About us
ElderDerm 2025 Co-Directors
Adam Friedman, MD, FAAD, is professor and chair of dermatology and serves as the director of the Residency Program, Translational Research, and the Supportive Oncodermatology Program in the Department of Dermatology at The George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences in Washington, DC.
Dr Friedman has published more than 250 papers/chapters and 3 textbooks on both his research and a variety of clinical areas in dermatology, with an emphasis on emerging medical therapies and addressing gaps in inclusive education/care. He is also committed to resident and medical education, serving as senior editor of Dermatology In-Review, co-chair of the ODAC Dermatology, Aesthetic and Surgical Conference and the MedscapeLIVE! Las Vegas Dermatology Seminar, founding director of Krazy Kodachromes and Core Crushers, and founding director of the Oakstone Institute’s Dermatology Board Review and Dermatology for Primary Care series. He also serves as president of Derma Care Access Network, a subgroup of the Alliance for Patient Access; chair of the American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting Poster Exhibit Task Force; and as a member of the American Dermatological Association Board of Directors.
Dr Friedman has received multiple awards, including the Albert Einstein College of Medicine Rising Star - Clinical Practitioner Award, the Derma Care Access Network Advocacy Leadership Award, the American Dermatological Association Young Leader Award, the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Cutting Edge Research Award, and the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology Innovations in Residency Training Award.
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Jaya Manjunath is a 4th year medical student at The George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences. She completed The Johns Hopkins Itch Fellowship, and during her research year was awarded a T-35 grant from the NIH to complete aging research (MSTAR grant). She is the founder of international nonprofit organization, Seniors with Skills (501c3) nonprofit whose mission is to end social isolation of older adults. She has been featured on The Global News Morning Show, NBC, Fox, CBC and more for her work in this space! She is also serving as the student co-leader for the Geriatric Dermatology Expert Resource Group this year. Jaya has been completing research in the field of geriatric dermatology for the past several years, and envisions a career dedicated to advancing this field of dermatology.
Our Story
ElderDerm began as a student-led initiative, when Jaya approached Dr. Friedman with the idea a year ago (Dr. Friedman has been Jaya's dermatology mentor since she started medical school, 3 years ago). Given her background and strong interest in geriatric dermatology, she wanted to build a platform to bring together dermatologists in the field of geriatric dermatology. Dr. Friedman was on board to support this initiative, and the rest is history!