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Sean Christensen, MD, PhD

Associate Professor of Dermatology
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Additional Titles

Director of Resident Education in Dermatologic Surgery, Dermatology

Director of Dermatologic Surgery at Yale Dermatology-Branford, Dermatology

Contact Info

Dermatology

PO Box 208059

New Haven, CT 06520-8059

United States

About

Titles

Associate Professor of Dermatology

Director of Resident Education in Dermatologic Surgery, Dermatology; Director of Dermatologic Surgery at Yale Dermatology-Branford, Dermatology

Biography

Sean Christensen, MD, PhD, has been practicing dermatologic surgery since completing training in Mohs surgery and cutaneous oncology in 2013. His referral-based clinical practice is limited to the management of skin cancer, including Mohs surgery, treatment of early stage melanoma, and surgical reconstruction. In addition, Dr. Christensen focuses on complex skin cancer issues such as field cancerization, preventive strategies in high risk patients, and management of advanced or aggressive non-melanoma skin cancer. He is Director of Resident Education in dermatologic surgery, Associate Director of the ACGME Mohs Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology fellowship at Yale, and Director of Dermatologic Surgery at Yale Dermatology Branford. Dr. Christensen has an active research portfolio as well. Current research projects include defining the molecular and genetic changes that precede skin cancer development and optimizing field treatment strategies to decrease the risk of subsequent skin cancer. Dr. Christensen has published and lectured nationally, including a popular forum on field cancerization at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology. He is also a principal investigator in a phase III clinical trial of a novel topical therapy for basal cell carcinoma.

Appointments

Other Departments & Organizations

Education & Training

Procedural Dermatology Fellowship
Yale University School of Medicine (2013)
Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship
Yale University School of Medicine (2012)
Residency
Yale University School of Medicine (2011)
Internship
Yale University School of Medicine (2008)
MD
Yale University School of Medicine (2007)
PhD
Yale University Graduate School (2006)
BS
University of California (1998)

Research

Overview

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)

Carcinoma, Basal Cell; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Keratosis, Actinic; Skin Neoplasms; Ultraviolet Rays

Research at a Glance

Yale Co-Authors

Frequent collaborators of Sean Christensen's published research.

Publications

2020

2019

2018

2017

2015

2014

  • Cancer of the Skin
    Christensen, S.R., and Leffell, D.J. in Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology, 10th Edition, Lippincott Williams &Wilkins.
    Chapters

2013

2011

Clinical Trials

Current Trials

Clinical Care

Overview

Dermatologist Sean Christensen, MD, is the director of Yale Medicine’s Dermatologic Surgery Program in Branford. In addition to the medical and surgical treatment of skin cancer and related lesions, he makes it his goal to teach patients that they can help their skin in future years by making sun safety a priority.

“You can’t change the sunburns you had in the past, so I tell my patients it’s important to focus on what you can do for your skin starting today,” Dr. Christensen says. “Because ongoing exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun accelerates skin cancer formation, any decrease in sun exposure now will pay benefits in the future, even for patients who have already had skin cancer removed.”

Dr. Christensen is highly skilled in performing a delicate procedure called Mohs micrographic surgery to remove skin cancer, layer by layer. Then, in the Mohs laboratory, he checks sections of the skin under a microscope to be sure he has removed all cancerous cells. The procedure helps speed healing and minimize scarring while providing the highest possible cure rate for most forms of skin cancer. “For me, one of the most rewarding aspects of Mohs surgery is being able to reconstruct important facial structures after complete skin cancer removal. But the best part,” Dr. Christensen explains, “is seeing patients back after surgery who are very happy with their results.”

In addition to treating skin cancer patients in the Dermatologic Surgery Program, Dr. Christensen also researches basic mechanisms of skin cancer development. His laboratory uses genetic sequencing to identify mutations that promote cancer in human skin, and also uses animal models to investigate how sun-damaged cells grow and progress to malignant lesions.

Clinical Specialties

Dermatology; Mohs Surgery

Fact Sheets

Board Certifications

  • Micrographic Dermatologic Surgery

    Certification Organization
    AB of Dermatology
    Original Certification Date
    2021
  • Dermatology

    Certification Organization
    AB of Dermatology
    Original Certification Date
    2011

Yale Medicine News

Get In Touch

Contacts

Appointment Number
Mailing Address

Dermatology

PO Box 208059

New Haven, CT 06520-8059

United States

Locations

  • Patient Care Locations

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