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Faculty

Cem Akin

MD, PhD
Professor
University of Michigan

Dr. Akin is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Michigan, Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. He finished his Internal Medicine training at the University of Louisville, and his fellowship training in Allergy and Immunology at NIAID, NIH. He was then an Assistant Professor at Michigan, and Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School, where he established the nation's first multidisciplinary Mastocytosis Center at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Dr. Akin is recognized internationally for his work on mast cell disorders, who contributed to WHO diagnostic criteria of mastocytosis, defined new disease subtypes and pioneered work on targeted treatments of systemic mastocytosis. He has more than 200 publications including original research and review papers and book chapters on various aspects of mast cell disease and anaphylaxis.

2026 Sessions

Masterclass: Advancing Care in Systemic Mastocytosis: From Diagnosis to Targeted Treatment and Multidisciplinary Management

Supported by an educational grant from Blueprint Medicines Corporation.
Systemic mastocytosis is a rare, multisystem disorder with diverse clinical manifestations that can delay diagnosis and complicate management. This session reviews the cutaneous and systemic features of SM to support early recognition and appropriate diagnostic evaluation. Faculty will discuss current and emerging targeted therapies and their role in optimizing patient care. Attendees will gain practical strategies for coordinating multidisciplinary management to improve outcomes for patients with SM. Learning Objectives • Identify the cutaneous and systemic manifestations of SM using current guideline-based criteria to support appropriate initial evaluation and referral for systemic assessment • Differentiate the mechanisms of action, efficacy, and safety of approved and emerging targeted therapies for SM • Integrate multidisciplinary management strategies for patients with SM, including coordination across specialties and patient-centered, symptom-directed care Supported by an educational grant from Blueprint Medicines Corporation.

Co-Presenter

Saturday, October 17 8:30–9:15 AM
Akin Photo
Faculty

Cem Akin

MD, PhD
Professor
University of Michigan

Dr. Akin is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Michigan, Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. He finished his Internal Medicine training at the University of Louisville, and his fellowship training in Allergy and Immunology at NIAID, NIH. He was then an Assistant Professor at Michigan, and Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School, where he established the nation's first multidisciplinary Mastocytosis Center at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Dr. Akin is recognized internationally for his work on mast cell disorders, who contributed to WHO diagnostic criteria of mastocytosis, defined new disease subtypes and pioneered work on targeted treatments of systemic mastocytosis. He has more than 200 publications including original research and review papers and book chapters on various aspects of mast cell disease and anaphylaxis.

Faculty

Sarina Elmariah

MD, PhD, MPH
Professor, Dermatology
University of California San Francisco

Sarina Elmariah, MD, PhD, MPH is a board-certified dermatologist, neuroscientist, and currently a professor of clinical dermatology and the director of the Center for Itch and Neurosensory Disorders at the University of California San Francisco. Her clinical expertise is in managing a broad spectrum of chronic itch and sensory disturbances, neuropathic and neurogenic diseases, and inflammatory and allergic skin diseases including atopic dermatitis, prurigo nodularis, erythromelalgia, chronic urticaria and other mast cell disorders. Her research aims to promote understanding and innovation in the neuro-immune-cutaneous arena and to improve how we characterize, diagnose and manage skin disorders that involve disturbance of the neuro-immune axis.

Dr. Elmariah has published numerous articles, abstracts and book chapters in dermatology, neuroscience and medical journals, serves as a reviewer for many top-tier dermatology and scientific journals and has served on international guideline committees for chronic urticaria and prurigo nodularis. She has been the recipient of many prestigious awards and research grants, including a Dermatology Foundation Physician-Scientist Career Development Award, Claflin Distinguished Scholar Award, K08 Mentored Scientist Career Development Award from the National Institutes of Health, and the American Academy of Dermatology 2018 Young Investigator Award. She has been named a top doc in Boston and San Francisco. She has been featured in mainstream media (including Women’s Health, O magazine, Shape, Consumer Reports, Parents, Reader’s Digest, Today.com, Gizmodo, etc), and serves as a consultant for numerous pharmaceutical, commercial, and educational companies focused on advancing the frontiers of skin science and health.
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