Vitiligo, a skin discoloration condition that impacts quality of life due to both stigma around appearance and, commonly, autoimmune comorbidities, can be very difficult to treat. Everyone’s case presents uniquely, and for some patients, medication or ultraviolet light therapy are effective; for others, surgery (grafting) may be the only viable option. Currently, very few locations around the country offer vitiligo grafting, including one here in Austin at the practice I lead.

One of my goals is to make a wider spectrum of treatments available to people with vitiligo, whether that be clinical trials for new medical therapies or the grafting options that we offer. I am proud and humbled that we have been able to treat individuals with vitiligo from all across Texas and other states with grafting, an option they otherwise may not have access to.

I have also been working with biotech startups and device companies to develop new technologies that reduce the “friction” for dermatologists to offer vitiligo grafting services, with the goal of further expanding access to these therapies.

I have served as an investigator and also currently serve as an advisor to a device company developing a kit that can make grafting for vitiligo much more accessible and user-friendly to dermatologists, and resultantly, to the patients they serve.