Dr. Joy Kunishige, MD

Expert Publications

• Fractional resurfacing: a new therapeutic modality for Becker's nevus.
• Lymphomatoid papulosis and associated lymphomas: a retrospective case series of 84 patients.

Media Releases

Get to know Mohs Surgeon & Skin Cancer Specialist Dr. Marshall Ravden, who serves patients in Pennsylvania.

Dr. Kunishige is a Mohs surgeon & skin cancer specialist at Zitelli & Brodland Skin Cancer Center, seeing patients at the offices in Pittsburgh and Clairton, Pennsylvania. She has performed over 10,000 cases of Mohs surgery and is an expert in cutaneous oncology and reconstruction. 

Professionally, she serves as Associate Director of the renowned Zitelli & Brodland fellowship training program. She is also a Clinical Assistant Professor for the Department of Plastic Surgery and teaches residents from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Dermatology, Otolaryngology, and Plastic Surgery departments. 

A native of Chicago, Dr. Kunishige was a National Merit Scholar and All-American Cheerleader. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in Microbiology and Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Florida in Gainesville. In 2003, she completed the accelerated Medical Honors Program and received her medical degree from the University of Florida. 

She was recognized as Florida’s Top Medical Student by the Florida Medical Political Action Committee, where she served as the only student delegate. She then did research in cutaneous lymphoma and was chief resident during her dermatology residency at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center & the University of Texas in Houston. She pursued her fellowship in Mohs surgery, cutaneous oncology, and facial plastic & reconstructive surgery under the direction of Drs. John Zitelli & David Brodland. This training program was one of the few officially approved by both the American College of Mohs Surgery and the AMA’s Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education.

A board-certified dermatologist, Dr. Kunishige is an active member of the American College of Mohs Surgery, the American Academy of Dermatology, the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery, and the Women’s Dermatologic Society.

Mohs surgery is a precise surgical technique used to treat skin cancer. It is an improvement to standard surgery (local excision), which involves removing the visible cancer and a small margin of surrounding healthy tissue all at once. Mohs surgery allows surgeons to verify that all cancer cells have been removed at the time of surgery.

Dermatology is the branch of medicine dealing with the skin, the largest organ of the body; a specialty with medical, surgical and cosmetic aspects. A dermatologist is a specialist doctor who manages skin diseases due to both internal and external causes and is trained to address cosmetic concerns involving the skin. Dermatological duties include diagnosis and management of a variety of skin disorders, rashes, birthmarks, skin cancer screening and treatment, skin infections, cutaneous surgery and the use of injectables and lasers for skin rejuvenation.  

Recognized as a Castle Connolly Regional Top Doctor, Dr. Kunishige is regularly invited to national meetings to speak about evidence-based treatment of melanoma-in-situ and invasive melanoma. In addition to articles on melanoma, cutaneous lymphoma, and board review, she is the author of New Beauty Magazine’s book: Beautiful Skin Revealed.

Recommended Articles

• Lupus Progression and Treatment

  The progression of lupus varies from one person to the next. It doesn't matter whether you have the same genes as another person with the disease or live in the same environment - it is unpredictable. To make matters even more unpredictable, the symptoms of lupus come and go. Lupus may even develop...

• Are There Medications to Treat Shin Splints?

  Shin splints refer the pain your feel along the inner aspect of your shin bone. It usually follows high intensity physical activities and in sports like basketball, soccer and tennis. Shin splints are a common problem among runners and other athletes.The best way to treat a shin splint is by giving...

• What Is Valerian Root?

  What is valerian root?Valerian is a type of flowering plant and its roots are used as an herbal remedy when dried. Valerian root is used as an alternative medicine to aid in the treatment of insomnia. Other uses of valerian root include treatment for stress, anxiety, depression, epilepsy, tremors,...

• What Should I Know About Blood Clots?

  Blood flows continuously through blood vessels and supplies nutrients and oxygen to different parts of the body. At the site of an injury, a blood clot prevents excess bleeding. Under normal conditions, blood clots are lifesaving. When the clot is formed as a part of normal repair process in the...

• A More Accurate Measure of Obesity

  According to a new study, many people who are listed as overweight as per their body mass index (BMI) scores may actually be classified as obese. “BMI along with the measures of the hormone leptin is a better way to measure obese people, especially those who are at increased risk of diabetes,...

• Oakland Tennis Journalist Writes Touching Memoir About Wife with Lupus

  Go ahead. Ask him anything about tennis and he’d probably give you more information that you even knew existed. The reason: he knows it by heart.Oakland-based tennis journalist Joel Ducker is considered one of the world’s best in his field. He has a three-decade writing career mostly covering...