General Guidelines

• Abstracts must not have been previously published online or in print at the time of submission.
• Simultaneous submission of the same abstract to other meetings is permitted.
• The submitting author will be notified of the peer‑review decision and is responsible for communicating the outcome to all co‑authors.

Authorship & Presentation Requirements

• Each abstract must designate one presenting author. Multiple presenters are not permitted.
• The presenting author must register for and attend the meeting if the abstract is accepted for oral, poster, or e-poster presentation.
• An individual may not present more than two oral abstracts at SHSA 2026.

Oral Abstract Presentation Policies

Conflict of Interest Disclosure

• A Declaration of Conflict‑of‑Interest (DCOI) Statement is required for all accepted oral abstract presenters.
• Presenters must disclose all financial relationships, in any amount, with ineligible companies within the past 24 months.
• Ineligible companies are defined as those whose primary business involves producing, marketing, selling, reselling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.
• Presenters may not be employees or owners of an ineligible company.

Travel Reimbursement

• Authors selected for oral abstract presentation may be eligible for travel reimbursement of up to $500 USD.
• Travel reimbursement is limited and subject to available funding.
• Industry‑sponsored presentations are not eligible for travel reimbursement under this program.

Late‑Breaking Abstracts

• Late‑breaking abstracts will be considered only for Phase 2 or Phase 3 clinical trial data.
• Authors wishing to submit a late‑breaking abstract must contact the SHSA team for access to the submission portal.

Publication & Copyright Information

• The SHSA Planning Committee intends to publish all accepted abstracts in Dermatology & Therapy in conjunction with the meeting.
• During submission, authors will be asked to confirm their agreement to publication.

Copyright Information
Accepted abstracts will be published as an open‑access supplement in Dermatology & Therapy under a Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY‑NC) license. Authors retain copyright to their work.

Important Dates

Specific Guidelines

Scope and Alignment

Abstracts are recommended to align with the HS Foundation’s Research Roadmap, supporting the transformation of healthcare in Hidradenitis Suppurativa.

Abstract Length and Language

• Abstracts must not exceed 300 words in length, excluding the title and author list. 
• Abstracts will only be accepted in English.

Title and Authorship Requirements

• Abstract titles may contain a maximum of 100 characters. 
• Titles must use upper and lower case and should not be in all capital letters.
• There is no limit on the number of authors per abstract.

Topic Categorization

During submission, authors will be asked to categorize their abstract under one of the following topics:

• Basic Science, Translational Research, Pathogenesis & Genetics;
• Epidemiology and Comorbidities;
• Medical & Surgical Treatments (Clinical studies or trials that evaluate or compare medical therapies, surgery, devices, or other interventions for the treatment of HS);
• Patient-Centered Care, Delivery, and Access to Care, Health-Related Quality of Life and Patient-Reported Outcomes;
• Case Report & Case Series (Only considered for poster/e-poster presentation)

Presentation Preference

• Authors must indicate whether they prefer oral or poster presentation. 
• Abstracts with a preference for oral presentation may be reassigned to poster presentation if oral placement is not available. 
• Abstracts submitted for poster presentation will not be considered for oral presentation.

Required Abstract Structure

Each abstract should follow the following structure:

• Background: Summary of the rationale for the work.
• Objective: Clearly state the purpose of the work.
• Method: Describe the procedures/activities or methodology used to conduct your work. Please provide specific Information about subject characteristics or healthcare setting, where relevant.
• Results: Summarize key findings or important results that you wish to share with colleagues in a clear and concise manner. Where results warrant, provide reasonable conclusions that relate back to the study purpose/objectives.  
• Discussion: Clearly state how the outcomes and potential applications are pertinent to the audience.

Evaluation Criteria

All abstracts will be peer-reviewed using the following criteria:

Originality

• Novelty of the concept, approach, or analysis.
• Innovation in addressing new or existing research questions.

Significance & Scientific Merit

• Importance of the work within its subject area.
• Potential to improve understanding, diagnosis, treatment, or outcomes in HS.
• Relevance and interest to the anticipated audience.

Experimental Design

• Appropriateness of the study design and methodology.
• Validity and application of statistical measures, where applicable.
• Consideration of confounding variables and strength of conclusions.

Overall Quality and Presentation

• Organization, clarity, and readability.
• Ability to engage the reader and clearly convey conclusions.
• Writing quality, including grammar and spelling.

Abstract Review Committee