Ian W. Tattersall, MD, PhD

My parents are biomedical researchers, and from an early age they instilled in me a love and appreciation for science. I was attracted to medicine, and to oncology in particular, as a way to apply scientific knowledge to directly help other people.

I practice a subspecialty of dermatology known as oncodermatology. This is a relatively new field that focuses on the care of people who experience dermatologic complications as a result of cancer or cancer treatment. As the oncodermatologist at NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, I treat people who may develop adverse changes to their skin, nails, or hair during the course of their surgery, radiation, or medical therapy.

Different kinds of cancer therapy can cause a wide variety of different skin conditions, from dry skin to acne to more severe rashes. I work closely with patients’ oncologists to prevent, diagnose, and treat these conditions. The goal is to make sure that patients receive the maximum possible benefit from their treatment, and that the skin-related side effects of treatment affect their life as little as possible.

New cancer therapies are being developed all the time, and those new therapies cause new types of skin complications that need to be described, diagnosed, and treated. Though my primary focus is on caring directly for patients, I also use that experience to pursue clinical research that advances our understanding of these skin-related adverse effects. In that way, not only can I help my patients, but I can also help other providers around the world to better recognize and treat the oncodermatologic conditions of their patients.