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International Psoriasis Council

Advancing Knowledge. Improving Care.

Banner with ESDR, IEC, and IPC logos on the left, highlighting eczema research at the 55th Annual ESDR Meeting Heidelberg, Germany. A photo on the right shows Heidelberg with the Neckar River and historic stone bridge.

IEC-IPC Eczema and Psoriasis Research Incubator: Cross-Disciplinary Innovation Forum

55TH ANNUAL EUROPEAN SOCIETY FOR INVESTIGATIVE DERMATOLOGICAL RESEARCH MEETING (ESDR) | HEIDELBERG, GERMANY

September 9, 2026
 | 08:00–12:00 CEST
Location: Heidelberg Congress Center | Hall 2A, Level 1

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The IEC–IPC Eczema and Psoriasis Research Incubator is a pre-congress, interactive forum designed to catalyze cross-disciplinary collaboration and accelerate innovation across inflammatory skin diseases. Featuring keynote presentations from global thought leaders, the program moves from cutting-edge insights into disease mechanisms and precision stratification to data-driven, translational approaches that inform real-world practice. Participants will engage in rapid-fire early-career presentations and structured small-group “Challenge Labs” focused on priority research themes, with the goal of identifying actionable gaps and shaping collaborative project concepts. This highly interactive format emphasizes practical outcomes, new partnerships, and sustained engagement beyond the session. Early-career investigators are strongly encouraged to apply.

Registration for the ESDR Congress is required to attend the IEC-IPC Program on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. 

Agenda

Registration and Breakfast

Welcome & Framing Remarks
Sara J. Brown, MD, PhD, FRCPE, FRSE, Scotland and Curdin Conrad, MD, Switzerland

KEYNOTE: From Mechanism to Precision: Defining Disease Endotypes
Johann Gudjonsson, MD, PhD, United States

KEYNOTE: From Data to Impact: Translating Evidence into Practice
Satveer Mahil, PhD, FRCP, United Kingdom

Lightning Talks: Early-Career Investigator Spotlights

  • Proteomic Signatures of Cardiovascular Risk Are Amplified in Psoriasis: A UK Biobank Proteomics Study – Ravi Ramessur, MD, PhD, United Kingdom
  • Atopic Dermatitis–Psoriasis Overlap: From Clinical Phenotypes to Therapeutic Strategies – Mengmeng Li, MD, PhD, China
  • Evolutionary Variation in the ERAP1-HLA Pathway and Psoriasis Susceptibility – Akiko Arakawa, MD, PhD, Germany
  • Untangling the Web: A Systems-Based Approach at Single-Cell Resolution Reveals Druggable Targets in Atopic Dermatitis – Tara Urselmann, MSc, Netherlands
  • Targeting Dysfunctional Endothelial Cells in Psoriasis – Matt Vesely, MD, PhD, United States

BREAK

Challenge Labs: Small Group Innovation Sessions

  • Shared Comorbidities – Facilitators: Anna López-Ferrer, MD, PhD, Spain and Caroline Mann, MD, Germany
  • Mechanisms of Disease – Facilitators: Claus Johansen, MSc, PhD, DMSc, Denmark and Danuta Gutowska-Owsiak, MD, PhD, DSc, Poland
  • Endotypes – Facilitators: Paola Di Meglio, PhD, United Kingdom and Mari Løset, MD, PhD, Norway
  • Treatment Stratification – Facilitators: Andreas Pinter, MD, PhD, Germany and Nick Reynolds, BSc, MBBS, MD, FRCP, United Kingdom
  • Precision Medicine – Facilitators: Nicole Ward, PhD, United States and John Common, PhD, United Kingdom
  • Paradoxical Cases – Facilitators: Johann Gudjonsson, MD, PhD, United States and Satveer Mahil, PhD, FRCP, United Kingdom
  • Global Challenges – Facilitator: Chris Griffiths, OBE, MD, FMedSci, United Kingdom

Small Group Reflections & Expert Commentary Panel

Closing Reflections & Next Steps

Program Chairs

Sara Brown, MD, PhD, FRCPE, FRSE

University of Edinburgh

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom

Bio

Johann Gudjonsson, MD, PhD

University of Michigan, Department of Dermatology

Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

IPC Board Member

Bio

Fernando Valenzuela, MD

University of Chile, University of the Andes

Santiago, Chile

IPC Councilor

Bio

Nicole Ward, PhD

Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee, United States

IPC Councilor

Bio

Program Faculty

John Edmund Armourer Common, PhD

Newcastle University

Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

Bio

Curdin Conrad, MD

University Hospital of Lausanne

Lausanne, Switzerland

IPC Board Member

Bio

Paola Di Meglio, PhD

King’s College London

London, United Kingdom

IPC Councilor

Bio

Christopher Griffiths, OBE, MD, FMedSci

University of Manchester and King’s College London

London, United Kingdom

IPC Honorary Founder

Bio

Danuta Gutowska-Owsiak, MD, PhD, DSc

University of Gdańsk

Gdańsk, Poland

Bio

Claus Johansen, MSc, PhD, DMSc

Aarhus University Hospital

Aarhus, Denmark

IPC Councilor

Bio

Anna López Ferrer, MD, PhD

Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau

Barcelona, Spain

IPC Councilor

Bio

Mari Løset, MD, PhD

Norwegian University of Science and Technology and St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital

Trondheim, Norway

IPC Councilor

Bio

Caroline Mann, MD

University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University

Mainz, Germany

Bio

Satveer Mahil, PhD, FRCP

St John’s Institute of Dermatology

London, United Kingdom

IPC Councilor

Bio

Andreas Pinter, MD, PhD

University Hospital Frankfurt

Frankfurt, Germany

IPC Councilor

Bio

Nick Reynolds, BSc, MBBS, MD, FRCP

Newcastle University

Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

IPC Councilor

Bio

This program is supported in part by

A line drawing of a lion walking above the word LEO with a horizontal line underneath, and LEO FOUNDATION written in large capital letters below, symbolizing strength and dedication to advancing eczema research.

What's New

Psoriasis: An Expert Global Perspective Is Now Available for Pre-Order

IPC Board Member and Treasurer Joel Gelfand, MD, MSCE, is the editor of a new textbook, Psoriasis: An Expert Global Perspective, now available for preorder from Elsevier. He worked with associate editors IPC President Bruce Strober, MD, PhD; IPC Vice President/President-Elect Claudia de la Cruz, MD; and IPC Chief Medical Officer Peter van de Kerkhof, MD, PhD. Nearly 50 authors from 20 countries contributed 30 chapters covering psoriasis from its earliest descriptions through genetics, immunology, and current therapies, with clinical images of psoriasis across diverse skin tones. All royalties support IPC.

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY

Thursday, September 10, 2026

New Video Resource: Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA)

In this video, IPC Councilor Rodrigo Garcia Salinas, MD, a rheumatologist from Argentina, explains how to recognize psoriatic arthritis early, including why joint pain, how long a patient has had psoriasis, and family history can matter more than skin severity alone. He also reviews how imaging helps catch early disease and how to choose treatment based on each patient’s joint, spine, and skin involvement.

WATCH NOW

Friday, September 25, 2026

Take Ten Video: Bridging Psoriasis and Metabolic Comorbidities

IPC President Bruce Strober reviews the link between psoriasis and metabolic disease, drawing on findings from IPC’s recent paper in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD). He translates this growing body of evidence into five concrete priorities from the 2025 IPC Think Tank for improving cardiometabolic screening and care.

WATCH NOW

Wednesday, September 9, 2026