Mast cells are the primary effector cells of a variety of inflammatory diseases, including chronic spontaneous urticaria, interstitial cystitis, mastocytosis, hereditary alpha-tryptasemia, and mast cell activation syndrome, which collectively affect millions of people worldwide. In their most severe forms, these diseases are associated with significant comorbidities.

Targeting mast cells by selectively modulating MRGPRX2 represents a novel therapeutic approach that can inhibit their degranulation, rather than depleting them. This approach may achieve broad efficacy across a range of inflammatory disorders with a safe profile. Patient outcomes could be dramatically improved by achieving biologic-like efficacy with the accessibility and administration of a small molecule.

Mas-related G-protein coupled receptor X2 (MRGPRX2) is most abundantly found on mast cells and peripheral sensory neurons. MRGPRX2 can trigger IgE-independent activation (degranulation), which can lead to a variety of symptoms depending on the tissue that is affected. This receptor is unique in that it can respond to a wide variety of ligands, including neuropeptides, proteases, cytokines, antimicrobial peptides, and others.^2,3 Blocking MRGPRX2 has the potential to be a first-in-class oral treatment for a variety of mast cell-mediated diseases, including chronic spontaneous urticaria, interstitial cystitis, mastocytosis, and hereditary alpha-tryptasemia. In addition, due to its unique function on peripheral sensory neurons, blocking MRGPRX2 could provide fast relief of itch associated with inflammatory diseases, such as atopic dermatitis.

• Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria


• Chronic spontaneous urticaria is a mast cell-driven skin condition associated with red itchy “welts,” or hives. Patients get these wheals that occur daily on any area of the body for 6 weeks or longer.⁴ Mast cells can be activated (degranulated) by the many ligands that trigger MRGPRX2, which causes the release of many pro-inflammatory factors such as histamine, tryptase, leukotrienes, and prostaglandins. Blocking MRGPRX2 prevents mast cell degranulation and provides a unique new target to treat mast cell-mediated diseases in an IgE-independent manner.


• Chronic Itch


• Chronic itch, also known as Pruritus, has a debilitating impact on patients’ quality of life and can lead to sleeplessness, fatigue, and depression. Itch is a major symptom of many chronic inflammatory conditions. Novel understanding in the neuroimmunology of chronic itch has provided support for MRGPRX2 as a key receptor responding to a wide variety of itch-causing agents that are highly upregulated in inflammatory conditions.


• Interstitial Cystitis


• Interstitial cystitis, also known as bladder pain syndrome (BPS), is a chronic, debilitating condition that is characterized by persistent bladder pain, urinary urgency, frequent urination, and nocturia. The importance of mast cells in this disease has been described, including the presence MRGPRX2 ligands (antimicrobial peptides) in the urine of these patients. There is currently no definitive treatment of the root cause of interstitial cystitis, only symptom-specific therapy.

PKCϴ, a member of the protein kinase C family of kinases, is primarily expressed in T-cells and has a dual role in T-cell biology. First, activation of PKCϴ leads to effector T-cell activation, proliferation, and production of IL-2. Second, inhibition of PKCϴ (genetic knockouts or pharmacological inhibition) leads to an increase in both the numbers and functionality of regulatory T-cells. Mice lacking functional PKCϴ are highly resistant to inflammatory diseases. Genetic variants within the gene for PKCϴ have been associated with many inflammatory diseases. Potential indications include rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and Crohn’s disease.

At this time, Evommune’s investigational therapies are not available on an expanded access or right-to-try basis for new patients. In the event Evommune decides to consider expanded access or right-to-try use, Evommune will evaluate and respond to each request that it receives on a case-by-case basis. For more information on Evommune’s investigational therapies and ongoing clinical trials, please visit clinicaltrials.gov.

