America's leading doctors: from treating heart disease to fighting cancer, These physicians are changing world of medicine.

Grimes provides cutting-edge and alternative therapies to patients affected by vitiligo and other skin diseases. She is director of the Vitiligo and Pigmentation Institute of Southern California and professor of dermatology at University of California, Los Angeles. She is internationally recognized for her research on pigmentary disorders.

Monte O. Harris, M.D.

Title: Co-Founder and Director of Plastic Surgery, Cultura Cosmetic Medical Spa

Specialty: Facial Plastic Surgery

Harris is a facial plastic surgeon with a culturally sensitive approach to rhinoplasty and a pioneer in cosmetic facial rejuvenation for individuals of darker skin tones. He currently spearheads research to define the process of facial aging across ethnic groups.

Yvonne Knight, M.D.

Title: Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Dermatology, VCU Medical Center; Founder, The Aesthetic Clinique and the MediSpa Clinique, VCU Medical Center

Specialty: Dermatology

Knight's Richmond, Virginia, practice fuses dermatology, laser surgery, plastic surgery, and spa therapy. Also a broadcast medical journalist, she specializes in cosmetic facial enhancement, high frequency wavelength treatments, and advanced dermatologic surgeries.

Amy J. McMichael, M.D.

Title: Associate Professor of Dermatology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine

Specialty: Dermatology

This Winston-Salem, North Carolina, physician is a leading expert in the latest treatments for facial blemishes, pigmentation issues and discoloration, and hair loss. She has conducted numerous studies on dermatological issues such as facial pigmentary disorders, alopecia, melasma and their effects on patients of color.

Susan Taylor, M.D.

Title: Director, Skin of Color Center, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center; Dermatologist, Society Hill Dermatology

Specialty: Dermatology

With more than 20 years experience, this New York-based physician is an internationally recognized expert in dermatology. She is beard certified in both internal medicine and dermatology. She is also CEO of the skin care line Rx for Brown Skin.

ENDOCRINOLOGY

Robert L. Collins, M.D.

Title: Medical Director, The Reproductive Center

Specialty: Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility

A nationally recognized expert in infertility and in vitro fertilization, the Youngstown, Ohio, doctor has written and lectured extensively on the subject of infertility. He serves as professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Northeast Ohio University College of Medicine.

FAMILY MEDICINE

Natalie E. Joseph, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Title: Attending Surgeon, Fox Chase Cancer Center

Specialty: Surgical Ontology

Based in Philadelphia, Joseph's primary clinical interests include breast and gastrointestinal cancers, particularly colorectal cancer. She is co-author of several papers focusing on colorectal cancer and immunology of the gastrointestinal tract.

Valiere Alcena, M.D., F.A.C.P., F.A.A.C.

Title: Internist, White Plains Hospital Center; Clinical Professor of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Adjunct Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College

Specialty: Internal Medicine, Hematology, and Medical Ontology

A distinguished physician, clinical professor, author, and broadcast medical journalist, Alcena was the first physician to hypothesize that the lack of male circumcision in Africa and other countries was partly responsible for spreading the AIDS virus.

INTERNAL MEDICINE

Alfred R. Ashford, M.D.

Title: Interim Senior Associate Dean, Columbia University Medical Center at Harlem Hospital Center

Specialty: Medical Ontology

Co-founder of the Upper Manhattan Physicians Against Cancer Project, Ashford is committed to physician education, community outreach, and cancer control in inner cities. He was chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society's Eastern Division from 2004 to 2006. In 2005, he received the American Cancer Society's Saint George National Award.

Carolyn Barley Britton, M.D., M.S.

Title: Associate Professor of Clinical Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center

Specialty: Neurology

World-renowned, Britton is called upon for her extensive expertise in neurological complications of viral/bacterial infections such as HIM and herpes. Her research focus centers on various areas of infectious diseases including Neuro-AIDS and Lyme Disease, and she is the current president-elect of the National Medical Association.

