Dear ITSCC Members,
I hope this message finds you well and that your 2026 is off to a great start! I led my first ITSCC Board of Director’s meeting at the AAD and am truly honored to be part of such an incredible group that has been instrumental to my academic success. I am thrilled to share highlights from our recent annual meeting and some exciting news on what's ahead.
Our ITSCC Annual Meeting at the AAD in Denver, Colorado was incredible with a record turnout at The Hampton Social. This was a real team effort from Basia Michalski-McNeely, Stephanie Jackson Cullison, Katie Shahwan, and Jake Wang to organize and facilitate the meeting. A special thank you to Manisha Loss for picking the venue (after looking at more than 10!) and to Kathy Uy, ITSCC Executive Director, and the ITSCC staff, for the countless hours behind the scenes making the event possible.
This year's meeting also marked a meaningful milestone: ITSCC's 25th Anniversary! Dr. Allison Vidimos and Elizabeth Billingsley delivered an incredible tribute to where the organization started and where we are now.
Speaking of team effort, we were fortunate to welcome Dr. Justine Cohen, a Dana-Farber medical oncologist, who delivered the 2026 Oscar Colegio Memorial Lecture along with myself on "The Power of Partnership: Collaborative Approaches to Optimize Skin Cancer Outcomes." Justine was so enthralled with ITSCC that she became a member on the spot! We were also fortunate to hear from Dr. Nathalie Zeitouni, who presented updates from the literature on clinical trials inclusive of transplant and immunosuppressed patients — a reminder of how rapidly our field is evolving. A thought-provoking tumor board discussion, moderated by Dr. Aubriana McEvoy and included Dr. Theresa Medina (Medical Oncology), Dr. Fiona Zwald (Dermatology), and Dr. Ryan Lanning (Radiation Oncology), rounded out the scientific portion of the evening.
We were also pleased to share updates from the ITSCC Academic Mentorship Program (AMP), including the announcement of this year's grant recipient , Amanda Rosenthal, MD, FAAD and her project, Topical Chemotherapeutics with Immunomodulation under Systemic Immunosuppression: Field Cancerization with Combined 5-Fluorouracil and Calcipotriene for Prevention of Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer in Immunosuppressed, Solid Organ Transplant Recipients. The AMP continues to be one of our most impactful initiatives, providing emerging leaders in transplant dermatology with longitudinal mentorship and support — and we are proud to see it grow.
The ITSCC Biannual Symposium will be on Cathleen Stone Island near Boston, Massachusetts from September 24 to 27! If you are interested in participating, the abstract submission portal is now open through May 3, 2026!
If you haven't yet renewed your ITSCC membership for 2026, please take a moment to do so at https://itscc.execinc.com/edibo/Dues. Your support is what makes everything we do possible!
Thank you all for your continued dedication to ITSCC's mission. I wish you a wonderful spring and look forward to seeing you again in the fall.
Warm regards,
Emily Ruiz, MD MPH
ITSCC President, 2026–2028
