Dr. Joan Leavens is a double board-certified dermatologist and dermatopathologist with expertise in medical, surgical and cosmetic dermatology. She grew up on Mercer Island, Washington, and graduated from the University of Virginia with a major in history and Spanish and a minor in foreign affairs. She then spent several years working in global public health in South Africa before attending the University of Michigan Medical School. At the University of Michigan, she received a full-tuition merit scholarship and graduated as a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. She then completed her dermatology residency at LAC+USC Medical Center in Los Angeles and dermatopathology fellowship at UCLA. Within dermatology, her interests include hair loss, inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis and eczema, dermatopathology, and cosmetics. She values building strong relationships with patients from diverse backgrounds and is proficient in Spanish. Outside of medicine, she enjoys spending time with her husband and children, skiing, hiking, and exploring the beauty of the Pacific Northwest.
ACADEMIC TRAINING
2004–2008 B.A., History and Spanish, Foreign Affairs Minor, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
2010–2011 Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program, Goucher College, Baltimore, MD
2012–2016 Doctor of Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI
2016–2017 Internship, MacNeal Hospital, Chicago, IL
2017–2020 Dermatology Residency, LAC+USC Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
2020–2021 Dermatopathology Fellowship, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA
LICENSING AND BOARD CERTIFICATION
2021 American Board of Dermatopathology – Board Certified
2020 American Board of Dermatology – Board Certified
2021 Washington State Physician License
SCHOLARSHIP
Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications
- Shen A, Cheng CE, Malik R, et al. Prurigo Pigmentosa: A Multi-Institutional Retrospective Study. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2023.
- Leavens J, Ngo B. Stevens-Johnson Syndrome/Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis. In: Medicine Morning Report Subspecialties: Beyond the Pearls. Elsevier. 2023.
- Leavens J, Young P, Ahronowitz I. Clinical Presentation of Verruca Vulgaris in HIV. Dermatology Online Journal. 2022.
- Leavens J, Furukawa D, Gates G. Condyloma Latum of the Plantar Foot: An Unusual Manifestation of Secondary Syphilis. International Journal of STD & AIDS. 2021.
- Liu R, Leavens J, Smart C. Cutaneous Metastatic Prostate Carcinoma as Initial Evidence of Neuroendocrine Differentiation. American Journal of Dermatopathology. 2021.
- Wang CJ, Leavens J, Thorpe J, et al. Nodular Secondary Syphilis in Three HIV-Positive Patients: A Case Series. International Journal of STD & AIDS. 2020.
Additional publications available upon request.
HONORS, PRIZES, AND AWARDS
2015–Present Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, University of Michigan Medical School
2012–2016 Dean’s Merit Full-Tuition Scholarship, University of Michigan Medical School
2013 Alexander S. Vida Memorial Scholarship, University of Michigan Medical School
2012–2016 Global Health and Disparities Path of Excellence, University of Michigan
2013 Global REACH Scholarship, University of Michigan Medical School
2004–2008 Dean’s List and Distinguished Honors, University of Virginia
INTERNATIONAL CLINICAL AND GLOBAL HEALTH EXPERIENCE
Panama
- Floating Doctors, Bocas del Toro
- Hospital Santo Tomás, Panama City
Uganda
- Global REACH Research Program
South Africa
- Creative Consulting & Development Works
- Gazlam Research & Consulting
- Heideveld & Harbour Community Health Clinics
- Treatment Action Campaign
- People’s Health Movement
PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY MEMBERSHIPS
American Academy of Dermatology
American Society of Dermatopathology
