Symposium on Hidradenitis Suppurativa Advances 2024
HS Ireland recently returned from the Symposium on Hidradenitis Suppurativa Advances 2024 (SHSA2024) in Austin, Texas, USA. This is an annual event organised and hosted by the Hidradenitis Suppurativa Foundation (HS Foundation, USA) and the Canadian Hidradenitis Suppurativa Foundation (CHSF) where (mainly) North Americans with interests in #HidradenitisSuppurativa (HS) gather over 3 days to discuss the latest advances in HS.
At this SHSA2024, a record ~500 attendees comprising people with HS #pwHS), their family and carers, HS #researchers, nurses, #dermatologists, #surgeons, industry representatives, and others with interests in HS who shared information and experiences about the latest advances in HS.
Some personal highlights included:
- witnessing #patient with HS, Hidradenitis Suppurativa Foundation, Inc. board member, President of the Hope for HS patient group, and wonderful soul Athena Gierbolini receive the 2024 SHSA Award, a most worthy recipient. If you want to know about HS, and learn from someone who has lived and breathed HS for decades, you could do worse than listen to this podcast (approx. 30 minutes) featuring Athena share some of her HS story.
- learning about many of the treatments currently in development for HS (some 40-50 phase 2/3 HS clinical trials are happening).
- meeting, hearing from, and speaking with so many others committed to improving the lives of people with HS (#pwHS).
- participating in the ‘Hearts and Soles’ walk for HS with many other attendees early on Day 2 before the day’s proceedings began proper.
- attending the closing plenary delivered by HS pioneer Prof. Dr. Gregor Jemec; it’s always a thrill to hear from one to whom we all owe so much. Prof. Jemec was recently recognised by the LEO Foundation for his outstanding contribution to HS (press release).
While Conor attended in 2023, the last time Barry attended this event was in 2019 and it was incredible to see the growth in interest in the 5 years since.
Sincere thanks to the HS Foundation for their support that enabled HS Ireland to attend.
