Sancy A. Leachman MD, PhD

Sancy Leachman, M.D., Ph.D., is a physician-scientist who chairs the Department of Dermatology at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) and is the director of the Melanoma Research Program at the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The inaugural recipient of the John D. Gray Endowed Chair in Melanoma Research and Chair of the Southwest Oncology Group Melanoma Prevention Working Group, she is a dermatologist using basic science research and state-of-the-art technology to combat skin cancer.

Her clinical interests include skin cancers, especially melanoma, pigmentary disorders that result from abnormalities of melanocytes such as vitiligo, and genetic disorders that involve the skin such as pachyonychia congenita, Cowden syndrome, and other cutaneous cancer syndromes. In addition to seeing patients with pigmentary disorders, she sees general dermatology patients at the Center for Health & Healing, the Lake Oswego dermatology clinic and in our multidisciplinary melanoma clinic.

Dr. Leachman’s research interest (Leachman-Cassidy Lab) is in the prevention, early detection and chemoprevention of melanoma, particularly in genetically predisposed melanoma families. One arm of her research program examines the role of genetic predisposition and differential gene expression in the development of melanoma, with an emphasis on familial melanoma and other cutaneous cancer syndromes. Through collaborations with Dr. Cassidy, she seeks to develop agents that will serve as diagnostic tools, prognostic indicators or targeted agents for the prevention of melanoma.

Leachman also worked on a DNA vaccination study to prevent and treat papillomavirus-induced squamous cell carcinoma at Yale University School of Medicine where she completed her residency training and research fellowship. Leachman was awarded the prestigious Doris Duke Clinical Scientist Development Award in 2000 and is currently an NIH R01- and Department of Defense-funded principal investigator.