| EDF Newsletter 2025

The 29^th EDF Annual Meeting is planned to take place on January 22-24, 2026, as a face-to-face meeting in the Hotel Suisse Majestic in Montreux, Switzerland. The program starts with our traditional plenary guest lectures. This year Prof. Thomas Tüting from the University Hospital Magdeburg, will speak about “new insights into the mechanisms of tumor immune evasion”, followed by a lecture on “the phagosome in normal and inflamed human skin” by Prof. Wolfgang Weninger from the Medical University of Vienna. Further plenary lectures will follow on Friday afternoon with Prof. Oliver Distler from the University Hospital of Zurich, speaking about the “advances in Cutaneous Systemic Sclerosis”, and Prof. Michael Detmar, ETH Zurich, focusing on “the molecular secrets of the lymphatic system”. Two well-established highlights will be our interactive forums. The first interactive forum on “Postgraduate education – what is needed and what works?”, chaired by Prof. Kaisa Tasanen-Määttä and Prof. Ana-Maria Forsea, will include: Prof. Alexander Nast discussing the “developing and implementing clinical practice guidelines: Engaging the audience”, Prof. Philipp Tschandl who will look into the “artificial Intelligence in dermatology education: Opportunities and challenges”, Prof. Tamara Griffiths talking about “competence-based education for residents with entrustable professional activities”, and Prof. Marie Aleth Richard providing a talk on “addressing educational challenges in postgraduate dermatology training”. The second interactive forum, chaired by Prof. Charlotta Enerbäck and Prof. Alexander Stratigos, will be focusing on “treatment strategies”. Prof. Curdin Conrad will speak about “trained immunity and disease modification”, Prof. Dirk Schadendorf will discuss “melanoma treatments – soon at 100% long-term survival?”, and Prof. Christopher Griffiths will focus his topic on “healing Psoriasis”. The session will be concluded with a debate on “can we soon modulate immune reactions to oblivion?”.

The program will be complemented by industry symposia and updates from the commissions groups. We can certainly look forward to interesting and interactive discussions on these stimulating topics.

Prof. Marie Aleth Richard and Prof. Michael Schön at the EDF Annual Meeting 2025

| Euroderm Excellence

| Advanced Euroderm Excellence Program

Participants of the Advanced Eurodem Excellence Course 2025

After the successful launch of the EDF Advanced Euroderm Excellence course in 2021, the EDF Board decided to integrate the course as an integral part of the EDF activities. Twenty carefully selected participants from the original EDF Euroderm Excellence course, who are promising future opinion leaders in our specialty, are invited to participate in this course. The goal is to select the best young dermatologists in Europe and offer them specific leadership training and mentoring to better prepare them as future leaders within the dermatological field. Renowned speakers from all over Europe are invited to offer in-depth training on how to successfully run a dermatological department in the future. Participants are provided training in areas such as managing a clinical department, risk management, role of global dermatology, compliance regulations, career planning, etc. 

The Board has decided to pause the course in 2026 to allow for a strategic redesign that will include integration of the Euroderm Excellence Alumni project, with a renewed focus on strengthening long-term engagement and impact.

| Physician Scientist Fellowship Program

As of next year, EDF will introduce a new Physician Scientist Fellowship Program across Europe in collaboration with Prof. Michel Gilliet, CHUV Lausanne, and the Skin Science Foundation (SSF).

This program aims to equip physician scientists with cutting-edge techniques in translational research, new technologies, and Big Data Science through immersive training programs at specialized centers in Europe. 2-3 physician scientists will be able to complete a fellowship program (3-6 months) at translational research labs focusing on precision medicine to enhance knowledge exchange between labs across Europe in regard to methods for patient’s stratification. If you are interested to support this initiative as hosting center, please contact the EDF office (nadine-estelle.abea@usz.ch). 

| EADV/EDF European Guidelines Alliance

The EDF launched the EuroGuiDerm European Centre for Guideline Development in 2018 to serve as a reliable, central point of reference for high-quality guidelines and consensus statements. Guidelines are based on evidence that has been identified and analyzed according to internationally accepted, transparent methods, and expert synthesis. To enhance this important work, the EDF and EADV have formed a new alliance to support the development of living and new European dermatology guidelines: the EADV/EDF European Guidelines Alliance.

In collaboration with Prof. Alexander Nast from the Charité Berlin and Director of the EuroGuiDerm European Centre the guidelines for the treatment of Acne, Psoriasis, and Atopic Eczema were updated. In addition, the Chronic Pruritus guideline in collaboration with Prof. Elke Weisshaar from the Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg was updated.

We would also encourage other EDF members with an interest in guidelines, who would like to actively participate in this project, to get in touch with the EDF office.

The Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership project entitled “Harmonized European Dermato-Venereology Undergraduate blended LEARNing Implementation and Training” led by Professors Harald Gollnick, Gunter Burg and Martine Bagot, was successfully completed at the end of 2021. The 3^rd edition of the Webbook is planned to be published at the beginning of 2026 and will include:

• Diagnostic algorithms (either created by authors or linked/referenced to the current guidelines).
• Updates to the current chapters with the focus on epidemiology, pathogenesis, classification, diagnosis methods, therapies, and references.
• Integration of content into the Cyberderm platform.

We would also encourage other EDF members with an interest in undergraduate education to actively participate in this project. Please send an e-mail to info@hedulearnit.org.

To maintain and promote high quality education and training, the EDF successfully supports an undergraduate online teaching program with over 60’000 users worldwide (mainly dermatologists, venereologists and GP): Cyberderm (Dermatology Online with Interactive Technology) developed by Prof. Gunter Burg and operated by Prof. Alexander Navarini. www.cyberderm.net

In 2025, a new edition of the “Dermatology Cyberderm WebBook” was published in collaboration with Erasmus+ and the International League of Dermatology (ILDS), specifically tailored for healthcare professionals. This version features an image gallery, with all images labeled with ICD-11 codes and categorized by Fitzpatrick skin types. Additionally, Cyberderm created a designated section for frontline health workers in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO). www.ilds.cyberderm.net

Geneskin is a comprehensive online database and website dedicated to rare genetic diseases of the skin (genodermatoses). This platform is designed to enhance the diagnosis, treatment, and management of these conditions by providing cutting-edge information to patients, their families, and healthcare professionals.

Currently, Geneskin offers in-depth knowledge on a broad spectrum of rare genetic skin disorders, including Ectodermal Dysplasias, Connective Tissue Diseases, Epithelial Adhesion Disorders, and DNA Repair Disorders. Main efforts in 2025 include: Updates of the „diseases“ section (patient information); update of clinical trials (under professional information); inclusion of new, recently described genodermatoses, cutaneous mosaic disorders, neurocutaneous disorders and complex vascular malformations; inclusion of disease guidelines; continuous update of specialized centers and patient organizations (addresses and contact information).

Overseen by a European Dermatology Forum (EDF) steering committee led by Prof. Johann Bauer, the website is regularly updated to reflect the latest research and treatment advances. Explore more: www.geneskin.org.