--- description: Educating people about the dangers of skin cancer, preventing it and detecting it early is Dr. Deborah Sarnoff's mission in life. title: A Dermatologist on a Mission - The Skin Cancer Foundation image: https://www.skincancer.org/wp-content/uploads/Sarnoff_WhiteCoat-e1491316185839.png --- ![Sun \& Skin News]() # A Dermatologist on a Mission By Skin Cancer Foundation • Published On: March 31, 2017 • Last Updated: April 14, 2022 ![Dr.-Deborah-Sarnoff](https://www.skincancer.org/wp-content/uploads/Sarnoff_WhiteCoat-e1491316185839-1024x448.png) [Deborah S. Sarnoff, MD](http://www.skincancer.org/about-us/who-we-are/dr-sarnoff), president of The Skin Cancer Foundation, is on a mission move us closer to a world without skin cancer. Her passion and commitment align directly with the Foundation’s work to save and improve lives. In 2016, when Skin Cancer Foundation founder Dr. Perry Robins [stepped down as president](http://www.skincancer.org/events/gala), Dr. Sarnoff was the natural choice for his successor. In her former role as senior vice president of the Foundation and a key contributor of educational material, she had written countless articles and other materials focused on skin cancer prevention, early detection and treatment. She even took on the tremendous (seemingly impossible) feat to [convince the stars of* Jersey Shore* to give up tanning](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMRirNVcK48). And when her own hairstylist [found a suspicious mole](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/a-haircut-could-save-your-life/) on Dr. Sarnoff’s scalp, the doctor took this experience to heart. She started [Heads Up!](http://www.skincancer.org/get-involved/headsup), a program where member dermatologists teach stylists about skin cancer and its warning signs. This enables stylists to give a “heads up” if they see anything new, changing or unusual on clients’ heads or necks. For Dr. Sarnoff, educating people about the dangers of skin cancer and how to prevent it and detect it early isn’t just a job; it’s a mission. When she became the president of the Foundation, Dr. Sarnoff sat down with the *ASCO Post* (a publication of the American Society of Clinical Oncology) to share her vision for advancing the Foundation’s objectives to prevent skin cancer; detect skin cancer early when it is most curable; and provide information about treatment options. **[You can read Dr. Sarnoff’s interview with the ASCO Post here](http://www.ascopost.com/issues/january-25-2017/new-president-of-the-skin-cancer-foundation-emphasizes-public-education-to-reduce-skin-cancer-incidence-and-deaths/)**. ##### Categories - [Ask the Expert](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/ask-the-expert/) - [Child Sun Safety](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/child-sun-safety/) - [Destination Healthy Skin](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/destination-healthy-skin/) - [Healthy Lifestyle](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/healthy-lifestyle/) - [Inside The Skin Cancer Foundation](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/inside-the-skin-cancer-foundation/) - [Monthly Newsletter](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/enews/) - [News & Research](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/news-research/) - [Skin Cancer Awareness Month](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/skin-cancer-awareness-month/) - [Skin Cancer Information](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/skin-cancer-information/) - [Skin Cancer Myths & Misinformation](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/skin-cancer-myths-misinformation/) - [Skin of Color](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/skin-of-color/) - [Tanning](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/tanning/) - [The Big See](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/the-big-see/) - [The Skin Cancer Foundation Journal](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/the-skin-cancer-foundation-journal/) - [This Is Skin Cancer](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/true-stories/) - [Why We Give](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/category/why-we-give/) ##### Follow Us [Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/skincancerfoundation) [![x logo]()](http://twitter.com/SkinCancerOrg) [Linkedin](https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-skin-cancer-foundation/) [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/skincancerorg/) [Pinterest](https://www.pinterest.com/skincancerorg/) [Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/user/SkinCancerFoundation) ##### [Sign up for newsletter](https://www.skincancer.org/newsletter-sign-up/)   ##### Popular Posts - [Ask the Expert: Does a High SPF Protect My Skin Better?](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/ask-the-expert-does-a-high-spf-protect-my-skin-better/) - [Why Does My Skin Peel When I Get Sunburned, and What Should I Do About It?](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/why-does-my-skin-peel-when-i-get-sunburned/) - [DIY Don’ts: Why At-Home Mole Removal Is a Bad Idea](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/diy-donts-why-at-home-mole-removal-is-a-bad-idea/) - [Amelanotic Melanoma: It Doesn’t Look Like Other Melanomas](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/amelanotic-melanoma-it-doesnt-look-like-other-melanomas/) - [Ask the Expert: Painful Moles](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/ask-expert-painful-moles/) - [How Dangerous is Melanoma? It’s All a Matter of Timing](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/dangerous-melanoma-matter-timing/) - [Sun Protection and Vitamin D](https://www.skincancer.org/blog/sun-protection-and-vitamin-d/) ![]() [![candid logo]()](https://www.guidestar.org/profile/shared/248c6aa7-9ca9-4489-81b8-69bd7ed2f3d5) Open menu Menu Close menu SearchSearch ```json {"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/blog\/a-dermatologist-on-a-mission\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/blog\/a-dermatologist-on-a-mission\/"},"author":{"name":"Skin Cancer Foundation","@id":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/#\/schema\/person\/77f1ad8cb112be1b1ac2c792401b18b4"},"headline":"A Dermatologist on a Mission","datePublished":"2017-03-31T17:29:28+00:00","dateModified":"2022-04-14T19:24:04+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/blog\/a-dermatologist-on-a-mission\/"},"wordCount":276,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/blog\/a-dermatologist-on-a-mission\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sarnoff_WhiteCoat-e1491316185839.png","articleSection":["Inside The Skin Cancer Foundation"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/blog\/a-dermatologist-on-a-mission\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/blog\/a-dermatologist-on-a-mission\/","url":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/blog\/a-dermatologist-on-a-mission\/","name":"A Dermatologist on a Mission","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/blog\/a-dermatologist-on-a-mission\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/blog\/a-dermatologist-on-a-mission\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sarnoff_WhiteCoat-e1491316185839.png","datePublished":"2017-03-31T17:29:28+00:00","dateModified":"2022-04-14T19:24:04+00:00","description":"Educating people about the dangers of skin cancer, preventing it and detecting it early is Dr. Deborah Sarnoff's mission in life.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/blog\/a-dermatologist-on-a-mission\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/blog\/a-dermatologist-on-a-mission\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/blog\/a-dermatologist-on-a-mission\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sarnoff_WhiteCoat-e1491316185839.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Sarnoff_WhiteCoat-e1491316185839.png","width":1050,"height":459,"caption":"Dr.-Deborah-Sarnoff"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/blog\/a-dermatologist-on-a-mission\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/skin-cancer-foundation-blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"A Dermatologist on a Mission"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/","name":"The Skin Cancer Foundation","description":"Education, prevention, early detection, and treatment of skin cancer","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/#organization","name":"The Skin Cancer Foundation","url":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/SCF-Logo-2025-4C.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/SCF-Logo-2025-4C.png","width":1199,"height":1254,"caption":"The Skin Cancer Foundation"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/skincancerfoundation","https:\/\/x.com\/skincancerorg","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/skincancerorg\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/the-skin-cancer-foundation\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/skincancer\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/SkinCancerFoundation","https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Skin_Cancer_Foundation","https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@skincancerorg"],"description":"The Skin Cancer Foundation saves and improves lives. 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