Fisher Lectureship Award
The Alexander Fisher Lectureship is awarded in honor of Alexander Fisher, MD honoring his contributions to the field of contact dermatitis. The lecturer is selected based on his or her contributions to contact dermatitis, reflection of the spirit of Dr. Fisher's enthusiasm for the subject of contact dermatitis, and for sharing knowledge and experience in evaluating patients.
2027 Fisher Lecturer - Olivier Aerts, MD, PhD
What Allergens (Don't) Tell You
Olivier Aerts, M.D., Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Dermatology at the University of Antwerp and Chair of the Department of Dermatology at Antwerp University Hospital (UZA), Belgium. He obtained his medical degree magna cum laude from KU Leuven and completed his specialist training in dermatology at University Hospitals Leuven, one of Europe’s leading academic medical centers. He subsequently earned his Ph.D. from the University of Antwerp in 2017 and has developed an internationally recognized academic career combining clinical care, research, education, and healthcare leadership.
Dr. Aerts’ clinical and research interests focus on contact dermatitis, cutaneous adverse drug reactions, skin complications related to medical devices, and inflammatory skin diseases. He is a member of the Center of Excellence INFLAMED at the University of Antwerp and of the hospital-associated Allergy Reference Center UZA (ARCUZA), a World Allergy Organization Center of Excellence. He has been actively involved in both investigator-initiated and industry-sponsored clinical trials.
Since 2009, Dr. Aerts has led the Contact Allergy Unit at UZA, helping establish it as an internationally recognized referral center for contact dermatitis and patch testing that regularly hosts fellows and visiting dermatologists from around the world.
Dr. Aerts has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed publications and has delivered numerous invited lectures at national and international meetings. His research has advanced the understanding of contact allergens in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices, particularly diabetes technologies. In recognition of his research on sunscreen allergies, he received the Jean-Marie Naeyaert Prize of the Royal Belgian Society of Dermatology and Venereology in 2017. His work on isobornyl acrylate (IBOA), the key allergen in many diabetes devices, contributed to its selection as the American Contact Dermatitis Society’s 2020 Allergen of the Year. He was also invited to deliver the Prosser White Lecture of the British Association of Dermatologists in both 2020 and 2021.
Dr. Aerts serves on the Contact Dermatitis Task Force of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) and is a member of the International Contact Dermatitis Research Group (ICDRG). He is a former Secretary of the European Environmental and Contact Dermatitis Research Group (EECDRG) and currently serves as a member, chair, or co-chair of several working groups of the European Society of Contact Dermatitis (ESCD), including initiatives on the Pediatric European Baseline Series and updates of the European patch test guidelines. He is also a member of the American Contact Dermatitis Society (ACDS), the Belgian Contact Dermatitis Group (BCEDG), and the French Groupe d'Études et de Recherche en Dermato-Allergologie (GERDA).
In addition to his clinical and research activities, Dr. Aerts is committed to medical education and has supervised numerous dermatology residents, fellows, Ph.D. candidates, and visiting researchers from Europe and beyond.