Introducing the Recipients of the 2024 Vitiligo Innovators Program™!

Valarie Molyneaux founded the VITFriends Vitiligo Support Group in 2009 to support people with vitiligo. She expanded the organization from one group in Boston to 15 across the USA by 2024. Valarie has been a key advocate at regional and federal levels, organizing rallies at the Massachusetts State House and the U.S. Capitol. Her dedication and contributions has earned her recognition as one of the 2024 Commonwealth of MA Heroines and the 2024 Martin Luther King Community Builders Award.

Dr. Richard Huggins is a dermatologist specializing in vitiligo at Henry Ford Health Hospital. Among his many contributions, he is the lead for the vitiligo support group section of The Global Vitiligo Foundation and Medical Director for the V-Strong Vitiligo Support Community in Detroit, Michigan. He runs a vitiligo clinic, is involved in clinical trials and other research involving the condition. He has authored peer-reviewed research papers and textbook chapters in addition to having spoken at national and international medical conferences about vitiligo. He is particularly passionate about vitiligo support organizations and works to encourage collaboration among them and facilitate connections between the individuals living with vitiligo and the medical community. He also mentors medical students who are interested in working with vitiligo support groups and connects them with vitiligo support groups and organizations who can use their assistance.

Dr. Maggi Ahmed specializes in dermatology with a focus on vitiligo. She has contributed significantly to vitiligo research and treatment. In medical school, she developed new treatment approaches and explored optimized surgical transplantation procedures for pigmentary skin disorders. She earned her PhD in dermatology from the University of Massachusetts and completed her residency at UMass Chan Medical School. Dr. Ahmed's research on vitiligo treatment earned her the Dr. Richard E. Fitzpatrick Best Overall Clinical Research and Innovation Award at the 2024 American Society of Laser in Medicine and Surgery Annual Conference. She investigates the use of immunosuppressive treatments, grafting surgery, and optimized laser techniques in vitiligo surgery. As a member of the Global Vitiligo Foundation Communications Committee, she aspires to become an academic dermatologic surgeon specializing in pigmentary disorders. Her dedication and research advancements mark her as a leading innovator in the vitiligo medical community.