Clara N. Curiel-Lewandrowski, MD

Dr. Curiel-Lewandrowski's role as a member of the University of Arizona Cancer Center (UACC) is to establish and foster research activities related to the skin cancer field across multiple disciplines, and across basic science and clinical projects. She is currently a Co-PI of the Skin Cancer Prevention Program Project and the Clinical Director of the Skin Cancer Institute at the UACC. She has effectively accomplished her role in these positions while addressing important clinical gaps in the skin cancer primary prevention and early detection fields through innovative study designs, and effective execution. To date, her research interests has focused in photobiology, early skin cancer detection, and primary prevention. Joining the Arizona Cancer Center in 2004 resulted in a catalyzing effect that has allowed Dr. Curiel-Lewandrowski to increase her expertise in translational efforts related to skin cancer therapeutic prevention. She has now served as a lead dermatologist in seven clinical studies and as a PI in six clinical trials (4 pilot, 3 Phase 1, and 3 Phase 2 studies) within the PPG in Skin Cancer Chemoprevention, the UA NCI/DCP Cancer Chemoprevention Consortium Agreement, and sponsored studies. Her current position at the UACC been instrumental in establishing research collaborations between the UACC and the College of Optical Sciences, Bioengineering, and the Department of Radiology to evaluate novel imaging modalities in the skin cancer arena. The availability of core services at the UACC has been essential to the skin cancer related research projects. In addition, close interactions across investigators at the UACC has allowed them to build a strong skin cancer research project that is unique in the nation.