The Vitiligo
Innovators Program™

Erika Page is a patient advocate and the Founder and Editor of Living Dappled, a media brand and digital community for women with vitiligo. After getting vitiligo at the age of seven, she lost 100% of her skin’s pigment over 25 years; she founded the platform to help educate, support and inspire the 1% of the population with this condition. Erika has spoken at the U.S. World Vitiligo Day conference and has been featured in PEOPLE, WebMD and Love What Matters.

Melissa Hughley is a wife and mother of three, an entrepreneur turned influencer and vitiligo advocate. With a mission to encourage people living with any skin condition to live an authentic and unapologetic life, Melissa has used her platform to empower her audience to do the same. Melissa believes that visibility will help normalize vitiligo, and in connection with others in the community, can help close those gaps of uncertainty, lack of knowledge, self-esteem issues or fears associated with having a skin condition such as vitiligo. This has fueled her commitment to continue to help people living with not only vitiligo but any visible skin condition.

Dr. Richard Huggins is dedicated to serving the vitiligo community through a variety of different roles. He is a dermatologist in the Vitiligo Research and Treatment Center at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan; medical director of V-Strong, a vitiligo support community in southeast Michigan; and the lead for the vitiligo support group section of the Global Vitiligo Foundation. Vitiligo is Dr. Huggins’ primary clinical focus. He runs a vitiligo clinic, participates in clinical trials and contributes to ongoing research in the field. He has also authored peer-reviewed research articles and textbook chapters on the condition, as well as presented at national and international medical conferences. Dr. Huggins is especially passionate about support organizations for people with vitiligo. He works to foster collaboration among support groups and strengthen connections between individuals with vitiligo and the medical community. He also mentors medical students interested in vitiligo, connecting them with support organizations that can benefit from their involvement.

Dr. Kristin Tissera is a resident physician at Massachusetts General Hospital with aspirations to become a dermatologist. Kristin’s research throughout her undergraduate years and medical school centered on vitiligo, spanning its biological mechanisms, clinical care and psychosocial impact. A recent graduate of Duke University School of Medicine, her work includes studies on vitiligo's association with hearing loss, access to phototherapy and patient identity and quality of life. She was named a Rising Innovator by the Incyte Vitiligo Innovators Program in 2025 and has long volunteered with VITFriends, a vitiligo support community, as a medical advisor and podcast host.

Dr. Heather Woolery-Lloyd is an internationally recognized expert in skin of color. She lectures nationally and internationally on skin of color. Dr. Woolery-Lloyd participates extensively in clinical research, serving as an investigator for clinical trials with an emphasis on increasing inclusion of skin of color patients. She has authored over 70 peer-reviewed papers and has also been featured as an expert dermatologist in various publications including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and Forbes. Dr. Woolery-Lloyd is an active member of the Skin of Color Society and the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) where she was recently honored with the AAD's Presidential Citation for her commitment to education and research in dermatology.