Optimizing Clinical Decision-Making and Competence in JAK Inhibitor Therapy for Vitiligo

Dr. Swanson is a board-certified dermatologist and pediatric dermatologist. She obtained her medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans. She performed her dermatology residency at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. After that, she completed a fellowship in Pediatric Dermatology at Phoenix Children’s Hospital in Arizona. She was in private practice in Colorado from
2011 thru 2020. She moved to Boise, Idaho in summer 2020 to become the first and only pediatric dermatologist in the state of Idaho.
She is active in local and national medical societies and organizations. She loves lecturing at conferences discussing pediatric dermatology with audiences across the country. Since moving to Idaho, she works in private practice at Ada West Dermatology and she is on staff at St Luke’s Children’s Hospital where she sees hospital consults and performs procedures.

Dr. Erik Domingues, a board-certified Dermatologist, grew up in New Bedford, MA, graduating from New Bedford High School. He then graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Massachusetts – Dartmouth with a degree in Chemistry. He completed medical school at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School and an Internal Medicine Internship at St. Vincent Hospital – Worcester Medical Center. He completed his residency in Dermatology at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School in Worcester. He is also the founder and CEO of Modern Dermatology of Massachusetts in Fall River, MA.

Dr. Domingues is an Assistant Professor in Dermatology at the Department of Dermatology at the UMass Chan Medical School, helping train the next generation of Dermatologists.  He volunteers extensively in the Southcoast community, including serving as chairman of the Southcoast Community Foundation Scholarship Committee.  He has also previously served on the Southcoast Community Foundation’s board of directors. Since 2009, he has volunteered for the American Academy of Dermatology’s Camp Discovery in Pennsylvania, a camp for children with various skin disorders. He is currently one of the activities co-directors for the Camp that runs every August.

His previous research includes working on an educational intervention developed to enhance the ability and willingness of medical students to examine the skin for melanoma.

He specializes in surgical, cosmetic, and medical Dermatology with a special interest in complex medical dermatology including psoriasis, alopecia areata, eczema, hidradenitis suppurativa and vitiligo. He lectures regionally and nationally on these topics and enjoys seeing difficult to treat cases referred by other practices.

Dr. Iltefat Hamzavi is a dermatologist who works at Henry Ford Hospital and Hamzavi/Dermatology Specialists. His work has a focus on vitiligo, photomedicine, and hidradenitis suppurativa. Within vitiligo his work has focused on improving phototherapy options for vitiligo patients. His group has also led North American efforts in developing surgical treatments for vitiligo. He has participated in developing the VASI score and updated scores as a way to measure treatment response for vitiligo patients. He is also one of the founders and Co-chair of the Global Vitiligo Foundation. This is a group which aims to improve the lives of vitiligo patients by supporting initiatives like the World Vitiligo Day and vitiligo research updates. He is a passionate metro Detroiter, husband, and father of 3.

Dr. Lal, originally from Queens, New York, completed a seven-year accelerated medical program at the New York Institute of Technology, graduating summa cum laude with a Master of Science in neuroscience. He was elected to the Sigma Sigma Phi and Psi Sigma Alpha honor societies.

He completed his internship at the University of Connecticut, where he was named Intern of the Year, followed by a dermatology residency and chief residency at the University of Massachusetts. He then pursued a pediatric dermatology fellowship there, developing expertise in vascular anomalies, pediatric laser, and dermatologic surgery.

Dr. Lal is the only board-certified pediatric and fellowship-trained cosmetic dermatologist in the U.S. His specialties include pediatric and adult dermatology, laser and cosmetic surgery, body sculpting, and pigmentary disorders such as vitiligo, melasma, and psoriasis.

Frequently featured in media outlets such as ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, and NBC News, he also serves on the DEI work group for the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery, with a focus on inclusive, patient-centered care.

Seemal R Desai, MD FAAD is a Diplomate of the American Board of Dermatology, and a Board Certified Dermatologist. He graduated with honors from Emory University. He received his medical training at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, and received his Doctor of Medicine degree with Magna Cum Laude with honors. Following medical school, Dr. Desai completed his medical internship in Internal Medicine. He then went on to complete his residency at The University of Alabama at Birmingham and served as Chief Resident for the Department of Dermatology.