Luis Peña is Founder, President & Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of Evommune. Luis has more than 30 years of biotech and pharmaceutical experience with a proven track record of success in the global development of diverse products across multiple therapeutic areas. He is a strategic thinker focused on defining clear business objectives and instilling a sense of urgency for driving the success of companies ranging from startups to large established pharmaceuticals. Luis has driven multiple project approvals of global programs across various therapeutic areas including dermatology, immunology, cardiology, and anti-infectives. Prior to founding Evommune, Luis co-founded Dermira and served as its Chief Development Officer, where he headed the R&D group from inception through to Dermira’s 2020 sale to Eli Lilly & Company for $1.1 billion. Prior to joining Dermira, Luis served as Vice President, Head of Global Prescription Development, at Stiefel, a GSK company, and was Senior Vice President, Portfolio Planning and Management, at Stiefel Laboratories prior to its acquisition by GSK. He also held leadership roles in portfolio management and product development at Connetics and Theravance, as well as various leadership positions in manufacturing and research and development at Genentech. Luis holds a BS in biochemistry from San Francisco State University.

Dr. Eugene A. Bauer is Chief Medical Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of Evommune. From 2010 to 2020, Dr. Bauer was Founder, Chief Medical Officer, and member of the Board of Directors of Dermira, a clinical stage dermatology company acquired by Eli Lilly and Company in early 2020. Prior to Dermira, Dr. Bauer was President and Chief Medical Officer of Peplin, a position he held from 2008 through 2009, when Peplin was acquired by LEO Pharma. Peplin clinically focused on an innovative product (Picato^®) that was approved by the FDA for use in the treatment of actinic keratosis. Prior to Peplin, he was CEO of Neosil, a development stage dermatology pharmaceutical company acquired by Peplin, in 2008. Dr. Bauer is Professor Emeritus in the School of Medicine at Stanford University and past Vice President for the Medical Affairs (1997-2001) and Dean of the School of Medicine (1995-2001) of Stanford University.

Dr. Bauer received his MD from Northwestern University. After 14 years on the faculty of Washington University School of Medicine, Dr. Bauer became Chair of the Department of Dermatology at Stanford in 1988, a position he held for seven years prior to his becoming Dean of the School of Medicine. A National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded investigator for 25 years, Dr. Bauer served on review groups at the NIH, including as a member of the Advisory Council for the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. He also served as a member of the Board of Scientific Counselors of the Division of Cancer Biology, Diagnosis and Centers of the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Bauer is Co-founder and a past member of the Board of Directors of Connetics Corp., a dermatology company acquired by Stiefel Laboratories in 2006 and shortly thereafter by GSK.

He is a past member of the Board of Directors of Aevi Genomic Medicine, and Kadmon (acquired by Sanofi). He is a member of several honorific societies, including the National Academy of Medicine. He has also been honored by the Society for Investigative Dermatology (Montagna Award and Stephen Rothman Memorial Award), by the American Academy of Dermatology (Sulzberger Award), and by Northwestern University (Alumni Merit and Distinguished Alumnus Awards).

Kyle Carver serves as Chief Financial Officer of Evommune. Prior to Evommune, Kyle was at Kadmon, a Sanofi Company, where he served in various roles, most recently as Chief Accounting Officer. In these roles, he oversaw all aspects of financial and accounting operations, including Kadmon’s transition to a public company in its 2016 initial public offering through the approval and commercialization of REZUROCK™ (belumosudil) in 2021. Mr. Carver drove significant improvement in accounting operations and internal controls, helped raise more than $500 million through follow-on and convertible note offerings, and contributed to deal-making activities, including the acquisition of Kadmon by Sanofi for $1.9 billion in November 2021. Prior to Kadmon, Mr. Carver held a senior role at KPMG, serving a broad base of life science clients. Mr. Carver earned an MBA from the Stern School of Business at New York University and a BS in accounting from Villanova University. He is a Certified Public Accountant.

Gregory S. Moss serves as Chief Corporate Strategy and Legal Officer, as well as Corporate Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer of Evommune. Prior to Evommune, Mr. Moss served as Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary Chief Compliance Officer at Kadmon, a Sanofi Company, where he led legal, compliance, and business development operations, which culminated in Kadmon’s successful $1.9 billion acquisition in late 2021. Mr. Moss helped lead Kadmon’s integration into Sanofi, with broad corporate oversight over legal, compliance, business development, alliance management, human resources, quality assurance, and CMC business functions. During his decade-long tenure at Kadmon, Mr. Moss served in various roles. He was a key strategic partner in financing activities, including the transition from a private to a public company and helping raise more than a billion dollars in debt and equity, and business development efforts, including the spin-off of its gene therapy platform, various international and domestic collaboration and license, co-promotion and distribution agreements, and joint ventures. Mr. Moss also helped establish, and then led, Kadmon’s corporate governance, public company, and healthcare compliance programs. Prior to joining Kadmon in 2012, he served as a solicitor in the corporate risk department of a large Australian law firm and as an associate at a boutique law firm and hedge fund in New York, where he focused on complex litigation and event-driven outcomes.

