Washington, DC — May 1, 2025 — Medical professionals, researchers, and students from across the country gathered at the Continental Ballroom in Washington, DC for the second annual ElderDerm Conference, a pioneering event solely dedicated to advancing dermatologic care for older adults. Organized by the George Washington University Department of Dermatology, ElderDerm 2025 tackled the growing need for specialized skin care as the U.S. population ages.
With older adults projected to make up over 21% of the U.S. population by 2040, the event emphasized the rising importance of dermatological care tailored to seniors. The conference featured a full day of interactive sessions, panels, and expert presentations addressing the medical, social, and systemic challenges in geriatric dermatology.
Dr. Adam Friedman, Chair of Dermatology at GWU, and Jaya Manjunath, GW medical student and Co-Director, opened the event, welcoming participants and outlining the mission behind ElderDerm: to improve outcomes for older patients and foster collaboration across specialties.
Highlights from ElderDerm 2025 included:
- A panel discussion on vulvar dermatology, focusing on common conditions in elderly women and their quality-of-life impacts.
- A session addressing the complexities of polypharmacy in dermatologic care for seniors.
- Insights on the challenges of systemic dermatologic treatments and patient adherence in older populations.
- A focused discussion on skin cancer management and the decision-making process around surgical interventions in the elderly.
- Practical strategies for wound care tailored to aging skin.
- A session exploring the intersection of aging, gender diversity, and inclusive dermatologic practices.
- A Medicare access panel shedding light on coverage gaps for dermatologic procedures.
- A collaborative panel examining the overlap between dermatologic and rheumatologic conditions in older adults.
- Presentations on nail pathology, cutaneous lymphomas, and a comprehensive summary of key topics in geriatric dermatology.
The event also included sponsored product showcases, networking sessions, and updates on ongoing research. A strong focus was placed on bridging gaps between clinical research and practice, with a clear goal to make dermatologic care more inclusive and evidence-based for aging populations.
“ElderDerm is not just a conference—it’s a movement to bring age-specific equity and innovation into dermatologic care,” said Dr. Friedman. “We’re proud to see it growing and inspiring actionable change.”
Attendees left with new insights, stronger networks, and a renewed commitment to serving older patients more effectively. With enthusiastic feedback from both its 2024 and 2025 editions, ElderDerm is poised to become a cornerstone event in geriatric medical education.
For more details, visit www.elderderm.org or follow @elder_derm on social media.
