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International Psoriasis Council

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Advancing Knowledge. Improving Care.

April

Armstrong

,

MD, MPH

Chief, Division of Dermatology
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles
,
California
,
United States
Councilor Since: March 1, 2014
IPC Councilor
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Dr. April Armstrong is the Chief of the Division of Dermatology at UCLA Health and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA (DGSOM). She obtained her medical degree from Harvard Medical School and completed her dermatology residency at Harvard. She also received a Master of Public Health degree from the Harvard School of Public Health. Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Southern California, Dr. Armstrong was Vice-Chair at the University of California Davis and later at the University of Colorado.

Dr. Armstrong’s clinical expertise lies in inflammatory skin diseases, especially psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. She has conducted over 150 clinical trials and published over 350 high-impact articles in scientific journals. She holds multiple leadership positions in professional societies, serving as the Chair of the Medical Board of the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF), Co-president for the Group in Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA), a Councilor for both the International Eczema Council (IEC) and the International Psoriasis Council (IPC), and board director for the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). Dr. Armstrong has also served on the editorial boards for JAMA Dermatology and the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD).
Last Updated:
10/19/2023

Languages Spoken

English
Recent publications

Featured

PDF

Joint Position Statement from the National Psoriasis Foundation Medical Board and the International Psoriasis Council…

The International Psoriasis Council (IPC) and the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPC) have released a joint position…

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Video

IPC at CDA: Insights and Conversations with Psoriasis Experts.

Hear from Psoriasis Experts in this Interview with IPC at the 2025 Chinese Dermatologist Association (CDA) Meeting in…

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PDF

A Report from the 2025 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting.

The 2025 AAD Annual Meeting featured important updates on psoriasis therapies, comorbidities, and late-breaking…

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Blog

Focus on Psoriasis: A Report from the 33rd Annual European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress.

The 33rd Annual EADV Congress in Amsterdam featured updates on psoriasis care, including highlights from the IPC…

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Event

GRAPPA & IPC Symposium: Pso Bold: Tackling Challenging Issues in Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis.

INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF PSORIASIS ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE (IFPA) | STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN Friday, June 28 17:45 - 18:45…

June 28, 2024
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Blog

Focus on Psoriasis: A Report from the 2024 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting.

The 2024 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting was held Thursday, March 7 – Tuesday, March 12, 2024,…

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Blog

Focus on Psoriasis: A Report from the 25th World Congress of Dermatology (WCD).

Discover the latest updates on psoriasis from the World Congress of Dermatology (WCD) 2023, hosted in Singapore from…

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Blog

Opportunities and Limitations of Telemedicine in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Psoriasis.

The patient perspective has become even more important in the wake of the pandemic. Here’s how Clinica Dermacross is…

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Page

Telemedicine and Psoriasis: A Review Based on Statements of the Telemedicine Working Group of the International…

Thirty-six statements on various aspects of telemedicine according to the nominal group technique to reach a consensus…

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Blog

Focus on Psoriasis: A Report from the 2023 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting.

The 2023 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting was held Thursday, March 16 – Tuesday, March 21, 2023,…

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PDF

Focus on Psoriasis: A Report from the 2023 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting.

The 2023 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting was held Thursday, March 16 – Tuesday, March 21, 2023,…

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Blog

Focus on Psoriasis: A Report from the 2022 Society for Investigative Dermatology (SID) Annual Meeting.

The Society of Investigative Dermatology (SID) Annual Meeting returned to an in-person format in 2022 for the first…

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PDF

Focus on Psoriasis: A Report from the 2022 Society for Investigative Dermatology (SID) Annual Meeting.

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Focus on Psoriasis - A Report from the SID Virtual Meeting 2021.

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Blog

Focus on Psoriasis: A Report from the 2022 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting.

The 2022 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting was held Thursday, March 24 – Tuesday, March 29 in…

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PDF

Focus on Psoriasis - A Report from the 2022 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting.

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Blog

Commentary: Teledermatologic monitoring for chronic cutaneous autoimmune diseases with smartworking during Covid-19…

Having cared for psoriasis patients via teledermatology for more than 10 years prior to the pandemic, I recognize the…

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PDF

Clinical Goals and Barriers to Effective Psoriasis Care.

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What's New

When Your Patient with Psoriasis Is Diagnosed with Cancer

A patient doing well on an IL-17 inhibitor is diagnosed with cancer, and the oncologist wants the biologic stopped. It is a call most dermatologists have made without much to stand on: patients with cancer are excluded from psoriasis trials, so the entire evidence base is observational. A new IPC paper in JAAD Reviews takes a position anyway. Per the summary of product characteristics, active malignancy is not a contraindication to any biologic. IL-17 and IL-23p19 inhibitors are first-line, TNF inhibitors and deucravacitinib warrant caution, and cyclosporine is the one to avoid outright. The authors also warn that psoriasis severity is routinely underestimated once a patient is in oncology care: if they meet IPC’s criteria, they are a candidate for systemic therapy regardless of what else is on their problem list. “Too often, systemic psoriasis therapy is discontinued or never initiated in patients with cancer, even when the evidence supports safe and effective options,” says Paolo Gisondi, MD, IPC Councilor and lead author. The post includes the therapeutic options figure, designed as a reference for both specialties to work from, and a slide set for teaching and presentations.

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Thursday, August 27, 2026

Apply Now: 2027 IPC International Fellowship Program

IPC is accepting applications for the 2027 International Fellowship Program, a 12-month opportunity for early-career dermatologists and researchers focused on psoriasis. Fellows are matched with IPC Board Members or Councilors for hands-on clinical or research experience, along with virtual mentoring, skills-development classes, and ongoing connections to IPC’s global network throughout the fellowship year. Applications are open until September 30, 2026.

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Monday, August 31, 2026

IPC Generalized Pustular Psoriasis (GPP) Training Modules

Recognizing GPP in clinical practice can be a challenge, even for experienced dermatologists. IPC’s new five-part training series walks clinicians through the practical skills needed to diagnose and assess GPP with confidence: distinguishing it from plaque psoriasis and other mimicking conditions, and scoring its severity using tools such as the GPPGA and GPPASI. Each module pairs an expert-led video with a case-based exercise, and the series is built to be completed in sequence at your own pace. All five modules are free and open to everyone; watch the videos on your own or work through the assessments as you go. Score 80% or higher on each of the five assessments to earn a Certificate of Completion.

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Thursday, August 13, 2026

IPC Summary Slides: Psoriasis and Metabolic Health

IPC has released a set of summary slides distilling the key findings from its recent publication on psoriasis and metabolic health, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD). The paper outlines five priorities for improving cardiometabolic risk screening and care in patients with psoriasis. Designed for sharing, the slides give clinicians and colleagues an easy way to disseminate the findings.

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Wednesday, August 5, 2026

Paradoxical Psoriasis - María Julia Cura, MD

In this Take Ten with IPC video, IPC Junior Councilor Dr. María Julia Cura discusses paradoxical psoriasis, including its definition and pathogenesis, and reviews clinical case examples, key clinical features, histopathology, predictors of disease severity, and potential treatment options.

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Monday, August 3, 2026