As the world's leading professional skin of color dermatology organization dedicated to advancing excellence and equity in patient care, theSkin of Color Society(SOCS) reports a highly impactful year of seminal achievements and contributions. Founded in 2004 byDr. Susan C. Taylor, SOCS has grown dramatically over the past two decades to now include more than 1,330 members in 22 countries and offer many enriching and innovative programs to benefit physicians, patients, and the public.
Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/skin_of_color_society/9309751-en-skin-of-color-society-socs-2025-year-in-review
Through a dynamic array of signature programs and newer initiatives supportingresearch,education,mentorship,leadership development, andadvocacy, meaningful outcomes and new milestones were reached in 2025.
2025 Featured Highlights
3rd Meeting the Challenge Summit: Advancing Dermatology Clinical Trials: Expanding Outcome Measures
More than 115 stakeholders across the clinical research ecosystem convened at the 3rdSOCS Meeting the Challenge Summit, held in Washington, D.C., on December 5-6, 2025.
With a focus on Advancing Dermatology in Clinical Trials: Expanding Outcome Measures, the Summit's sessions featured esteemed faculty who examined how to ensure that clinical trials are more inclusive, patient-centered, and reflective of served communities.
This was the third gathering of its kind in a continuum of efforts stemming from the overall SOCS Meeting the Challenge initiative that has been evolving since 2022, as illustrated inthis timeline.
This year's Meeting the Challenge Summit was made possible thanks to the support ofJohnson & Johnson(Champion);Lilly and Sanofi-Regeneron(Ally);Novartis(Partner);AbbVie,Aerolase,Biogen,Galderma, andTakeda(Friend).
Special thanks to the SOCS Meeting the Challenge in Research Committee for their vision, commitment, and extraordinary dedication to this vital work, including Founding Co-chairs and SOCS Past Presidents,Drs. Valerie D. CallenderandValerie M. Harvey,and membersDrs. Carole Bitar, Stafford G. Brown III, Cheryl Marie Burgess, Angel Byrd, Alexandra P. Charrow, Seemal R. Desai, Candrice R. Heath, Tarannum Jaleel, Amy McMichael, Chidubem A. V. Okeke, Kanade Shinkai, Hema Sundaram, Junko Takeshita, Jonathan S. Weiss,andJane Yoo, Drs. Prince AdotamaandElizabeth Kiracofefor their collaboration as co-chairs of the SOCS Advocacy Committee, along with Research FellowDr. Dani Mendez Rochaand theCHORD COUSIN Collaboration.
8th Annual SOCS Media Day
SOCS successfully presented its8th Annual SOCS Media Dayto a wide range of editors, reporters, and content creators spanning dermatology, health, beauty, lifestyle, and mainstream news outlets on November 18, 2025. Titled, “Trends & Truths in Skin of Color- Setting the Record Straight in the Age of Misinformation,” this content-rich virtual event featured eight highly recognized experts who shared their insights on the following timely topics:
— Trending Topics in Skin of Color: What's Hot, What's Not!withDr. Brittany OliverandDr. Dhaval Bhanusali
— Aesthetic Procedures in Skin of Color,withDr. Nada ElbulukandDr. Nkem Ugonabo
— The Hair Report: Discoveries and Controversies,withDr. Victoria BarbosaandDr. Prince Adotama
— Skin Cancer and Sunscreen in Skin of Color,withDr. Rebecca VasquezandDr. Corey L. Hartman
The 8th Annual SOCS Media Day was made possible thanks to the generous support ofEltaMD Skincare, Johnson & Johnson,andLEO Pharmaceuticals.
My Best Winter Skin
Now in its third year, the Society's public education campaign, known asMy Best Winter Skin, captured record-level interest and robust participation by SOCS members and dermatology colleagues in 2025. Kicking off annually each October 24, officially calledMy Best Winter Skin Day, the program has grown exponentially since it was established in 2023.
This year, 505 volunteers engaged in 105 community outreach events at universities, clinics, hospitals, and other sites in 72 cities, 31 states, and 2 countries (U.S. and Canada), enthusiastically educating the public with SOCS dermatologist-developedskincare tipsand sharing 10,000 product samples generously provided by this year's Sponsor,Vaseline®.
Center for Leadership's Learning Collaborative
TheSOCS Center for Leadership(CFL) successfully presented its inaugural Learning Collaborative Leadership Training in Chicago, Illinois, on July 17-18, 2025. The first-ever cohort comprises an outstanding group of SOCS members who experienced an inspiring and insightful training intensive based on the renowned work of Kouzes and Posner'sLeadership Challenge: The Five Principles of Exemplary Leadership.
