The Skin of Color Society (SOCS) has announced Courtney M. Johnson, MD, PhD, FAAD as the recipient of the 2025 SOCS Career Development Award, presented during the organization’s 21st Annual Scientific Symposium in Orlando, Florida.
Dr. Johnson, known on social platforms as @dermcourt, earned the award for her promising research project titled: “Investigating the Role of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in the Immunodetection of Mycosis Fungoides.”
The project explores critical mechanisms in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma—a disease that can disproportionately impact individuals with skin of color—through an immunodermatology lens.
The SOCS Career Development Award provides up to $100,000 in funding over a two-year period to support early-career dermatology researchers focused on inflammatory dermatologic diseases in skin of color, a field in need of more clinical, translational, and basic research.
The award is non-renewable and is made possible through generous support from Pfizer and Bristol Myers Squibb.
SOCS views the Career Development Award as a key investment in the future leadership of dermatology, with an emphasis on equity, innovation, and expanding the body of knowledge related to diverse patient populations.
Dr. Johnson’s receipt of this award underscores her rising status in academic dermatology and her commitment to advancing inclusive research that can transform outcomes for historically underserved communities.