Mr. Moss currently serves on the board of Vitls, and as an advisor to Elevate Brands. He earned a BA and an LLB from Macquarie University, Australia, and is a member of the Bar Associations of New York, USA, and New South Wales, Australia, with admissions before the Supreme Court of the United States of America; Southern District of New York; Supreme Court of New South Wales, Australia; and High Court of Australia.

Dr. Jeegar Patel is Chief Scientific Officer at Evommune. Prior to Evommune, Dr. Patel served as Senior Vice President, Research and Nonclinical Development at Kadmon, a Sanofi Company, where he held positions of increasing responsibility and led the research and development organization with a therapeutic focus in fibrosis, immunology and immuno-oncology. He has directly contributed to multiple IND and NDA filings across therapeutic areas, including the development and approval of REZUROCK®, FDA Approved July 2021, which led to Sanofi’s $1.9 billion acquisition of Kadmon in late 2021, with Dr. Patel leading Kadmon's R&D activity integration into Sanofi. Prior to joining Kadmon, Dr. Patel was a nonclinical development project leader at ImClone Systems (acquired by Eli Lilly in 2008) and led nonclinical development activities resulting in the approval of Cyramza® (aVEGFR2 Mab), Portrazza® (aEGFR Mab), and Lartruvo® (aPDGFb Mab). Dr. Patel began his career as a nonclinical development project toxicologist at Abbott Laboratories and Hoechst Marion Roussel. He received his BS in pharmacology and toxicology from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia and his PhD in pharmacology and physiology from Drexel University College of Medicine.

Janice Drew has over 30 years of experience in clinical development covering early-stage research, Phase 1 through Phase 3 clinical trials, and development activities through the commercialization and life-cycle–management phase of a product. Janice’s expertise lies in program and project-team management, clinical development and operations, and regulatory interactions. Over the past 20 years, Janice has had direct responsibility for 5 NDAs/BLAs, multiple INDs and EOP2, and pre-NDA/BLA meetings, including oversight for 4 global clinical development programs. Janice’s most recent position was as Senior Vice President, Portfolio Planning and Management at Dermira, Inc. During her 10 years at Dermira, Janice supported clinical strategy, clinical program development, and protocol development for topical and biologic products targeting acne, rosacea, psoriasis, hyperhidrosis, and atopic dermatitis. Janice supported strategic growth at Dermira and helped plan and build the infrastructure and governance for the product development department. Janice had specific oversight for clinical operations, biostatistics, medical writing, and project and alliance management functions at Dermira. Janice was a member of the senior management team and supported due diligence activities for potential product in-licensing opportunities and partnerships. While at Dermira, Janice supported Phase 3 development and the BLA for Cimziane^® for plaque psoriasis, the NDA for QBREXZA^® for axillary hyperhidrosis, and the global Phase 3 program for lebrikizumab for atopic dermatitis.

Prior to joining Dermira, Janice was at Peplin, where she led the Phase 3 program, NDA, and global regulatory submissions for Picato^®, a topical treatment for actinic keratosis. Prior to Peplin, Janice worked at Allergan, building the Phase 3 development team for BOTOX^® for the treatment of neurogenic and idiopathic overactive bladder. Janice also spent 8 years at Roche in Palo Alto, California, and Basel, Switzerland, leading the global clinical operations team working on CellCept^® and Zenapax^®, both indicated for solid organ transplantation. Her work on the CellCept^® program covered label extensions for multiple solid organs and a pediatric development program with a pediatric formulation. Janice holds a BS from the University of California, Irvine, and a MPH from California State University, Fullerton.

