2024 Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance (PeDRA) Annual Conference

PROJECT SUMMARY Pediatric skin diseases are highly prevalent and impart a devastating burden on children and their families. Yet, the specialty of pediatric dermatology is understaffed, the availability of FDA-approved treatments is inadequate, and the pace of research and guidelines development in the field is too slow. The Pediatric

Dermatology Research Alliance (PeDRA) was founded in 2012 to address these crucial yet unmet needs. PeDRA’s primary mission is to create, inspire, and sustain research to prevent, treat, and cure childhood skin disease. The long-term goal of PeDRA is to leverage such research to improve the health outcomes of children

with skin disorders. Annual conferences have been integral to the success of PeDRA, providing a forum for educating investigators, identifying and prioritizing research needs and opportunities, and developing and initiating innovative projects. A combination of didactic lectures and panels, expert-led small group discussions,

poster sessions, and unique training opportunities are the foundation of every PeDRA Annual Conference. This proposal is for the 12th PeDRA Annual Conference, set to take place in October of 2024 with the following aims: 1) Provide education and engagement opportunities for a broad and diverse audience with a focus on

establishing a core set of competencies and resources to conduct successful pediatric dermatology research; 2) Advance existing research projects and develop new research priorities and initiatives in disease-areas and high-priority topics spanning the field of pediatric dermatology; and 3) Provide a forum for the dissemination of

final and ongoing research results from a broad group of investigators to a diverse audience that includes patient stakeholders, industry representatives, and researchers from multiple fields including potential NIH collaborators. The expected outcomes of this conference are a more developed set of research skills for

current and future physician-scientists, enhanced productivity, strengthened multi-stakeholder networks, and the conduct of high-quality research. These activities will accelerate the pace of pediatric dermatology research, allowing clinicians to better understand, prevent and treat skin disease in children, and giving

patients and families options to manage diseases and make informed treatment decisions in the future.