Learn more about this comprehensive longitudinal leadership training program in thisshort video.
The CFL is supported byClinique, Eli Lilly(Founding Sponsor),Pfizer,andSun Pharmaceutical Industries.
Groundbreaking Clinical Investigator Training Mentorship Program
SOCS and the National Medical Association (NMA) Dermatology Section collaboratively presented the Phase II: In-Person Principal Investigator Training and Meet Your Mentor Day in Chicago, on Friday, July 18, 2025. This highly informative day of in-person training and mentorship is a key part of the multi-phaseClinical Investigator Training Mentorship Program, co-led by SOCS Clinical Investigator Committee Co-chairsDrs. Leandra A. BarnesandTarannum Jaleel, and NMA Dermatology Section ChairDr. Hope Mitchelland NMA Membership ChairDr. Cheri Frey,both SOCS members.
The program covered a wide range of topics essential to developing a comprehensive understanding of the clinical trial process from a site perspective, including study initiation, clinical trial agreements and budget negotiations, participant recruitment, advertising, data collection, study completion, and more. Faculty included: Tiffany Bennett and SOCS membersDrs. Valerie D. Callender,Iltefat Hamzavi,Corey L. Hartman,Tiffany Mayo, andMichi Shinohara; as well asJennifer LaneandJennifer O'Hora (Johnson & Johnson), andVidhya Hariharan (Incyte).
Before this Phase II experience, mentees participated in an 8-part online course presented by the NMA in Phase I. Following this Phase II program, the cohort had the option to continue professional development in Phase III, which includes a longitudinal mentorship presented by SOCS.
Learn more about the groundbreaking collaboration between SOCS and the NMA Dermatology Section in thisSkin of Color Savvy podcast episode.
This program is supported byJohnson & Johnson.
Expanding Global Presence: SOCS Scientific Sessions at EADV, Dubai Derma
Under the vision and leadership of current PresidentDr. Nada Elbuluk, SOCS is prioritizing global expansion, notably marked by presenting two first-ever Scientific Sessions at important international conferences this year, including:
— Dubai Derma in Dubai, UAE, on April 16, 2025, co-chaired byDrs. Michelle RodriguesandAlia Galadari, with panelistsDrs. Babar RaoandMichael Waul.
— European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress in Paris on September 19, 2025, co-chaired byDrs. Susan C. TaylorandMichelle Rodrigues, with fellow presentersDrs. Andrew F. Alexis,Ncoza Dlova, andHenry Lim.
Plans are underway for continued global growth and impact in 2026 through the work of the newly established SOCS Global Council and Collaborations Committee.
21st Annual SOCS Scientific Symposium,Innovating for Equity
The21st Annual SOCS Scientific Symposium, “Innovating for Equity,” was successfully presented in Orlando, Florida, on March 6, 2025, convening nearly 525 attendees from around the world. A signature annual program, this year's Symposium was co-chaired byDrs. Crystal AguhandCesar Antonio Virgen, and developed through the SOCS Scientific Meetings Committee.
The well-rounded scientific program showcased insights from emerging researchers and dermatology leaders, featuring enriching presentations by invited speakers and oral abstract presenters, panel discussions, a keynote session, and 94 scientific iPoster abstracts. In addition, several major research awards were presented (seeA Year of Impact: SOCS By the Numberssection below).
The 21st Annual SOCS Scientific Symposium was made possible thanks to the generous support of the following Sponsors:AbbVie,Johnson & Johnson,Sanofi and Regeneron,(Champion Level);Bristol Myers Squibb, Clinique,Incyte Dermatology,Eli Lilly,Vaseline, (Ally Level);Arcutis Biotherapeutics,Pfizer,and UCB, (Partner Level);Beiersdorf,CLINUVEL,Ortho Dermatologics,and Takeda, (Friend Level);EltaMD Skincare,L'Oréal Dermatological Beauty,Merz Aesthetics,SkinCeuticals,Dr. Dhaval Bhanusali,andDr. David and Nina Harvey, (Special Recognition).
Medical Student Breakfast Before the SymposiumEarlier that day, nearly 150 medical students from many academic institutions participated in the first-ever Medical Student Breakfast, which was developed to support and empower future dermatologists.
This program featured a panel discussion among SOCS leaders who shared their insights and advice for strengthening applications to residency programs.Dr. Neelam Khanmoderated the panel, with panelistsDrs. Pamela Allen,Amy McMichael,andGinette Okoye.