Dr. Lou Sehl has more than 30 years of experience in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and medical device industries, with a consistent track record of success moving projects through all phases of development. Prior to Evommune, he was Vice President of Manufacturing and Technical Operations for MyoKardia, acquired by BMS in late 2020, where he led CMC efforts for multiple clinical development programs, including managing CMC relationships with Sanofi during a four-year partnership. His efforts were instrumental in the successful NDA filing for CAMZYOS™ (mavacamten). Prior to MyoKardia, Dr. Sehl served as Vice President of Product Development at Medicines360, where he was responsible for drug, device, and nonclinical development and supply chain activities. He has also held leadership positions in R&D at Proteolix, Cohesion Technologies, COR Therapeutics, and Genentech and has contributed to 5 IND, 3 IDE, 3 PMA, and 3 NDA filings. He earned a PhD in biochemistry from the University of Notre Dame and a BA in chemistry from Carthage College.

Dr. J Mark Jackson joins Evommune from his position as a Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Louisville. Besides his academic appointment, he also previously served as an advisor to multiple pharmaceutical companies including Abbvie, Amgen, Arcutis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Dermavant, Galderma, Janssen, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, UCB, and held a leadership role in a clinical practice with Forefront Dermatology. He has been involved in clinical research for over 25 years, with a focus on early drug development. Dr. Jackson has authored over 50 articles in peer reviewed publications as well as chapters in numerous well-known dermatology textbooks. He has lectured nationally and internationally on topics involving lupus, neutrophilic disorders, psoriasis, eczema, acne, systemic therapies for dermatologic diseases, drug reactions, and advanced dermatologic disorders. He serves as an editor for JAMA Dermatology, and the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, and served as President of the American Acne and Rosacea Society from 2019 to 2021. Dr. Jackson received his undergraduate degree from Baylor University and his medical degree from Texas A&M College of Medicine.

Dr. David E. Cohen has held various positions at the New York University School of Medicine, including Charles C. and Dorothea E. Harris Professor of Dermatology, Vice Chairman of Clinical Affairs, Chief of Allergy and Contact Dermatitis, and Director of Occupational and Environmental Dermatology. He has served as a Lecturer of Environmental Sciences at the Columbia University School of Public Health. He has been an Attending Physician at the Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology at the Tisch Hospital at New York University Medical Center and Bellevue Hospital Center.

Dr. Cohen has served as a clinical consultant to numerous companies and on the boards and committees of many professional organizations, including President of the American Dermatological Association, American Contact Dermatitis Society, Dermatology Section of the New York Academy of Medicine. He is also a founding board member of the American Acne and Rosacea Society and served on several committees of the American Academy of Dermatology and the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. He is also a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology and the editorial advisory boards of Dermatitis and Skin and Allergy News. He also served on the Boards of Directors of Connetics, Vyteris, Kadmon and Dermira. Dr. Cohen earned a BS degree in biomedical science from the City University of New York, an MD from Stony Brook School of Medicine at SUNY, and an MPH in environmental science from Columbia University School of Public Health.

Allison Gaw is an experienced life science and drug development business professional with 15+ years in business development and strategy, commercial market research, data and financial analytics, and start-up operations and project management. Currently she is a Principal at Amplitude Ventures, driving investments in precision medicine technologies from Canada and the US, and advising strategic planning and business development for portfolio companies. Previously, she was the VP of Business Development at Chinook Therapeutics (acquired by Novartis) and also held senior roles in Business Development, IP, and Corporate Strategy at Sierra Oncology (acquired by GSK) and Arbutus Biopharma (NASDAQ: ABUS; formerly Tekmira) in Vancouver BC. Before moving to Vancouver in 2013, Allison was a consultant for numerous life science healthcare clients on the West Coast (US) while at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and LEK Consulting. Allison has a B.S. and an M.S. in Biological Sciences from Stanford University, and an MBA in Health Care Management from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.

Rob is a Managing Partner at Pivotal bioVenture Partners, where he focuses on drug discovery and development investments. He has a long track record of working successfully with entrepreneurs to progress novel, important medicines through development and onto the market. Dr. Hopfner was previously a Managing Director at Bay City Capital and prior to that worked in business development and investment roles at DuPont Pharmaceuticals and at Ag-West Biotech. He holds a PhD in pharmacology from the University of Saskatchewan and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Dr. Hopfner completed his postdoctoral work at Harvard Medical School and started his career as a pharmacist.

