdvances in technology in the last 15 years have created a variety of options for skin resurfacing and rejuvenation, tattoo removal, skin tightening, and body contouring, which were covered Saturday in “The Science Behind New Devices in Dermatology.” > MORE 
Recognition of drug-related dermatologic side effects growsThe growing intensity of drug therapy, both in terms of frequency of use and drug strength, in dermatology and other specialties is fueling an increased recognition of cutaneous adverse events. A good history and solid lab work can help identify drug-related cutaneous conditions that might otherwise be difficult to diagnose and treat. > MORE - Simple tools provide quick, accurate diagnostics for bedside and beyondWhether in a resource-poor area overseas or at the bedside in a tertiary care hospital in your clinic, with just a few tools you can quickly diagnose a host of diseases ranging from chicken pox to scabies, said Karolyn Wanat, MD, director of the session “Beyond the Tzanck: Bedside Diagnostics for Dermatologists,” presented Friday. > MORE
- Pediatric cancer and cutaneous complications highlighted in new sessionA new session Friday designated a topic in dermatology with capital letters in “The Big C's: Children, Cancer, and Cutaneous Complications.” The session covered the diagnosis and management of primary cutaneous malignancies and the cutaneous effects of oncologic therapy in children. > MORE
Annual Business Meeting the best way to start SundayAll Academy members should attend the Annual Business Meeting at 8 a.m. Sunday in Room 103, Moscone South. The annual Business Meeting, part of the Sunday Plenary, gives attendees the opportunity to learn about the progress and achievements of the Academy, as well as providing updates on the Academy's fiscal stability. > MORE
March 21
‘Hot Topics’ attendees hear latest information on subjects of interestNo one knows the key issues in dermatology better than dermatologists, so the “Hot Topics” agenda Friday afternoon was set by dermatologists. Speakers addressed 10 topics that meeting registrants chose in the weeks before the AAD Annual Meeting > MORE 
Formaldehyde a top allergen obscured on many product labelsFormaldehyde, long known as a preservative linked to contact dermatitis, was named the 2015 Allergen of the Year by the American Contact Dermatitis Society. The dangers of formaldehyde and the many products it is linked to were reviewed Friday during “Hot Topics.” > MORE 
New age of telemedicine: Changes in practice to create opportunities, challengesTechnological advances have put high-quality cameras in the hands of millions of smartphone and tablet users, moving telemedicine from pipedream to reality. This change has opened a new set of opportunities and challenges for dermatologists who potentially could make better use of telemedicine than their colleagues in other specialties. > MORE 
Studies gather evidence of success of teledermatologyTechnological advances have obviously created opportunities for greater use of teledermatology, but the big question is “Do patients receive the same quality of treatment through teledermatology compared with in-person diagnosis and treatment?” The evidence suggests that the answer is “yes.” > MORE 
Acne update session reviews proposed changes to guidelinesThe Academy's updated clinical acne guidelines are not expected to be published until later this year, but six speakers previewed several guideline topics Friday during “Translating Evidence Into Practice: Acne Guidelines.” > MORE 
What’s a dermatologist to do when patch testing is negative?A negative patch test result can be a good news/bad news situation for patient and dermatologist. Good news: The patient is not allergic to a host of allergens. Bad news: You don't know what's causing his contact dermatitis. This sort of confounding problem was confronted head-on Friday at “What To Do When Patch Testing Is Negative,” presented by Christen M. Mowad, MD, director of the Contact and Occupational Dermatitis Clinic, Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, Pennsylvania, and immediate past-president of the American Contact Dermatitis Society. > MORE - IgE testing an interesting option when a patch test is negativeWhen a negative patch test is complicating diagnosis of dermatitis, checking IgE levels is an option, which intrigued physicians attending Friday's session, “What To Do When Patch Testing Is Negative.” > MORE
How to succeed in organizational politics and influence othersAristotle said it first: Man is a political animal. With a little more specificity, Kathleen J. Hectorne, MD, agrees: Dermatologists are political animals. > MORE 
Get on Twitter for meeting news, submit a selfie todayStay on top of all the breaking news during the Annual Meeting by following the Academy Meeting News Twitter feed, @AADMtgs, which has more than 4,000 followers. > MORE
March 20
Annual Meeting highlights advances for clinicians and by researchersWelcome to the AAD's 73rd Annual Meeting, where cutting-edge dermatology research will be presented, relevant practice issues examined, renowned speakers featured, and leaders in the specialty honored. > MORE - Sunday Plenary to explore diversity, psoriasis, melanoma therapy, hair loss treatmentThe lack of diversity in dermatology, the promise of biologics in controlling psoriasis, advances in melanoma therapy, and research in reversing hair loss in male pattern baldness will be the focus of four named lectures during the Sunday Plenary. > MORE
