Inside DermNexus: A New Hands-On Congress for Dermatology NPs and PAs

Dermatology Times and Physicians' Education Resource (PER) will host DermNexus: The Inflammatory Disease and Innovations Congress for NP/PAs, November 20–21, 2026, at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess in Scottsdale, Arizona. The inaugural continuing medical education congress is designed for nurse practitioners and physician assistants who manage inflammatory skin disease.

A Congress Designed for Dermatology APPs

Lauren Miller, MPAS, PA-C, of Surgical Dermatology Group in Gadsden, Alabama, chairs the congress advisory board. Miller leads a board of four advanced practice providers: TJ Chao, MPAS, PA-C; Tristan Hasbargen, MMS, PA-C; Francine Phillips, MPAS, PA-C; and Abby Sipe, MSN, APRN, FNP-C.

The board helped shape a program organizers bill as "education reimagined: where holistic care meets modern dermatology."

Exploring the Science Behind Inflammatory Disease

The two-day agenda centers on immune pathway science and its clinical application across inflammatory skin disease. Sessions address BTK, OX-40, JAK, and TYK signaling, along with neuroimmune mechanisms in prurigo nodularis and chronic spontaneous urticaria.

Additional programming covers hidradenitis suppurativa staging, atopic dermatitis cytokine signaling, shared immune drivers in vitiligo and alopecia areata, and mental health screening for depression and anxiety.

Taking Education Beyond the Lecture Hall

Organizers structured the congress around whiteboard panels, case laboratory sessions, and four hands-on activities tied to mechanism of action and patient education. The format is designed to connect attendees with faculty across specialties while offering opportunities to apply concepts beyond a traditional lecture setting.

Registration and full agenda details are available through PER's congress site.

Bringing New Knowledge Back to Practice

Members of the DermNexus advisory board previewed the experience they hope to create for attendees, emphasizing practical education, hands-on learning, and renewed enthusiasm for clinical practice.

Miller said she hopes attendees leave the congress with more than new clinical knowledge.

"I hope that they leave feeling energized and inspired, and really excited to get back to practice. I want them to remember why they chose this profession in the first place," Miller said.

Hasbargen, an advisory board member based in Tallahassee, Florida, highlighted the role of hands-on education in helping attendees translate what they learn into practice.

"Hands-on learning is really important because it allows you to take what you've learned through the conference and actually apply it. So the likelihood of learning and bringing it back to your own practice increases tenfold," Hasbargen said.

Built With APPs in Mind

Phillips, a dermatology PA of 21 years based in Lutz, Florida, emphasized that the program was shaped by APPs with their own educational needs in mind.

"This meeting is a meeting that we created, and it is a meeting that we would love to attend, because it's going to be amazing," Phillips said.

Join DermNexus in Scottsdale

Registration for DermNexus Congress is open through PER. The congress will take place November 20–21, 2026, at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess in Scottsdale, Arizona.

References

1. Dermatology Times launches Derm Nexus Congress for NPs and PAs. Dermatology Times. Accessed September 16, 2026.
2. DermNexus: The Inflammatory Disease and Innovations Congress for NP/PAs. Physicians' Education Resource. Accessed September 16, 2026.