Dr. Benjamin F. McGraw has been Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TheraVida, a private pharmaceutical company focused on therapies for dermatologic diseases, since 2011 and 2013, respectively. Dr. McGraw has served as Executive Chairman of Auration Biotech, a private biotechnology company focused on a regenerative protein and other therapies for ear, nose, and throat diseases since 2014. Dr. McGraw is the Lead Independent Director for the Board of Directors of Aerie Pharmaceuticals, a public pharmaceutical company focused on new treatments for glaucoma and other diseases of the front and back of the eye. He is also Executive Chairman of Trefoil Therapeutics, a private biopharmaceutical company focused on developing an engineered protein as a regenerative treatment for corneal endothelial dystrophies and epithelial disorders. Previously, Dr. McGraw served as the Managing Member of Long Shadows Asset Management, LLC, an investment advisory company; Chairman, President, and CEO of Valentis, a public gene therapy company; Vice President of Corporate Development at Allergan, a public pharmaceutical company; and Vice President of Development at Marion Laboratories, and Marion Merrell Dow, both public pharmaceutical companies. Dr. McGraw received his BS degree and his PharmD from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, where he also completed a clinical practice residency.

Gilles Nobécourt joined the Life Sciences Team of Andera Partners (formerly Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners) in 2002. Previously, he was Social Advisor in the French Senate (1981-1982), Chief of Staff to the President of Languedoc Roussillon Regional Council (1982), Advisor to the French Minister for Industry and Research (1983), and subsequently Advisor to the French Prime Minister (1984-1986). He was a Field Officer for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Africa and Central America until 1988 and then joined Rhône-Poulenc Group as Vice President, Public Affairs. In 1992, Gilles was appointed Vice President, assistant to the Chairman and CEO of Rhône-Poulenc Rorer, the pharmaceutical affiliate of Rhône-Poulenc. He later became a founding member of RPR Gencell, the biotechnology division of Rhône-Poulenc Rorer. Initially General Manager for Europe, he was subsequently Deputy General Manager of the Division based in San Francisco, until 1999. Appointed General Manager of a commercial subsidiary in Mexico City, he ultimately left Aventis and joined Russell Reynolds & Associates as a Consultant dedicated to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies until 2002. In addition to Evommune, Gilles is a Director of Inotrem and Crescendo Biologics. He graduated from the Paris Institute for Political Sciences (Sciences Po Paris) in 1980. Gilles also holds a master’s degree in applied economics.

Felice Verduyn-van Weegen is a Partner at EQT. Felice worked for LSP from 2015 until 2022, when LSP joined forces with EQT and became EQT Life Sciences. Prior to joining LSP, Felice worked as a Consultant at McKinsey & Company in Amsterdam. Prior to working at McKinsey, Felice was a Neuroscientist and Statistical Geneticist, working with the prestigious Complex-Traits Genetics Group at the Broad Institute and Harvard Medical School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Felice holds an MS degree (cum laude) in neuroscience from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and an MBA degree (with distinction) from Columbia Business School in New York.

Dr. Russ B. Altman is the Kenneth Fong Professor of Bioengineering, Genetics, and Medicine and past Chairman of the Bioengineering Department at Stanford University. His primary research interests are in the application of computing and informatics technology to problems relevant to medicine. Dr. Altman holds an AB from Harvard College, an MD from Stanford University School of Medicine, and a PhD in medical information sciences from Stanford University. He is board certified in internal medicine and in clinical informatics. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, the American College of Medical Informatics, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine. He is a former President, founding board member, and a Fellow of the International Society for Computational Biology, and a former President of the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics. Dr. Altman has chaired the Science Board advising the FDA Commissioner, and has served on the National Institutes of Health Director’s Advisory Committee. He is also a founder of Personalis (NASDAQ: PSNL).

