June Robinson, MD

Professor of Clinical Dermatology

Biography

Dr. June Robinson, Professor of Clinical Dermatology, was a member of the faculty of the Department of Dermatology at Northwestern University Medical School from 1979-1998 and returned to the faculty in 2005. She is a research member of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University.

Dr. Robinson has a long-standing interest in skin cancer prevention, detection, and treatment. She served as a panel member of the NIH Consensus Development Conference, Diagnosis and Treatment of Early Melanoma in January 1992 that clarified the definition of early melanoma and recommended narrower margins for the surgical removal of early melanoma. From 1996-1998, she represented the American Academy of Dermatology as a co-principal investigator in the National Skin Cancer Prevention Education Program in the cooperative agreement with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2000, she served as a panel member of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization that considered the use of sunscreens.

Her body of work in primary prevention of skin cancer began by defining the sun protection attained by those who had a skin cancer. Then, she explored the sun protection used by family members and partners, who assisted the patient with surgical care after resection of skin cancer. She examined national trends in sun protection attitudes and behaviors of the US population during the decade from 1986-1996. An important finding of this work is that enabling factors enhancing the use of sun protection are: a personal history of skin cancer or someone in the household with a history of skin cancer, self-reported sun sensitivity, and history of sunburn. She is the author of the following publications of her studies of primary skin cancer prevention in children, teens, families of those with skin cancer, and patients with skin cancer:

1. Turrisi R, Hillhouse J, Robinson J, Stapleton J, Adams M. Influence of parent and child characteristics on a parent-based intervention to reduce unsafe sun practices in children 9 to 12 years old. Arch Dermatol 2006; 142:1009-1014.
2. Naylor M, Robinson JK. Sunscreen, sun protection, and our many failures. Arch Dermatol 2005;141:1025-7.
3. Robinson JK. Sun exposure, sun protection and vitamin D. JAMA 2005;141:967-973.
4. Turrisi R, Hillhouse JJ, Heavin S, Robinson J, Adams M, Berry J. Examination of the short-term efficacy of a parent –based intervention to prevent skin cancer.  Behav Med 2004;27:393-412.
5. Robinson JK, Rigel DS. Sun protection attitudes and behaviors of solid-organ transplant recipients. Derm Surg 2004;30:610-615.
6. Robinson JK, Rigel DS, Amonette RA. Summertime sun protection used by adults for their children. J Am Acad Dermatol 2000, 42:746-53.
7. Robinson JK, Rigel DS, Amonette RA. Sun –protection behaviors used by adults for their children-United States, 1996. Mortality and Morbidity weekly Report 1998;47:No 23:480-82.
8. Robinson JK, Rademaker AW. Sun protection by families at the beach. Arch Pediatr Adoles Med 1998; 152: 466-70.
9. Robinson JK, Rigel DS, Amonette R. Trends in sun exposure knowledge, attitudes and behaviors: 1986-1996. J Am Acad Dermatol 1997, 37:179-86.
10. Robinson JK, Rademaker AW, Sylvester J, Cook B. Summer sun exposure: knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of Midwest adolescents. Preventive Medicine 1997;26:364-72.
11. Robinson JK, Rademaker AW. Skin cancer risk and sun protection learning by helpers of patients with non-melanoma skin cancer. Preventive Medicine 1995; 24: 333 -41.
12. Robinson JK: Compensation strategies in sun protection behaviors by a population with non melanoma skin cancer. Preventive Medi¬cine 1992; 21: 754 765.
13. Robinson JK: Behavior modification obtained by sun protection education coupled with removal of a skin cancer. Arch Dermatol 1990;126:477 481.
.Her work in skin cancer early detection by skin self-examination in those at risk to develop skin cancer, which was initially funded by the Institute of Medicine of Chicago 1/00- 12/01 (Determining predictor variables for skin self-examination performance), led to development of a model theory for health promotion. Her current research explores the role of dyadic learning and partner affiliation variables in performance of skin self-examination by those at risk to develop melanoma. Her work with skin self- examination in people at increased risk to develop skin cancer is summarized in the following publications:

1. Robinson JK, Turrisi R. Skills training to learn discrimination of the ABCDE criteria by those at risk of developing melanoma. Arch Dermatol 2006; 142:447-452.
2. Robinson JK, Fisher SG, Turrisi RJ. Predictors of skin self-examination. Cancer 2002;95:135-46.
3. Pipitone M, Robinson JK, Camara C, Chittineni B, Fisher SG. Skin cancer awareness in suburban employees: a Hispanic perspective. J Am Acad Dermatol   2002;47:118-23.
4. Robinson JK, Rigel DS, Amonette R. What promotes skin self - examination? J Am Acad Dermatol 1998; 38:752-7.
5. Robinson JK. Clinical crossroads case: a 28-year -old fair skinned woman with multiple moles. JAMA 1997; 278:1693-99.She served as the Secretary Treasurer of the American Academy of Dermatology (1998-2001), and was the past President of the American Cancer Society, Illinois Division (1996-1998), the Women’s Dermatological Society (1990-1992), and the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (1994-1995). She is the author of over 150 peer-reviewed publications, numerous textbook chapters, and one of the editors of two textbooks, Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery and Surgery of the Skin: Procedural Dermatology (Robinson JK, Hanke CW, Sengelmann RD, Siegel DM, Elsevier, 2005). From 1988 to 1997, she served on the editorial board of the Archives of Dermatology and was the founding section editor of The Cutting Edge: Challenges in Medical and Surgical Therapeutics (1989-1997). She currently serves as the Editor of the Archives of Dermatology (2004-current)

Dr. Robinson was honored by selection in the Best Doctors in America (1992 to current) and Who’s Who in America (1996 to current) and Top Doctors: Chicago Metro Area, 2001. In 2002, she was honored by receiving the Women’s Dermatologic Society Wilma Bergfeld, MD Visionary and Leadership Award. In 2004, she received the St. George Medal, the American Cancer Society National Service Award.