Dr. Anne Lynn S. Chang directs the Advanced Basal Cell Carcinoma Clinic at the Stanford Cancer Center, a multidisciplinary clinic with colleagues in medical oncology, otolaryngology, and radiation oncology. This one-of-a-kind clinic accepts referrals from around the world for multimodal treatment of skin cancers that can be difficult to treat by surgery alone. Dr. Chang also directs Adult Dermatological Clinical Trials at the Stanford University, School of Medicine, and at any given time oversees more than a dozen ongoing clinical studies, investigating the safety and efficacy of new and currently available drugs as well as over-the-counter medications.

Dr. Chang has spearheaded numerous investigator-initiated clinical trials in skin cancer and non-cancer skin diseases found in older populations. Her research is both translational and clinical in nature and centers on the human genetics of healthy skin aging and diseases related to aging skin, including new treatments for advanced basal cell skin cancers. Research into medical problems associated with aging skin will become increasingly important as world demographics shift toward increasingly advanced age.

A recent study led by Dr. Chang identified for the first time: the genetic basis of a common type of adult acne called acne rosacea. Rosacea, which affects some 14 million Americans, particularly those over 30 years old, causes facial skin to redden and can lead to permanent scarring. The itching and burning caused by rosacea can impair concentration, sleep, and social interactions. As detailed in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, Dr. Chang’s team found two areas of the genome that were associated with rosacea. These were located near genes known for their role in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease. Further research will examine whether rosacea may in fact be a cutaneous sign of risk for other diseases.

Dr. Chang is interested in how to maintain healthy skin. While a lot is known about factors that accelerate aging, little is known about pathways that could promote healthy skin. Working with colleagues at Stanford and at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Dr. Chang studied a population of 1,000 genetically distinct, older Ashkenazi-Jewish adults in New York and identified three genes associated with youthful-appearing facial skin that were distinct from longevity genes. Her findings, which appeared in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, may improve understanding of the genetic basis of healthy skin. Current studies are focused on better understanding different levels of gene expression between individuals with and without skin youthfulness.

An outstanding clinician-researcher, Dr. Chang has published more than 70 peer-reviewed articles and contributed to Stanford’s reputation for groundbreaking research. Overall, the Department of Dermatology has published more papers than Stanford’s top-ten peer institutions combined.

Dr. Anne Lynn S. Chang is a California native and a board certified dermatologist who graduated from Harvard College and Harvard Medical School. She completed her internship at University of California, San Francisco. Subsequently, she was a clinical research fellow in dermatology. She completed her dermatology residency training at Stanford.

Dr. Chang joined the Stanford faculty in 2007, the same year she was named a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology. She was recognized with a three year Career Development Award by the Dermatology Foundation in 2009 and has twice received the American Skin Association’s prestigious Research Scholar Award in 2013 and 2014. Dr. Chang has lectured internationally on skin cancer and aging, including section leader of the International Master Course on Aging Skin (IMCAS) and session director for Geriatric Dermatology at the American Academy of Dermatology. She is a section leader of the American Academy of Dermatology’s Core Curriculum Task Force for a three-year term beginning in 2015. She was invited to discuss her research on skin aging on Doctor Radio, a Sirius XM satellite radio show. She has performed dozens of clinical trials in dermatology, including high profile drugs that resulted in FDA approvals.