As a part of this special program, an exciting initiative was introduced, known as theDermatologists of Tomorrow Scholarship presented by Clinique & SOCSF. The scholarship program is designed to provide financial assistance and mentorship to medical students entering their fourth year who aspire to pursue careers in dermatology and are committed to health equity. This valuable opportunity is made possible through generous, multi-year support fromClinique.
The22nd Annual SOCS Scientific Symposiumwill take place in Denver, CO on March 26, 2026.
A Year of Outcomes: SOCS Impact by the Numbers
— 100 Mentor-Mentee Pairingsfor theSOCS Mentorship Program.
— 33Dermatologists of Tomorrow Scholarship (DOTS)scholarships awarded.
— 11Observership Grantsawarded.
— 10 Resident Travel Grant Awardsprovided to dermatology residents to attend the 3rdMeeting the Challenge Summit.
— 6 Zoom Mentoring sessionsoffered to physicians in training, with110 menteesparticipating.
— 959 copies of the textbook,Procedures in Cosmetic Dermatology: Cosmetic Procedures in Skin of Color, edited by Dr. Andrew F. Alexis, were distributed to medical students through the SOCS President's Book Club.This program was supported by Sun Pharma and Pfizer.
— 11 Awardswere bestowed at the 21st Annual SOCS Scientific Symposium:
— SOCS Career Development Award:Dr. Courtney Johnson,Johns Hopkins University,for “Investigating the Role of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in the Immunodetection of Mycosis Fungoides.”This award is supported by Bristol Myers Squibb and Pfizer.
— 2025 Dermatology Research Award:Dr. Stephen Li,Northwestern University, for “Adult Hair Follicle Neogenesis for Treatment of Scarring Alopecia.”Funding for this program is made possible thanks to Bristol Myers Squibb, L'Oréal Dermatological Beauty, and Pfizer.
— 2025 Dermatology Foundation-Skin of Color Society Collaborative Mid-Career Award sponsored by Sanofi and Regeneron:Dr. Crystal Aguh, Johns Hopkins University, for “Probing Transcriptomic Impact of Metabolic Interventions in CCCA.”Funding for this award is made possible thanks to Sanofi and Regeneron.
— 2025 Early Career Innovations Award:Dr. Will Lewis, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, for “Improving Erythema Visualization in Digital Images of Pigmented Skin.”This award is made possible thanks to Dr. Dhaval Bhanusali and EltaMD Skincare.
— 2025 Institutional Research Fellowship Awards:UMass Chan Medical SchoolandHenry Ford Health
— The Inaugural Center for Leadership Resident Leader Award:Dr. Antara Afrin, PGY-2, Yale School of Medicine, andDr.Amaris Geisler,PGY-4, Chief Dermatology Resident, Emory University School of Medicine.
— 2025 Best Poster Presentation:Dr. Richard H. Huggins,Henry Ford Health Systems, for “Excellent Repigmentation of Stable Vitiligo Lesions Across Fitzpatrick Skin Types Following Autologous Skin Cell Suspension Treatment Prepared by a Point-of-Care Cell Harvesting Device.”
— 2025 Oral Abstract Presentation Advancing Skin of Color Dermatology:1st Place:Madison Blackwell, BS, Howard University College of Medicine, “Markers of Inflammation and Metabolic Disease in Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A Preliminary Analysis of TNF-a in Biospecimens from Howard University Department of Dermatology.2nd Place:Shahin Shahsavari, BA, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, “Investigating DNA Methylation in Prurigo Nodularis: Racial Variations in Epigenetic Neuroregulation.”3rd Place:Swathi Holla, MS, Baylor College of Medicine, “Psychiatric and Autoimmune Comorbidities in Vitiligo: The Role of Demographic and Socioeconomic Factors.”
— Nearly 200 SOCS members and dermatology colleaguesengaged inSOCS Networking & Educational Symposiain Indianapolis, IN, Los Angeles, CA, Detroit, MI, and Minneapolis, MN in 2025.These events are supported by Pfizer.
— 511new membersjoinedthe Society in 2025, enlarging our global reach to 22 countries and elevating our impact around the world.
“Thanks to our incredible global family of leaders, members, supporters, researchers, collaborators, and innovators, 2025 has been an exemplary year of progress as we work to fulfill our mission and broaden our impact in service to our specialty, our patients, and the public,” comments SOCS PresidentDr. Nada Elbuluk.
About the Skin of Color SocietyThe Skin of Color Society (SOCS) is the leading international professional dermatologic organization dedicated to promoting awareness of and excellence within skin of color dermatology. through research, education, mentorship, and advocacy. Established in 2004 by Susan C. Taylor, MD, SOCS includes members from 22 countries around the world. Learn more: www.skinofcolorsociety.org.
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