Plenary speakers include AMA leader, baseball great, deputy surgeon generalThis year's Sunday Plenary will feature more speakers than in past years, with the American Medical Association president-elect and two guest speakers invited to speak. > MORE 
Innovative technologies used in practical ways during Annual MeetingAttendees will notice many innovations at the AAD 2015 Annual Meeting. > MORE 
Bedside to Bench: Experts will discuss chronic itch in lymphoma, liver disease, pediatrics, scalpPruritus is the No. 1 symptom in dermatology, but when it comes to pathophysiology and treatments, an itch is not an itch is not an itch. “Dermatologists are very much used to looking at itch as one thing, but itch has different flavors and different characteristics,” said Gil Yosipovitch, MD, director of “Chronic Pruritus: Bedside to Bench Perspectives.” > MORE - Late-breaking abstracts, sessionsTo keep dermatologists informed of the very latest scientific advances, the Academy has broadened its offering of Late-Breaking Research sessions. Five sessions will be presented Friday and Saturday. > MORE
- You, too, can manage skin disease in solid organ transplant recipientsArrive early for a seat at “Role of Dermatologist in Management of Skin Disease in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients” (S016), which will be presented from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday in Room 2004. Transplant dermatology is part of the Academy's research agenda. > MORE
- Attend a Non-CME Promotional Information Program (PIP)Planned and produced by industry, pre-registration may be offered by the sponsoring company. For more information on times, locations and registration, please visit www.aad.org/pips. > MORE
Be enlightened, inspired by leaders in the specialty at Masters in DermatologyWhen AAD Past President William D. James, MD, was a resident he attended a meeting in San Francisco where he heard David Bloom speak. “Dr. Bloom was talking about seeing his first patients with pink cheeks and how he made the connections in his mind that led to the description of the condition that's named after him,” said Dr. James. “I found it inspiring to see a man in his 90s who was fully engaged and enthusiastic, and who made a real seminal discovery,” Dr. James said. > MORE - Symposium to present priceless, practical pearls of dermatological surgeryAttendees of “Pearls From the Masters of Dermatological Surgery,” from 9 a.m. to noon Friday in Room 3005 in Moscone West, will be dazzled by gems on cosmetic fillers, botulinum toxin, laser surgery, photodynamic therapy, tumescent anesthesia, Mohs surgery, and the latest devices and greatest techniques, according to Christopher B. Zachary, MD, director of the session. > MORE
- The future of dermatology: Speakers to focus on teledermatology, big data, reimbursementDermatology's future will get the spotlight during the Saturday scientific session “The Future of Dermatology: What Changes are Coming and How Can We Prepare?” The session, which takes place from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. in Room 2018 of Moscone West, will help attendees keep up with the rapid changes in dermatology. > MORE
- Speakers to discuss impact of ACA on dermatologyFrom the use of electronic medical records to the increased use of quality measures, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has changed health care. A new session will look at other specific changes driven by the ACA and how they are affecting dermatology practices in the United States. > MORE
- Industry Expert SessionsIndustry Expert Sessions provide exhibiting companies the opportunity to present new research findings on products, detail products, conduct demonstrations and highlight new products. > MORE
- Visit the Learning Lounge, Learning Link areasVisit the Learning Lounge, on Level 2 of Moscone West, to see highlights of selected education sessions, which will be broadcast on monitors. It features a relaxed atmosphere. > MORE
- AAD Resource Center open in convention center lobbyThis year the AAD Resource Center is moving out of the exhibit hall and into the Moscone West lobby. The AAD Resource Center Booth will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Monday. > MORE
- Get on Twitter for all the latest Annual Meeting newsStay on top of all the breaking news during the Annual Meeting by following the Academy Meeting News Twitter feed, > MORE
- Resident Jeopardy 2015: ‘This is their moment’Are you ready for Resident Jeopardy 2015? It's happening from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday in Room 303 of Moscone South. > MORE
Noted medical director to attend key events, answer questions at Annual MeetingArthur Lurvey MD, will be in the AAD Resource Center, Moscone West from 10 a.m. to noon Friday to answer Medicare questions with the coding staff. He also will be attending and available for questions at the Resident Reception from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m Friday in Moscone West, Level 3 Foyer. > MORE 
Move over Zagat! The Sbicca List for San FranciscoA West Coast dermatology resident and foodie gives the scoop on San Francisco dining for residents attending the AAD Annual Meeting. > MORE
