Hacking Dermatology Announces Call for Applications and Mentors for 2019 Program with Focus on Innovation and Precision Medicine in Dermatology

Applications are now being accepted for Hacking Dermatology 2019, an innovation challenge that unites clinical and scientific experts, patients, engineers and innovators to reimagine the landscape of patient care. Winning teams will be awarded a total of $85,000 (USD) in grants and entered into an acceleration period to receive mentorship and access to resources to bring solutions to market.

The hackathon takes place Sept 13-15, 2019, at District Hall in Boston. Participants will attend all three days of the hackathon, pitch ideas on Friday's kickoff event, and join and actively contribute on a team that competes throughout the weekend. Mentors will come from a variety of backgrounds and will volunteer to work with multiple teams and provide expertise, guidance and feedback on projects.

"Hacking Dermatology is designed to cultivate an open community of scientists, clinicians, patients and advocates," said Laura Duerksen, Executive Director of Hacking Medicine Institute. "We all share a mission to radically improve the dermatological patient journey and to dream big about precision medicine and potential cures for skin conditions."

"Together with Hacking Medicine Institute, MIT Hacking Medicine, LEO Pharma and the LEO Science & Tech Hub, we value open science, innovation and collaboration to enable new ideas that can meaningfully benefit patients, healthcare providers and healthcare broadly," said William Ju, MD, FAAD, President and Founding Trustee of the non-profit Advancing Innovation in Dermatology, Inc. "Our goal is to facilitate productive interactions and create an ecosystem with a shared interest in helping to substantially improve dermatologic health."

The Hacking Dermatology program is comprised of three stages: 1) challenge statement development and identification, 2) a hackathon and 3) an incubation period with additional funding opportunities for the winning teams. The third stage includes incubation and a pitch competition into early 2020. All stages are open to new participants and incorporate open science and new perspectives.