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IEC at ESDR 2026 - Heidelberg, Germany
Wednesday, September 09, 2026, 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM CEST
Category: IEC Events (for everyone)

Eczema and Psoriasis Research Incubator: Cross-Disciplinary Innovation Forum

At ESDR 2026 | Date: Wednesday, September 9, 2026 | Time: 8-12 PM CEST 

Heidelberg Congress Center | Czernyring 20, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany

A joint program of the International Psoriasis Council (IPC) and the IEC. 

The IPC–IEC 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.

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DOWNLOAD THE AGENDA

PROGRAM CHAIRS

Sara J. Brown, MD PhD FRCPE FRSE
University of Edinburgh
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
IEC Councilor

  

Johann Gudjonsson, MD PhD
University of Michigan, Department of Dermatology
Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
IPC Board Member & IEC Councilor

Fernando Valenzuela, MD
University of Chile, University of the Andes
Santiago, Chile
IEC & IPC Councilor

         

 

Nicole Ward, PhD
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, Tennessee, United States
IPC Councilor

 

AGENDA

7:30–8:00 Registration and Breakfast

8:00–8:10 IPC & IEC Welcome
Sara J. Brown, MD PhD FRCPE FRSE | IEC Councilor | University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Curdin Conrad, MD | IPC Board Member | University Hospital of Lausanne, Switzerland

8:10–8:40 KEYNOTE: From Mechanism to Precision: Defining Disease Endotypes
Johann Gudjonsson, MD PhD | IPC Board Member & IEC Councilor | University of Michigan, Department of Dermatology, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

8:40–9:10 KEYNOTE: From Data to Impact: Translating Evidence into Practice
Satveer Mahil, Phd FRCP | St. John's Institute of Dermatology, London, United Kingdom 

9:10-9:45 Lightning Talks: 5 Early-Career Investigator Spotlights

  • Proteomic Signatures of Cardiovascular Risk Are Amplified in Psoriasis: A UK Biobank Proteomics Study | Ravi Ramessur, MD PhD | King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
  • Clinical Phenotypes and Therapeutic Perspectives in Atopic Dermatitis-Psoriasis Overlap | Meng Li, MD PhD | West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
  • Evolutionary Variation in the ERAP1-HLA Pathway and Psoriasis Susceptibility | Akiko Arakawa, MD PhD | Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
  • Untangling the Web: A Systems-Based Approach at Single-Cell Resolution Reveals Druggable Targets in Atopic Dermatitis | A.P. Urselmann | Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
  • Targeting Dysfunctional Endothelial Cells in Psoriasis | Matt Vesely | Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States

9:45-10:00 Break

10:00 – 11:00 Challenge Labs: Small Group Innovation Sessions

11:00 – 11:45 Report-Outs & Expert Commentary Panel

11:45 – 12:00 Closing Reflections & Next Steps
Nick Reynolds, BSc MB BS MD FRCP | IEC Councilor | UK
Nicole Ward, PhD | IPC Councilor | Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States

 

Please check back with us for updates.