Portland, Oregon - March 15, 2021
In recognition of the medical professionals who work tirelessly to improve health outcomes and promote education relating to the care and treatment of psoriatic disease, the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) is proud to announce the winners of the annual Medical Professional Awards. Honored for their work in 2020, award recipients represent the wide range of professionals who contribute to the advancement of the care, treatment, clinical research and medical education needed to effectively manage and optimally treat psoriatic disease.
Award recipients were nominated by patients, colleagues and NPF team members and were selected by a committee of NPF Medical Board members. These individuals join NPF in the mission to drive efforts to cure psoriatic disease and improve the lives of all those affected.
“I am thrilled to recognize the outstanding contributions of our award recipients on behalf of our community and the NPF,” said Stacie Bell, Ph.D., Chief Scientific and Medical Officer of the National Psoriasis Foundation. “These individuals are truly making a difference for those living with psoriatic disease.”
Award winners include:
Outstanding Educator in Psoriatic Disease:
Jason E. Hawkes, MD, MS
Associate Professor of Dermatology, University of California Davis
This award honors highly meritorious efforts by health professionals in the field of psoriatic disease education.
Dr. Jason Hawkes is a board-certified dermatologist and Associate Professor of Dermatology at the University of California, Davis. He received his Medical Degree from the University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City. During medical school, he participated in a one-year research fellowship year at the National Institutes of Health as part of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Scholars Program. After graduating from medical school, he completed an internship in internal medicine at the University of Washington/Boise VA Medical Center. He returned to the University of Utah School of Medicine for his dermatology residency training and graduated from the Program’s 2+2 Translational Research Track. He then enrolled in a Master’s Degree in Clinical Investigation program at the Rockefeller University in New York City, where he was also the Chief Clinical Scholar and member of the Laboratory for Investigative Dermatology under Dr. James G. Krueger. Dr. Hawkes was also a Clinical Instructor in the Department of Dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Dr. Hawkes has served as the Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator for multiple pharmaceutical-sponsored and investigator-initiated clinical trial protocols. He is the author of more than 40 peer-reviewed publications and five book chapters. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology and is a member of multiple national and international organizations, including NPF, Dermatology Foundation and Society of Investigative Dermatology. He is currently serving on NPF’s Medical Board and is the recipient of multiple teaching awards. Dr. Hawkes is currently actively engaged in the development of the NPF’s Medical School Curriculum Project which will provide and multi-media educational resource introducing the pathophysiology of psoriasis to first- and second-year medical students. Dr. Hawkes also co-chairs the NPF’s Residents Meeting.
Outstanding Physician-Clinician – Dermatology:
Clive Liu, MD, PLLC, FABD
Director of the Psoriasis Treatment Center, Bellevue Dermatology, Bellevue, WA
This award recognizes a physician for outstanding achievements in improving psoriatic disease clinical practice, who has played a major or lasting role with national impact in improving the quality of life of patients and their families. The winner of this award is actively involved in the clinical care of patients with psoriatic disease and has an outstanding track record of sharing their expertise with other health care professionals as documented by presentations and/or authorship of books, articles and reference materials.
Dr. Clive Liu is a board-certified dermatologist, currently practicing in Bellevue Washington. He has extensive experience in psoriasis treatments, including phototherapy, systemic therapy and clinical research. He graduated from the New York University School of Medicine and completed a fellowship in psoriasis at the University of California, San Francisco. He performed his dermatology residency at the University of Utah and upon its completion, joined the faculty.
Dr. Liu moved Pacific Northwest in 2004 and is now the Director of the Psoriasis Treatment Center at Bellevue Dermatology. He is also currently on the adjunct faculty at the University of Washington. Dr. Liu served as faculty for the NPF’s Residents Meeting in 2020.
Outstanding Physician-Clinician – Rheumatology:
Vinicius Domingues, MD
Allergy, Asthma & Arthritis Center, Daytona Beach, FL
This award recognizes a physician for outstanding achievements in improving psoriatic disease clinical practice and who has played a major or lasting role with national impact in improving the quality of life of patients and their families. The winner of this award is actively involved in the clinical care of patients with psoriatic disease.
Originally from Brazil, Dr. Vinicius Domingues graduated summa cum laude from Estacio de S'a University before moving to the United States to start his Internal Medicine residency at Weil Cornell Medical Center. He then finished his fellowship at New York University. Currently, Dr. Domingues is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Florida State University and runs a very busy private practice in Daytona Beach.
Dr. Domingues’ biggest interest is in Systemic Lupus erythemathosus and inflammatory arthritis particularly psoriatic disease. He has been involved in several clinical trials and is guest reviewer of many medical journals.
Outstanding Advanced Health Care Provider:
Ashley Dominique, MS, PA-C
California Skin Institute, Encinitas, CA
This award recognizes an advanced provider for outstanding achievements in improving psoriatic disease clinical practice and who has played a major or lasting role with national impact in improving the quality of life of patients and their families.
Ashley Dominique, MS, PA-C, is a nationally board-certified Physician Assistant who received her training at Rush University in Chicago, Illinois. Ms. Dominique practices medical, cosmetic and surgical dermatology and sees both pediatric and adult patients.
Ms. Dominique takes pride in her work and strives to provide the highest quality of care for her patients. She is a member of the Society of Dermatology Physician Assistants (SDPA) and American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA). In addition, Ms. Dominique also practices virtual urgent care on a part-time basis to give more variety to her medical practice. She joined the California Skin Institute team after relocating to San Diego in April from the San Francisco Bay Area where she was previously practicing dermatology for several years. In her off time, she enjoys swimming and running with her Australian Shepherd dog.
NPF Health Professional Volunteer of the Year:
G. Michael Lewitt, MD
Illinois Dermatology Institute, Chicago, IL
This award recognizes a health care professional who has promoted NPF’s mission of improving the life for people with psoriatic disease through exceptional contributions to key initiatives of NPF. The winner has been actively involved in the NPF at the affiliate, local or national level within the last five years and has a history of contributions to NPF goals and objectives.
Dr. G. Michael Lewitt is a board-certified dermatologist who graduated summa cum laude from a six-year program at the University of Missouri, Kansas City School of Medicine, obtaining both his bachelor’s degree and medical doctorate by the age of 24. He completed his residency at St. Louis University, and he served as Chief Resident his final year in training. Dr. Lewitt specializes in complex psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis and the use of biologic treatments. He currently practices in Chicago, Illinois, where he is a partner with the Illinois Dermatology Institute. Dr. Lewitt also leads and performs medical dermatology clinical trials with DeNova Research.
Dr. Lewitt serves as Honorary Medical Chair at the Team NPF Walk events in Chicago. In his free time, Dr. Lewitt enjoys ice hockey, playing blues guitar and spending time with his two rescue dogs, Bones and Monroe.
To learn more about these awards, visit: psoriasis .org/medical-professional-award-program/.
About the National Psoriasis Foundation
Serving its community through more than 50 years of patient support, advocacy, research, education and funding, the National Psoriasis Foundation, NPF, is the world’s leading nonprofit fighting for individuals with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. The NPF mission is to drive efforts to cure psoriatic disease and dramatically improve the lives of more than 8 million individuals in the United States affected by this chronic immune-mediated disease. As part of that effort, NPF created its Patient Navigation Center to offer personalized assistance to everyone with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis. To date, NPF has funded more than $24 million in research grants and fellowships that help drive discoveries that may lead to more and better treatments and ultimately a cure. Learn more at psoriasis.org