Our event host, Tiffanie Foster, dedicates her life to empowering youth through affirmations of self-love. Her message is simple: “I Am Great” – declaring that no matter what life obstacles may come your way, you are destined for greatness. Tiffanie recently completed a 30-state tour speaking about her vitiligo journey and helping others with vitiligo discover their “Super Power”.
James Mcleod (That Vitiligo Guy) is a force of positivity, dedicated to shaping bodies and minds through self-love and inclusivity. He’ll be sharing his story as a motivational speaker, social influencer, personal trainer, and author.
Richard H. Huggins, MD joined the dermatology staff at Henry Ford Hospital in 2012 and was named division head of the Department of Dermatology in 2018. Dr. Huggins is the author of numerous journal articles and chapters studying treatments and quality of life for people with vitiligo and other skin conditions.
Eric Peacock is the cofounder of MyVitiligoTeam – a fast-growing social network for people facing vitiligo. In just three months after launching, over 2,500 people with vitiligo have joined, and hundreds more are joining every month. Eric, who has had vitiligo since he was a child, is also the cofounder and CEO of MyHealthTeams – a mission-driven company that has already created similar social networks in 36 other chronic conditions serving 2.4 million members.
Iltefat Hamzavi, MD is an active clinic researcher and investigates causes and treatments for vitiligo, hidradenitis suppurativa, photomedicine, and other conditions. He has co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed papers which have been cited over 2,000 times in highly respected journals.
Pearl E. Grimes, MD, FAAD is a globally recognized dermatologic expert and a leading international authority on vitiligo and pigmentation disorders. As Director of the Vitiligo and Pigmentation Institute of Southern California, she treats patients from all over the world who seek her expertise and extraordinary patient care.
Andre Joachim is a proud advocate in the Vitiligo community and has been living with Vitiligo for 26 years. Andre Joachim is a third-year doctoral student at Northern Illinois University (NIU) and graduated with his master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the NIU. He works as a Youth and Family Therapist and is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC) specializing in Trauma and PTSD. He is currently engaged in research that focuses on suicidality in the Vitiligo community.
Brock Elbank, an accomplished photographer living in London, had his first fashion editorial published with The Sunday Times Style Magazine’s Isabella Blow in 1998. In 2013 he embarked upon #Project60 which became Beard a two-year Portrait series to raise awareness for an Australian Skin Cancer Charity at London’s Somerset House attracting £1.5m in media. This shaped Elbank’s work to what it is today documenting a variety of striking and honest Portrait series on Freckles, Vitiligo, CMN, and now his current Portrait series Scars.
Dr. Amit G. Pandya, MD is a vitiligo specialist and researcher currently based in Palo Alto, CA. Dr. Pandya has given hundreds of lectures nationally and internationally and has published over 200 research articles and book chapters, mostly on pigmentary disorders.
Seemal R Desai, MD, FAAD is the Founder and Medical Director of Innovative Dermatology in Dallas, Texas as well as a faculty member at UT Southwestern. He serves on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Dermatology, as Immediate Past President of the Skin of Color Society, and on the US Food & Drug Administration PCAC.
Prof. Yan Valle, a successful business leader by trade, was diagnosed with vitiligo in his early childhood. In 2010, Yan committed full-time to combating vitiligo and improving the quality of life for those affected by this neglected disease. He has since developed a new, interdisciplinary research model and leads bio-IT platform development.
Schedule
Virtual World Vitiligo Day Schedule, June 27, 2020
estimated timing – subject to change
Opening Welcome (1:00 – 1:15 p.m. ET)
Event host Tiffanie Foster and founding Co-Chair of the Global Vitiligo Foundation, Dr. Iltefat Hamzavi.
That Vitiligo Guy (1:15 – 1:45 p.m. ET)
James Mcleod shares his vitiligo story as a motivational speaker, social influencer, personal trainer, and author.
History of World Vitiligo Day (1:45 – 2:00 p.m. ET)
Executive Director of the Vitiligo Research Foundation, Professor Yan Valle, shares how this special day started.
Mental Health and Wellbeing (2:00 – 2:30 p.m. ET)
Licensed professional therapist, Andre Joachim, and globally recognized dermatologic expert, Dr. Pearl Grimes, discuss the importance of emotional wellness during these extraordinary times. Moderated by MyVitiligoTeam cofounder, Eric Peacock.
Vitiligo Portrait Series (2:30 – 3:00 p.m. ET)
Renowned British photographer, Brock Elbank, tells stories of the phenomenal subjects who took part in his 2017 portrait series.
Community Q&A (3:00 – 3:15 p.m. ET)
Hear stories and ask questions of other vitiligo community members. Hosted by Tiffanie Foster.
Advocacy and Policy (3:15 – 3:30 p.m. ET)
Dr. Seemal Desai, a Diplomate of the American Board of Dermatology, provides an advocacy and policy update.
Doctor Panel and Q&A (3:30 – 4:00 p.m. ET)
Medical experts discuss the latest vitiligo research, treatments and answer your questions. Roundtable discussion with Dr. Richard Huggins, Dr. Pearl Grimes, Dr. Iltefat Hamzavi, Dr. Amit Pandya, and Dr. Seemal R Desai.
MyVitiligoTeam (4:00 – 4:30 p.m. ET)
Learn about the power of connecting people with chronic conditions through a dedicated social network. Eric Peacock, CEO of MyHealthTeams, demonstrates the features and benefits of the MyVitiligoTeam online community.
Closing & Thank You (4:30 – 4:45 p.m. ET)
Founder of Minnesota VITFriends, Alicia Roufs, shares a preview of World Vitiligo Day 2021.