Forging the Future: 2018 Alopecia Areata Research Summit Summary Report.

Alopecia areata (AA) is a common autoimmune skin disease resulting in the loss of hair on the scalp and elsewhere on the body that affects over 146 million people worldwide at some point in their lives. Founded in 1981, the National AA Foundation (NAAF) is a nonprofit organization that supports research to find a cure or acceptable treatment for AA, supports those with the disease, and educates the public about AA. NAAF conducts research summits every two years to review progress and create new directions in its funded and promoted research. This report from the seventh AA Research Summit, Forging the Future, held December 4-5, 2018 in New York City provides highlights of the research presented and future research priorities identified during targeted discussion sessions.