Dr. Brian Berman is Professor Emeritus of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and has had the honor of serving as a member of the Board of Directors and Vice President of the American Academy of Dermatology and the American Dermatology Association. He is current President and past Vice President of the American Dermatological Association. He has served as Professor of Dermatology and Internal Medicine at the University of Miami; Medical Director for Dermatology for inpatients and outpatients at Dade County’s Jackson Memorial Hospital; Professor of Dermatology and Vice-Chairman of the Department of Dermatology at the University of California, Davis; Chief of the dermatology service at the Martinez VA Medical Center in California; and Chairman of the Department of Dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, Florida. He is Secretary of the American Cutaneous Oncology Society; Secretary of the American Hyperhidrosis Medical Society; past President and the founder of the National Association of Veterans Affairs Dermatologists; and Chairman of the Dermatology Field Advisory Group for the Department of Veterans Affairs. He serves on the scientific advisory/editorial boards of the European Journal of Dermatology, SKINmed, Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, and SKIN. He edited the Miami Review series and was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Sulzberger Institute for Dermatologic Education.

Currently, in addition to caring for patients at Skin and Cancer Associates in Aventura, Florida, Dr. Berman is Co-director of the Center for Clinical and Cosmetic Research, where he continues his broad-based clinical research program and focuses his laboratory investigations on the study of the control of scarring and skin cancer. He has presented at more than 300 local, regional, state, national, and international dermatologic societies and conferences. He is the author of more than 250 peer-reviewed scientific and clinical articles, chapters, and books; is the recipient of the Dean’s Senior Faculty Clinical Research Award from the University of Miami School of Medicine; was bestowed the “Scientist of the Year” award from Sigma Xi (the Science and Research Honor Society); and is included in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Doctors in America” list.

Dr. James Q. Del Rosso attended pharmacy school at St. John’s University in Jamaica, New York. He completed a hospital pharmacy residency at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Del Rosso graduated with honors from medical school at Ohio University and completed his dermatology residency at the Atlantic Skin Disease Association in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He completed a fellowship in Mohs micrographic surgery and cutaneous oncology at The Ohio State University. Dr. Del Rosso is board certified in dermatology and Mohs micrographic surgery.

Dr. Del Rosso is an internationally renowned educator and speaker with numerous publications, principally in dermatology journals. He is a frequently invited presenter at major dermatology meetings, both in the United States and globally, often discussing drug development and new therapeutics. Additionally, he has published extensively on a variety of skin diseases including acne, rosacea, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and skin cancers and precancers. He founded the Scientific Panel on Antibiotic Use in Dermatology in 2005. The panel authored scientific publications that serve as a guide for clinicians on optimal antibiotic use. Dr. Del Rosso is Co-editor of the textbook Acne Vulgaris. Dr. Del Rosso is past President of the American Acne and Rosacea Society, the American Society for Mohs Surgery, and the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology. Dr. Del Rosso has been Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology since its inception in 2005.

Dr. Del Rosso has more than 25 years of experience in dermatologic research; he is Research Director and Principal Investigator of JDR Dermatology Research. Further, he directs in a dermatology practice fully dedicated to the care of people with skin disorders or who have concerns about their skin. The research center conducts studies for a wide variety of skin conditions such as acne, rosacea, psoriasis, eczemas, urticaria, actinic keratosis, and skin cancer.

Dr. Del Rosso has been honored for his accomplishments. In 2016 he was the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Academy of Dermatology for his lifelong commitment to dermatology and his contributions to the field. He now has the distinguished title of honorary member of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Dr. Stephen J. Galli is the former Chair of Pathology (1999-2016) and current Professor of Pathology and of Microbiology and Immunology at Stanford University. He investigates the roles of mast cells and basophils in health and disease, including allergic disorders and resistance to venoms. He was President of the American Society for Investigative Pathology (ASIP, 2005-2006) and belongs to several honorary societies including the Collegium Internationale Allergologicum (President, 2010-2014), Pluto Club (American Association of University Pathologists; President, 2018-2019), the National Academy of Medicine (currently, Chair of Section 4), and the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei in Rome. Dr. Galli received a MERIT Award from the NIAID/NIH (1995-2006), Scientific Achievement Awards from the International Association of Allergy & Clinical Immunology (1997) and the World Allergy Organization (2011), the Rous-Whipple Award of the ASIP (2014), and the Karl Landsteiner Medal of the Austrian Society for Allergology and Immunology (2014).

