Dr. Joanna Chan was born in Rangoon, Burma (Myanmar) and grew up in Dallas, Texas, where developed southern hospitality as characterized by kindness and warmth. She graduated valedictorian of her high school class of 1,100 with a full International Baccalaureate diploma and was a United States Presidential Scholar. After graduating magna cum laude in biochemical sciences at Harvard College, she studied at Stanford Medical School. Dr. Chan returned home to Dallas for residency at UT Southwestern Medical Center, a premier institution for dermatology and hands-on surgical training.

Among the elite handful of highly-trained Mohs surgeons in the Los Angeles area, Dr. Joanna Chan completed a Mohs College accredited fellowship at the California Skin Institute. Advanced fellowship training afforded exposure to rare tumor pathology, difficult tumor locations, and complex wound reconstruction, and experience collaborating with a team of top oncologists to provide the best outcomes. With over a decade of experience, Dr. Chan has performed thousands of Mohs Micrographic Surgery cases of varying complexity. She understands the importance of managing each patient’s skin cancer with an individualized approach, paying careful consideration to the unique anatomical considerations, lifestyle, and the special needs of each person to provide the highest possible cure and optimal outcome.

She speaks Spanish, Fujian / Taiwanese, and Mandarin and has a special interest in treating patients with skin of color. Her passion is to create beautifully natural results utilizing advanced, non-invasive laser, injectable, and lifting procedures, all with a philosophy of outstanding care, based on expertise and specialized attention to the particular needs of each patient.

Today, she believes dermatology to be one of few professions in the world that opens up opportunities to make instant connections with someone on a deep level. And now, as she puts it, “I love my job. I get to cure cancer . . . I love making things beautiful.”

Dr. Joanna Chan formerly practiced in Long Beach, and she moved her practice in 2018 to be closer to her family in Silver Lake, where she lives with her husband Dr. William Lee (vascular surgery, USC) and their two boys.  Dr. Chan is a musician (piano, violin, viola), and she enjoys travel, ballroom dancing, matchmaking, sampling the restaurant scene, and spending time with her family.

Dr. Joanna Chan has presented at national conferences and has published numerous articles on a broad range of subjects including melanoma, inflammatory medical conditions, surgical techniques, lasers, and aesthetics. She is the recipient of the Cutting Edge Research Grant Program given by the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery and has repeatedly been named among the Super Doctors®, Castle Connolly Top Doctors, and Pasadena & LA Magazine Top Doctors. Other accolades include American Cancer League honoree, Press Telegram “Reader’s Choice” Best Dermatologist Practice, America’s Top Dermatologists, Doctor’s Choice Awards, Top Dermatologist in Los Angeles, International Association of Dermatologists, and Leading Physicians of the World.

She is an invited lecturer for dermatology residents in Los Angeles. As a clinical faculty member of University of California Irvine, she has also helped to train numerous surgical and medical residents and students, including UCLA Harbor dermatology residents & Huntington Hospital residents.

Even more than these accolades, Dr. Chan’s greatest award and compliment is being referred to friends and family of her patients and physician colleagues throughout the greater Los Angeles & South Bay area, due to her outstanding care and results.

Today, she believes dermatology to be one of few professions in the world that opens up opportunities to make instant connections with someone on a deep level. And now, as she puts it, “I love my job. I get to cure cancer . . . I love making things beautiful.”