Joy Kunishige, MD

Dr. Kunishige is a native of Chicago. She was a National Merit Scholar and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Florida in Gainesville where she also completed medical school. Dr. Kunishige served as Chief Resident during 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 was one of a handful officially approved by the American College of Mohs Surgery and the AMA’s Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education. She currently serves as Associate Director of this premier surgical training program, overseeing the education of Mohs fellows, otolaryngology (ENT) residents and dermatology residents. She is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Plastic Surgery, at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. 

Dr. Kunishige has been recognized by Castle Connolly's Top Doctors for the past decade, a distinction determined by anonymous survey of peers. She has performed over 16,000 Mohs surgeries. These range from small skin cancers in critically important areas of the face requiring meticulous, cosmetic reconstruction, to large and rare cutaneous malignancies. She is regularly invited to national meetings to speak about evidence-based treatment of melanoma-in-situ and invasive melanoma. Her research has been recognized as the "game-changer" of 2023 by the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. In addition to articles on melanoma, cutaneous lymphoma, cosmetic reconstruction, and board review, she is the author of New Beauty Magazine’s book: Beautiful Skin Revealed.

Dr. Kunishige is board-certified in both dermatology and Mohs surgery. She is an active member of the American College of Mohs Surgery, American Academy of Dermatology, American Society of Dermatologic Surgery, and The Women’s Dermatologic Society. She is married with two children. Her family enjoys travel, golf, and all foods.