Dr. Desai has been active on a local, state, and national level with numerous medical organizations, and is also actively involved in teaching and mentoring medical students and residents. He is the Founder & Medical Director of Innovative Dermatology, a state-of-the-art private practice in the Dallas area, and also serves as Clinical Associate Professor of Dermatology at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Dr. Desai is the author of numerous publications and has been invited to present at countless national and international Dermatology events. His clinical expertise includes the treatment of vitiligo, and other disorders of pigmentation, psoriasis, acne, skin disease in skin of color, cosmeceuticals, and new drug therapies.

Dr. Desai is very active in the dermatologic community and is the Past President of the Skin of Color Society, and Past President of the Texas Dermatological Society. In addition, he is a Past President of the Dallas/Ft. Worth Dermatological Society. He also served on the Board of Directors of the International Society of Dermatology, the Board of Directors of the Women’s Dermatologic Society, the Board of Directors of the Global Vitiligo Foundation, and has been on the Board of SkinPAC and the Skin of Color Society. In 2017, Dr. Desai was elected to the American Academy of Dermatology Board of Directors, and also served on the AAD Executive Committee.

Dr. Desai is the President of the American Academy of Dermatology, and is the youngest dermatologist to ever be elected AAD President. He began his term as AAD President-Elect in 2023, and as AAD President in 2024. In 2017, and again in 2021, Dr. Desai was appointed to serve on the US Food & Drug Administration, Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee (PCAC), and is the only dermatologist on this federal hearing committee. He was reappointed to another full 4 year term in 2021. He also serves as the Associate Editor of the Journal of Clinical & Aesthetic Dermatology and Pigment International. He has given over 150+ lectures nationally and internationally, and is passionate about advocacy and advancement of our specialty. He is married and has one daughter and one son.

Nada Elbuluk, MD MSc specializes in pigmentary disorders and skin, hair and nail conditions affecting individuals of color, along with general medical and cosmetic dermatology. She is the founder and director of the USC Skin of Color and Pigmentary Disorders Program at Keck Medicine of USC. She also established the USC Skin of Color and Pigmentary Disorders Research Fellowship and the Dermatology Diversity and Inclusion Program at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

Dr. Elbuluk received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Princeton University. She received her medical degree and master’s degree in clinical research at the University of Michigan. She completed her dermatology residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Afterwards, she was a fellow and clinical instructor in the Dermatology Department at the University of Pennsylvania and then spent four years as an assistant professor at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine, where she was the founder and director of the pigmentary disorder clinic and served as the diversity ambassador for the department.

Dr. Elbuluk’s clinical and research interests include such pigmentary disorders as vitiligo and melasma, as well as conditions that cause lightening or darkening of the skin. Among the procedures she performs are chemical peels, microneedling, lasers and botulinum toxin injections for all skin types. 

In addition, Dr. Elbuluk is devoted to ensuring health equity for all patients and improving health disparities. A passionate teacher, she created a Skin of Color educational curriculum for Keck Medicine dermatology residents and serves as the director of curriculum equity for the Keck School.  

Dr. Elbuluk serves on the board of directors of the Global Vitiligo Foundation and the Women’s Dermatologic Society. She also holds various leadership roles and memberships in the Skin of Color Society, the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery and the American Academy of Dermatology. Additionally, she is a sought-after media expert and has been widely interviewed by local, national and international news platforms, including print, radio and TV, on a range of topics related to dermatology, as well as health equity. 

Outside of her clinical practice, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, along with traveling, playing tennis and trying new foods.

Dr. Harris is Chair of Dermatology, Director of the Autoimmune Therapeutics Institute, and Director of the Vitiligo Clinic and Research Center at UMass Chan Medical School. He is a dermatologist and physician-scientist, caring for patients in a vitiligo specialty clinic and running a research laboratory focused on understanding disease pathogenesis and developing new treatments. His group integrates basic, translational, and clinical research strategies to accomplish this. As a result, clinical trials in vitiligo have shown success. Dr. Harris founded Villaris Therapeutics (acquired by Incyte in 2022) and 4 other companies to develop treatments for inflammatory skin diseases.

Dr. Song is the director of clinical research at Frontier Dermatology Partners. He is also a clinical instructor at the University of Washington and Silver Falls Dermatology. He specializes in inflammatory skin diseases, including psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and hidradenitis suppurativa. Dr. Song is a regular contributor to the dermatology literature and speaks across the country as a key opinion leader.