Dr. Emma Guttman-Yassky is the Vice Chair for Research and the incoming Chair of the Kimberly and Eric J. Waldman Department of Dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. She is a world-renowned dermatologist and physician scientist whose study of molecular and cellular pathomechanisms of inflammatory skin diseases—particularly eczema/atopic dermatitis (AD), and recently alopecia areata in humans—is opening doors to new therapeutic discoveries and treatments for millions of patients around the globe. Dr. Guttman-Yassky also serves as Director of the Center for Excellence in Eczema and Director of the Laboratory of Inflammatory Skin Diseases at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Dr. Guttman-Yassky has developed comprehensive molecular maps of AD, defining skin differentiation and immune circuits characterizing this disease and biomarkers of disease and treatment response in skin biopsies—and recently she has been using a minimally invasive approach to sample the skin. She has extended her research interest to alopecia areata and other inflammatory skin diseases, where she is translating her findings to possible novel therapeutic targets and treatments.

Dr. Guttman-Yassky has two board certifications in dermatology, after completing dermatology training in both Israel and the US. In 2014, Dr. Guttman-Yassky co-founded the International Eczema Council, an organization that includes more than 100 of the world’s leaders in eczema research, discovery, and care. She currently serves as its President. She has been elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the American Dermatological Association and is a member of the Boards of Directors of the American Skin Association, the National Eczema Association, and the National Alopecia Areata Foundation. Dr. Guttman-Yassky has been honored by both national and international organizations for her scientific innovations. She has authored more than 200 publications, most in high-impact journals.

Dr. James G. Krueger is Head of the Laboratory for Investigative Dermatology at the Rockefeller University. He also serves as a physician, Co-director of the Center for Clinical and Translational Science at the Rockefeller University Hospital, and Chief Executive Officer of the Rockefeller University Hospital in New York City.

Dr. Krueger earned his BA degree from Princeton University and a PhD in virology and cell biology from the Rockefeller University. He received an MD from Cornell University Medical College, where he also completed an internship in internal medicine and residency in dermatology. Dr. Krueger is certified by the American Board of Dermatology.

Dr. Krueger’s research group at Rockefeller was the first to conduct clinical trials with specific, targeted immune antagonists in psoriasis, and this work established that elimination of pathogenic T-cells from skin lesions could reverse the full pathological phenotype of psoriasis. This work changed the disease model for psoriasis from that of a keratinocyte-driven disease to one of T-cell-mediated pathology. Since then, his group has used immune-based therapeutics to dissect inflammatory pathways in psoriasis and to conduct parallel biomarker studies that define mechanisms of targeted therapeutics in human populations. His group discovered elevated expression of IL-23 in psoriasis lesions, and the contribution of this cytokine to an inflammatory axis dominated by Th17 T-cells was first reported by his group. This work has also provided the “disease maps” for cytokine-driven inflammation in psoriasis, which has been the basis for biologic therapeutic development for the disease. The successful development of antagonists to IL-12/23, IL-23/IL-39, and IL-17 (at least 10 different drugs) extends from this research and early clinical trials conducted by his group.

In a larger way, the approach taken in psoriasis has greatly altered a traditional pathway of scientific discovery that is based on establishing a disease model in animals or cell culture. The model of bedside-to-bench translational science in psoriasis has now been successfully extended to other inflammatory diseases, such as atopic dermatitis, alopecia areata, and others, that are extremely active with translational studies in humans and are highly dependent on cytokine-related disease maps from clinical samples of their respective diseases. His group is now actively working on creating disease maps, biomarkers, and new therapeutics for hidradenitis suppurativa.

Dr. Krueger has more than 400 scientific publications, most in high-impact journals. He has been honored for his scientific and clinical contributions by election to the Association of American Physicians.

Dr. Mark G. Lebwohl graduated summa cum laude from Columbia College in 1974 and graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1978. He completed residencies in internal medicine and dermatology, both at Mount Sinai.

Practicing dermatology since 1983, Dr. Lebwohl is Waldman Professor and Chairman of the Kimberly and Eric J. Waldman Department of Dermatology and Dean for Clinical Therapeutics of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Lebwohl was President of the American Academy of Dermatology from 2015-16.

