Dr. Iltefat Husain Hamzavi is the co-director of the Multicultural section of Henry Ford Hospital’s Dermatology department. This is one of the largest units of its kind in the United States and has led to advances in the care of pigmentary and follicular disorders. He is also the lead physician for the Follicular Disorders Clinic in the Department of Dermatology at Henry Ford Health System. They have the first and largest vitiligo surgery center in the United States.
This unit was established after foundation funded studies showed that MKTP (melanocyte keratinocyte transplants procedure) to be a safe and effective option. The unit was also one of the lead sites in developing and implementing new protocols for the first new drug treatment of vitiligo. They are also the coordinating center for the Global Vitiligo Foundation (formerly the Vitiligo Working Group) which brings patients, clinicians, regulators and industry together to collaborate on finding better treatments. Despite these limited resources they have a track record of applying and developing new treatment options for even the most challenging vitiligo cases.
Their photobiology research unit is the underpinning of much of their work. They pioneered the role of visible light and pigmentation. Their full-time physicist and optics lab allows them to produce world class work which is cited in many journals and grant applications. He is moved by the patients that he sees in his clinic that have come to him after delay in diagnosis and disease management, and he is motivated to do further research.