SAN DIEGO — — The American Academy of Pediatrics hosts its annual National Conference & Exhibition in San Diego for the first time in over a decade, offering the latest information in medical research, education and advocacy for children’s health Oct. 2 – 6, 2026.
Keynote speaker Mikhail “Doctor Mike” Varshavski, D.O. , who creates viral health content for an audience of over 30 million people, joins AAP President Andrew Racine, MD, PhD, FAAP for the conference's opening session on Saturday, Oct. 3. More than 10,700 people are registered to attend.
"Today, more than ever, it’s important to provide clear, accurate health information in our roles as pediatricians, family partners and patient advocates,” said Elizabeth Murray, DO, FAAP, who chairs the AAP national conference steering committee. “We look forward to learning and sharing our best guidance for caring for families and for each other.”
The conference offers cutting-edge research on wide-ranging pediatric topics. Sessions include educational programs, a virtual poster hall and a comprehensive library of on-demand sessions.
Pediatrician influencers - including Tommy Martin, MD, FAAP; Ari Brown, MD, FAAP; and Leah Rappaport MD, FAAP - will hold a panel discussion on communicating about health across different social media platforms. They will be available to answer questions from the audience and media, and provide guidance for physicians who want to communicate more effectively with families. Paul Tran, MD, FAAP will serve as moderator for audience-driven discussion and Q&A.
Events of local interest:
AAP Community Cares
Pediatricians will participate in a beach clean-up by joining the organization, “I Love a Clean San Diego,” which has been working to keep San Diego clean since 1954. The volunteers will head to Fiesta Island, where they will learn how to safely pick up trash from the beach while enjoying the warm seaside. The event features Trash Bingo, and collected trash will be weighed at the end. Journalists who plan to attend will need to apply for press credentials in advance of the conference.
Time: 9:30 AM
Date: Friday, Oct. 3, 2026
Place: Shuttles will be provided to the island for the outdoor event. For more information about I Love a Clean San Diego, visit https://www.cleansd.org/ .
AAP Friends of Children Fund 5K Fun Run & Walk
Along the historic boardwalk bordered by the beautiful San Diego Bay, pediatricians will participate in an annual 5K Fun Run & Walk. The run begins at Marina Terrace at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, with warm-up at 6:45 a.m. PDT.
Time: 7 a.m.– 9 a.m. PDT
Date: Monday, Oct. 5
Place: Embarcadero Boardwalk
To attend on-site events or access livestreamed sessions:
Journalists interested in attending the conference in person or virtually should review the AAP Media Guidelines and seek credentials i n advance of the conference . Contacts are Lisa Robinson at lrobinson@aap.org or Alex Hulvalchick at ahulvalchick@aap.org . Embargoed news releases will be available in EurekAlert! and upon request. Abstracts to be presented at the conference will be available on the conference website at 6 a.m. PDT on Friday, Oct. 2.
Conference information is here: AAP Experience: National Conference & Exhibition – October 2-6, 2026
The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. For more information, visit www.aap.org . Reporters can access the meeting program and other relevant meeting information through the AAP meeting website at http://www.aapexperience.org/
##