Conference Preview: 2026 LEADderm Conference in Newport Beach, CA

LEADderm 2026 is set to take place August 29–30, 2026, at the Pendry Hotel in Newport Beach, California, bringing together dermatologists, physician associates, nurse practitioners, and industry partners for 2 days of programming centered on leadership, community, and diversity in dermatology.

Founded and chaired by Jennifer Soung, MD, LEADderm distinguishes itself from traditional dermatology meetings by prioritizing skills rarely addressed in clinical training, including mentorship, negotiation, practice culture, and career development, alongside sessions on artificial intelligence, patient communication, and emerging therapeutics.

“I started this conference because I realized that while we are trained to be masters of the skin, being a great doctor takes more than just clinical knowledge,” Soung wrote on the conference website.1 “Modern medicine requires us to be masters of the "human" side, too—like leadership, empathy, and innovation. LEADderm is here to bridge that gap and help us provide even better care.”

Sound created the meeting to address what organizers call the ‘missing curriculum’: leadership, empathy, and innovation skills that shape practice culture and patient trust but are not typically covered in traditional dermatology training. The conference’s program is built around a central thesis that better leadership translates directly to better patient care, and that investing in physicians as leaders is a prerequisite for delivering the highest standard of clinical care.

Organizers positioned the meeting as a venue for clinicians to develop the professional tools that influence patient relationships, practice culture, and physician fulfillment, alongside traditional clinical updates. In 2025, LEADderm drew more than 130 attendees and 20 faculty members, expanding beyond conventional clinical content to explore topics including artificial intelligence applications, emotional intelligence, and mentorship strategies.

What to Expect at LEADderm 2026 in Newport Beach:

This year's agenda spans leadership development, professional growth, and clinical education, with sessions addressing chairwoman-level perspectives on culture change, coachability, negotiation, social media strategy, and the integration of artificial intelligence into medical education. Sponsored sessions from various pharmaceutical companies will also cover pipeline therapies and disease-state education across psoriasis, hidradenitis suppurativa, and molluscum contagiosum.

Attendees can expect a mix of keynote-style leadership talks, panel discussions, and case-driven clinical sessions designed to strengthen both practice management skills and patient care delivery.

HCPLive will be on-site throughout the conference, filming and releasing on-site interviews with faculty and key opinion leaders at LEADderm. Additionally, there will be coverage of standout sessions and reporting on clinical and career-development takeaways shared during the meeting.

Key Interviews Slated for LEADderm:

• Jennifer Soung, MD
• Kristina Callis Duffin, MD, MS
• Steven Daveluy, MD
• Adam Friedman, MD
• Lisa Swanson, MD
• Peter Lio, MD
• Shawn Allen, MD
• Ranna Parekh, MD, MPH

LEADderm Session Presentations to Watch:

Redefining Culture: A Chairwoman's Perspective on Leading Change

Presenter: Kristina Callis Duffin, MD, MS

The Coachable Leader

Presenter: Laurie Baedke

From Content to Credibility: Social Media for the Modern Dermatologist

Presenters: Steven Daveluy, MD, FAAD; Dustin Portela, DO; Wallace Nozile, MD

Skin Angels at LEADderm: Building the Next Generation of Dermatology Innovation

Presenters: Manju Dawkins, MD; Buu Duong, MD; Ross Levy, MD; Peter Lio, MD; Ross Lane Pearlman, MD

From Posters to Prompting: Reimagining Medical Education in the Era of Artificial Intelligence

Presenter: Peter Lio, MD

The Anatomy of Trust: Cultivating Practice Health from the Inside Out

Presenters: Gina Magnum; Shawn Allen, MD

Negotiating Everything: From Your First Contract to Everyday Wins with Teams and Patients

Presenter: Ranna Parekh, MD, MPH

Check out HCPLive’s coverage of the conference from August 29-30, 2026.

References

1. About | LEADderm. LEADderm. Accessed August 26, 2026. https://www.leadderm.org/about.