Will Anti-DEI Policies Impact Research Funding? | AAD 2025

There is growing evidence that social drivers of health can impact health outcomes in dermatology patients, according to a session at the 2025 American Academy of Dermatology Meeting, held in Orlando. Drivers include a patient’s economic stability, education and healthcare access. However, treating patients with these in mind can cause problems, specifically when it comes to funding due to the recent anti-DEI policies and funding cuts put into place by the federal government.

“We need funding to support these programs, but these programs have been in existence before, and they will continue to be in existence,” Rebecca Vasquez, M.D., FAAD, associate dermatology professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center said in an interview conducted at the 2025 meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology held this weekend in Orlando. “I think that people that do this work are very resilient.”

During her interview, she expressed that while there are some concerns over funding, she emphasized the vital role that grassroots organizations play.

“We will continue to be creative with where we get the funding, and we will continue to work with these communities, because it has real life implications.”

Vasquez is speaking at four AAD 2025 sessions this year. Her first session was yesterday afternoon and was called Bridging the Gap: Addressing Social Determinants of Health to Decrease Health Disparities in Dermatology.