Crystal U. Aguh, MD, FAAD, is the 2025 recipient of the Dermatology Foundation-Skin of Color Society Collaborative Mid-Career Award sponsored by Sanofi and Regeneron.
This award will support Dr. Aguh’s seminal research into Probing Transcriptomic Impact of Metabolic Interventions in Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia (CCCA).
Dr. Aguh is an Associate Professor of Dermatology and Director of the Ethnic Skin Program at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD. Her research focuses primarily on skin conditions that disproportionately impact minority populations, with particular emphasis on cicatricial alopecia.
Will Support Groundbreaking Work
“I am so grateful to the Skin of Color Society and the Dermatology Foundation for this award,” says Dr. Aguh, in a news release. “This award will support groundbreaking work to help so many patients suffering from CCCA, a disease which is both emotionally and physically scarring.”
This award was presented to Dr. Aguh at the 21st Annual Skin of Color Society Scientific Symposium and the 61st Annual Meeting of the Dermatology Foundation. Both meetings occurred in conjunction with the recent Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology in Orlando, Florida in early March 2025.
Sponsored by Sanofi and Regeneron, the award was developed especially for the exceptional mid-career investigator with an established trajectory of excellence in basic, clinical, or translational science. It aims to expand the understanding of dermatological issues impacting underrepresented or underserved groups in medicine.
Applications for the 2026 Mid-Career Award cycle will open in mid-September 2025. For more information, visit here.
The DF and SOCS Collaborative selected Dr. Aguh as this year’s awardee according to a comprehensive evaluation process based on the National Institutes of Health procedure for research grants.
“We were impressed by the quality and quantity of the applications for the award this year, indicating the value of the ongoing Dermatology Foundation and Skin of Color Society collaboration. Dr. Aguh’s application rose to the top, as the joint committee was convinced her work would lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms of CCCA, opening the door to better treatments,” says Janet A. Fairley, MD, FAAD, DF President.
“We are truly honored to collaborate with the Dermatology Foundation to support outstanding investigators who are committed to studying dermatological diseases that disproportionately impact patients of color. Dr. Aguh has already made significant contributions to the field of alopecia, particularly scarring alopecias such as CCCA. We congratulate Dr. Crystal Aguh on receiving this award and look forward to the outcomes of her research, which will undoubtedly advance our knowledge of CCCA and future treatment options,” adds Nada Elbuluk, MD, MSc, FAAD, SOCS President (2025-2026).
