Episode 36: Outshining the sun to squash skin cancer

Residents of the sunniest state – Arizona – are no strangers to ample sunshine. While sun exposure is beneficial to our wellbeing, it’s also a major cause of skin cancer, the most common type of cancer in the U.S. At least 5 million people in our country are treated for skin cancer annually, resulting in more than $8 billion in medical expenses. Physician-scientist Dr. Clara Curiel-Lewandrowski is a professor of medicine and Director of the Multidisciplinary Cutaneous Oncology Program at the UArizona Skin Cancer Institute. Dr. Curiel-Lewandrowski is also the interim chief of the Division of Dermatology, member of both the BIO5 Institute and UArizona Cancer Center, and Program Director for the Dermatology Residency Program. Her research and innovative approaches to solution-based translational science addresses important clinical gaps in skin cancer prevention and early detection.