Dr. Lebwohl is Chairman Emeritus of the Medical Board of the National Psoriasis Foundation. He is the founding editor of the NPF’s Psoriasis Forum and of the recently launched Journal of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis. He is editor of the dermatology section of Scientific American Medicine. Dr. Lebwohl is world-renowned for his expertise in skin disease; he has chaired numerous symposia and has written, edited, or co-edited several books including the first atlas devoted entirely to cutaneous manifestations of systemic disease and the leading book on dermatologic therapy, Treatment of Skin Disease. The second edition of The Skin and Systemic Disease has been published in English and in French. Further, English, French, Chinese, Portuguese, and Polish versions of Treatment of Skin Disease have been published. Other books include Difficult Diagnoses in Dermatology, Psoriasis, Mild-to-Moderate Psoriasis, and Moderate-to-Severe Psoriasis. He has authored or co-authored over 500 peer-reviewed articles in addition to numerous invited articles and book chapters. Dr. Lebwohl is actively involved in clinical trials of many new dermatologic treatments.

Dr. Littman is Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel professor of Molecular Immunology at the Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine of NYU Langone Medical Center (1995-present) and an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical lnstitute (1987-present). Prior to joining the faculty of NYU, Dr. Littman was Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of California San Francisco (1985-1995).

Dr. Littman is the founding member of the Scientific Advisory Boards of ChemoCentryx, and Vor Biopharma, and is a member of the Pfizer Board of Directors. Dr. Littman is the scientific founder and a member of the Scientific Advisory Boards of Vedanta Biosciences and Immunai. He is on the Advisory Boards of the Broad Institute; the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard; and the Whitehead Institute.

Dr. Littman has won numerous awards for his work, including the New York City Mayor’s Award for Excellence in Science and Technology (2004), the Ross Prize in Molecular Medicine (2013), the Vilcek Prize in Biomedical Science (2016), and the William B. Coley Award from the Cancer Research Institute (2016). He is an elected member of several honorific societies including the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine (formerly, the Institute of Medicine). He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and of the American Academy of Microbiology. Dr. Littman received his MD and PhD degrees at Washington University in St. Louis.

Dr. Georg Stingl earned his MD at the Medical University of Vienna in 1973. After his internship and residency training at the Department of Dermatology, he served as a postdoctoral Fellow at the dermatology branch of the National Cancer Institute (1977-1978) and as a Guest Scientist at the Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (1985-1986) of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. From 1978 to 1981 he served as a faculty member of the Department of Dermatology of Innsbruck University Medical School and subsequently moved to Vienna, where he ultimately became Professor and Chairman of the Department of Dermatology at the Medical University.

Dr. Stingl's major scientific accomplishments include the discovery of Langerhans cells as immunocytes and their role as targets of physicochemical agents, drugs, and HIV; the first identification of the indigenous T-cell population of rodent skin; the detection of anti-FcεR1 autoantibodies in the sera of patients with chronic urticaria; the use of genetically modified melanoma cells as vaccines for patients with far-advanced disease; the induction of lytic molecules on dendritic cells after stimulation with TLR 7/8 ligands; and the phenotypic characterization of innate lymphoid cells in healthy and diseased skin. In addition, he conducted many clinical trials investigating the safety and efficacy of different immunomodulatory compounds.

Dr. Stingl's work is documented in 300 original publications, 200 reviews and book chapters, as well as 4 books. Dr. Stingl has appeared as a visiting professor at several medical universities and as invited speaker at many symposia and conferences. He is member of the board of several scientific societies and organizations, advisory panels, scientific journals, and committees.

Dr. Stingl’s accomplishments have been recognized with several prestigious awards, including the William Montagna Award and the Stephen Rothman Award of the Society for Investigative Dermatology and the Lifetime Achievement Award of the American Skin Association. In 1999, he received an honorary doctorate from the Semmelweis Medical University in Budapest and the Silver Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria. He is an honorary member of the Society for Investigative Dermatology, the European Society for Dermatological Research, and the Japanese Society for Investigative Dermatology. He is also a member of the Austrian and the German academies of sciences as well as having been elected to the National Academy of Medicine of the United States.