The 10th anniversary of Kimberly and Eric J. Waldman endowing the Waldman Chair of Dermatology in the Kimberly and Eric J. Waldman Department of Dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is being celebrated in 2025. Marking this milestone, new research studies are being conducted by the team at the Kimberly and Eric J. Waldman Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center at Mount Sinai, led by its Director, Jesse M. Lewin, MD, FACMS.
Jesse M. Lewin, MD, left, specializes in melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancers, facial reconstructive surgery, and patient satisfaction.
In 2024, specialists at the Center treated more than 30,000 cases of skin cancer, up significantly from 2023. Concerned by that trend, Jonathan Ungar, MD, Medical Director of the Center, is taking unique steps to help protect people from skin cancer.
Dr. Ungar is leading several studies to identify ways to encourage people to adopt more protective behaviors. In one study, he showed participants images of their skin taken using a UV bandpass filter-equipped camera, which revealed damage that is otherwise not readily apparent. In another, Dr. Ungar collaborated with Dr. Lewin, who is also Chief of Mohs Surgery, to share images of surgical wounds in patients who had undergone Mohs surgery to patients being screened for skin cancer.
“It may seem gruesome to show people images of patients who have had part of their face removed as part of their treatment,” says Dr. Ungar, who is also Assistant Professor of Dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “But studies like this are important in that they help us determine whether there are better ways to motivate patients to take measures that they know could protect themselves, such as applying sunscreen, but are not always top of mind.”
Such measures may seem unconventional in treating skin cancer, which affects several million people nationwide. But they are in line with the Center’s legacy of innovation in skin cancer research and treatment. This commitment to pushing the boundaries has manifested in many ways over the years, from early adoption of technology that can produce 360-degree full-body patient imaging in minutes to offering patients non-surgical treatment options such as chemotherapy creams. It has also led to groundbreaking research in immunotherapies and molecular drivers that are benefitting patients treated at the Center and beyond.
Jonathan Ungar, MD, uses total body photography with the Vectra® WB180
system to closely monitor and detect melanoma and skin cancer.
“We have a tripartite mission of research, clinical care, and teaching,” Dr. Ungar says. “Those elements are not unique, but we are doing all of those in unison in ways that I believe are uncommon. When you add the robust volume of patients who are being screened and treated by our team of physician-scientists, that is producing insights that enable us to meet our goal of better care and better outcomes.”
Dr. Lewin is one of several physician-educators who support the Center’s efforts to detect and cure skin cancer. He also trains the next generation of Mohs micrographic surgeons as the Program Director of the highly competitive Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology Fellowship. Dr. Lewin received approximately 100 applicants from dermatology residency programs throughout the United States for one fellowship spot and consistently matches his top choice. On the research front, Dr. Lewin is conducting a clinical study to assess the potential of timolol, a topical beta-blocker commonly used to treat eye pressure, as a facilitator of wound healing among patients who present with skin cancer involving the legs.
“Patients with skin cancers on the legs represent a challenge, as healing in this area can be very slow,” says Dr. Lewin, who is also Associate Professor of Dermatology, and System Chief of the Division of Dermatologic and Cosmetic Surgery. 
“There is some evidence to suggest that timolol may accelerate healing,” he says. “Our goal is to gather good data on the degree to which this helps, so we can adapt it for our patients in need.”
Dr. Lewin is also examining the incidence of nonmelanoma skin cancers, in particular, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. In one study, he queried International Classification of Disease diagnoses codes for nonmelanoma skin cancers in the Epic database to assess prevalence. These cancers are not tracked by the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) database, which means incidence rates are not thoroughly monitored. In another study, Dr. Lewin is looking at the incidence of basal cell carcinoma in younger patients.
“Anecdotally, I have noticed an increase in the number of new basal cell carcinomas among this younger demographic,” Dr. Lewin says. “We want to better understand prevalence and quantify risk factors, such as geography, outdoor exposure, and sunscreen habits to see what might be driving this trend.” Dr. Lewin runs a high-volume and high-quality surgical practice, treating more than 2,000 skin cancers per year (with more than 1,500 Mohs procedures per year) and is sought after by patients throughout the United States, as well as internationally.
Patrick Brunner, MD, has a different focus in his research related to skin cancer. He is developing genetic profiles of cutaneous lymphomas, a diverse and complex group of rare cancers. The goal is to identify molecular biomarkers of disease that are characteristic for certain subsets of patients, which will support improved diagnosis and prognosis. His work is also supporting the identification of new treatment targets for immunotherapies. In some subtypes, he has identified specific expression of treatment targets such as CCR4 and KIR3DL2, which might pave the way for future personalized treatment approaches.
Patrick Brunner, MD, (left) and his lab team focus on research in developing genetic profiles
of cutaneous lymphomas, a diverse and complex group of rare cancers.
“The next step will be to see whether targeted treatments work among the subsets of patients where we see these markers expressed and not among other subsets,” says Dr. Brunner, Associate Professor of Dermatology and Director of the Cutaneous Lymphoma Clinic. “That will give us more confidence that the treatments we administer among patient subsets will be effective, and the ability to reduce the number of patients who receive ineffective treatments.”
That confidence in recommending treatment is also driving Dr. Ungar’s increased use of non-invasive diagnostic technologies such as reflectance confocal microscopy and tape stripping to better assess the efficacy of non-surgical approaches, such as photodynamic therapy.
“The ability to scan the treatment area and see if there are still islands of tumor cells present enhances our ability to make decisions about what the next steps in treatment will be,” he says. “It gives us more comfort in trying different approaches for these patients, but equally important, it allows us to give patients more confidence about the treatment decisions they make.”
Having made notable advances in the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma and skin cancer over the past 10 years, Dr. Lewin and the team at the Center are looking for more opportunities to build on their success. There is considerable interest in exploring the potential of artificial intelligence and machine learning to gain more insights. Dr. Lewin believes AI holds the promise to enhance identification of individuals at high risk for developing skin cancer, or those who have a higher risk for more aggressive forms of the disease.
“It is not just our patients who will benefit from these new technologies as we adopt them, but also patients everywhere,” he says. “That opportunity to gain more knowledge on everything from disease pathology to preventative behaviors, and use it in ways that are transformative, is what continues to motivate us in the work we do.”