Arleen Brown, M.D., Ph.D.

Title: Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Specialty: Internal Medicine

This internist researches racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in health status. Her EXPORT pilot project gauged the impact of neighborhood negatives such as toxic environments and limited access to healthcare.

Giselle Corbie-Smith, M.D., M.Sc.

Title: Associate Professor of Social Medicine and Medicine. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Specialty: Epidemiology

Corbie-Smith's work focuses on the impact of trust and distrust among physicians and patients. She also evaluates methodological and ethical issues when research projects include minority subjects. She maintains a clinical practice at a local community health center.

Samuel J. Daniel, M.D., F.A.C.P., F.A.C.G.

Title: President and CEO, North General Hospital

Specialty: Gastroenterology

Daniel has been principal investigator in several clinical trials studying chronic hepatitis C A fellow in the American College of Physicians, he has co-authored Hepatitis C: The Black Person's Guide. He still maintains an active gastroenterology practice in Harlem.

James A. Diggs, M.D., F.A.C.C.

Title: Assistant Chief, Division of Cardiology and Associate Professor d Medicine and Program Director of Cardiology, Howard University Hospital

Specialty: Cardiology

Diggs practices cardiology and internal medicine in Washington, D.C., at Howard University Hospital. He is an expert in interventional cardiology for the diagnosis and treatment of heart diseases. With more than 30 years experience, Diggs strives to provide the best medical care with compassion and without compromise.

Winston H. Gandy Jr., M.D.

Title: Director, The Atlanta Cardiology Group (ACG) at Saint Joseph's Hospital; Director, Cardiac Lab at both Saint Joseph's Hospital and ACG

Specialty: Cardiology

Gandy is widely recognized for his expertise in echocardiography, a procedure that takes "moving pictures" of the heart with sound waves. He was instrumental in getting the city of Atlanta to place defibrillators in Hartsfield International Airport. Additionally, he was one of the founding board members of the American Cardiovascular Research Institute.

Levi Garraway, M.D., Ph.D.

Title: Physician-Scientist, Center for Cancer Genome Discovery, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Specialty: Medical Ontology (Melanoma and Prostate Cancer)

Garraway's research involves using genomics technologies to identify mutations in cancer cell DNA, and to understand how those mutations might make cancer cells vulnerable to new targeted therapies.

James R. Gavin III M.D., Ph.D.

Title: Clinical Professor of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine and Indiana University School of Medicine

Specialty: Endocrinology

A leading U.S. diabetes researcher, Gavin has made outstanding contributions to the elimination of diabetes in minority communities. His investigations into insulin helped to reveal that this hormone interacts with blood cells. He is a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation trustee emeritus and a past president of the American Diabetes Association.

F. Kennedy Gordon, M.D.

Title: Owner, Gordon Elite Sports Medicine RC.

Specialty: Primary Care Sports Medicine

With a vast career in sports medicine, including work with the New York Giants football team, Gordon's Union, New Jersey-based practice caters to both pro athletes and individuals who suffer with pain and want to improve their life with exercise. He served as a staff physician at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, New York, in 2000.

L. Julian Haywood, M.D.

Title: Professor of Medicine, Director, Electrocardiography Department LA. County, USC Medical Center

Specialty:. Cardiology

A veteran in cardiovascular medicine, Haywood is a senior attending physician at the Los Angeles County, University of Southern California Medical Center. One of the first black full professors in cardiology at a major medical school, he co-developed (with Hewlett-Packard) digital monitoring systems for arrhythmia detection.

Kenneth A. Jamerson, M.D.

Title: Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School; Medical Director, Program for Multicultural Health, University of Michigan Health System

Specialty: Hypertension

Jamerson has been principal investigator of some of the most noteworthy analyses of hypertension. With the help of clinical research to explore racial disparities in the treatment of elevated blood pressure levels, he and his colleagues are gaining insight into why African Americans make up such a disproportionate share of patients.

Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A.

Title: President and CEO, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Specialty: Geriatrics