Sarah Arron, MD, PhD, FACMS

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Dermatologic Surgeon Premier

Aesthetic Dermatology, San Carlos, CA

Dr. Sarah Arron is a dermatologic surgeon with a rare combination of surgical precision, research depth, and industry leadership behind her care. She holds a combined MD and PhD — earned through the Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program between Weill Cornell Medical College and The Rockefeller University — a path she chose specifically to study human health at both the molecular and clinical level. That dual training now shapes a data-driven, highly personalized approach to every treatment plan she builds, particularly in her areas of special clinical interest: acne scar revision and CO2 laser resurfacing.

18

years in practice as a board-certified dermatologic surgeon

100

peer-reviewed publications

75

invited national & international lectures Lead investigator on the first FDA-cleared multiphoton microscope for clinical skin imaging

Meet Dr. Sarah Arron

Before joining Premier Aesthetic Dermatology, Dr. Arron spent over a decade on the faculty at UCSF’s Department of Dermatology, rising from Assistant to Associate Professor while directing the university’s High Risk Skin Cancer Program and its Dermatology Clinical Research Unit. She simultaneously served as Chief of Mohs Micrographic Surgery at the San Francisco VA Health System.

Her research has helped shape how the field predicts and manages high-risk skin cancers, and she was the lead investigator behind two major diagnostic innovations: the first FDA-cleared multiphoton microscope for clinical skin imaging (Vio, Enspectra Health) and a gene expression profiling molecular test that predicts outcomes for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (Castle Biosciences).

Dr. Arron has been recognized as a 2026 Castle Connolly Top Doctor and named Best in Dermatologic Surgery & Aesthetics by Modern Luxury Silicon Valley Magazine, and she speaks regularly to national media on advances in the field — most recently discussing an mRNA vaccine for melanoma and vitamin B3 for skin cancer prevention on NPR.

VIEW DR. SARH ARRON CV

Education & Training

  • A.B., Biology, Harvard College, 1992–1996
  • Ph.D., The Rockefeller University, 2002 — Laboratory of Dr. David D. Ho, Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center; research on thymic output and T cell homeostasis in HIV infection
  • M.D., Weill Medical College of Cornell University, 2003
  • Internship in Medicine-Transitional, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, 2003–2004
  • Residency, Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco, 2004–2008
  • Fellowship, Procedural Dermatology (Micrographic Surgery & Dermatologic Oncology), University of California, San Francisco, 2006–2007
  • M.A.S., Clinical Research, University of California, San Francisco, 2009–2012

Board Certifications

  • Board Certified, Dermatology, American Board of Dermatology, 2008 & 2018
  • Board Certified, Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology, 2021
  • Board Certified, Clinical Informatics, American Board of Preventive Medicine, 2018

Academic & Hospital Affiliations

  • Affiliated with Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group
  • Associate Professor, Dermatology, UCSF School of Medicine, 2014–2020 (Assistant Professor, 2008–2014)
  • Director, High Risk Skin Cancer Program, UCSF, 2008–2020
  • Director, Dermatology Clinical Research Unit, UCSF, 2013–2020
  • Associate Director, UCSF Dermatologic Surgery and Laser Center, 2014–2020
  • Chief, Mohs Micrographic Surgery, San Francisco VA Health System, 2012–2020

Professional Memberships & Leadership

  • Fellow, American College of Mohs Surgery (FACMS)
  • Member, American Academy of Dermatology (AAD)
  • Member, American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS)
  • Board of Directors & Chair, Scientific Program Committee, American College of Mohs Surgery
  • Board of Directors, Treasurer & President, International Transplant Skin Cancer Collaborative

Research Highlights

Over 100 peer-reviewed publications, including:

  • Arron ST, et al. Cross-Modal Imaging in Noninvasive Identification of Histologic Features of Skin. JAMA Dermatol. 2026 Feb 1;162(2):115-123.
  • Arron ST. Nicotinamide for Skin Cancer Chemoprevention. JAMA Dermatol. 2025 Nov 1;161(11):1105-1106.
  • Arron ST, et al. Association of a 40-Gene Expression Profile With Risk of Metastatic Disease Progression of Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Specification of Benefit of Adjuvant Radiation Therapy. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2024 Nov 1;120(3):760-771.

Full publication list available on request.

Speaking Engagements

  • “Cut Once, Learn Twice,” American College of Mohs Surgery, May 2026, Austin, TX
  • Session Director & Speaker, “FutureTech,” American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, 2023–2025
  • “Acne Scarring: A Multimodal Approach,” “Melasma in Multiethnic Americans,” “Cross-Modal Imaging,” International Society for Dermatologic Surgery, September 2024, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
  • “40-Gene Expression Profile (40-GEP) Test Accurately Stratifies Metastatic Risk in an Immunosuppressed Patient Population with High-Risk Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma,” 25th World Congress of Dermatology, July 2023, Singapore

Media

Recent national media commentary includes NPR interviews on an mRNA vaccine for melanoma and on vitamin B3 (nicotinamide) for skin cancer prevention.

Personal

Grew up sewing, weaving, and embroidering — a craft passed down from her great-grandfather, a couture tailor — before her curiosity about how things work led her toward a combined MD-PhD and a career in medicine.

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