Larisa J. Geskin, MD, USCLC Profile
USCLC Leadership
Larisa J. Geskin, MD
President, United States Cutaneous Lymphoma Consortium
Professor of Dermatology in Medicine (Hematology-Oncology)
Director, Comprehensive Cutaneous Oncology Center
Vice-Chair of Clinical Research
Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Cutaneous lymphoma is rare. Her kind of expertise is rarer.
With SKIN in her name and three generations of dermatologists in her family, Dr. Geskin was practically born with her skin in the game. What she made of that inheritance, however, is entirely her own.
Dr. Geskin is a dermatologist and hematologist-oncologist whose clinical and research work focuses on cutaneous lymphomas and other skin cancers. She directs Columbia’s Comprehensive Cutaneous Oncology Center, combining multidisciplinary patient care, clinical trials, and translational research. Her work focuses on understanding the biology of cutaneous lymphoma, improving early diagnosis, and developing new treatments for patients with rare and difficult-to-treat diseases.
A longtime advocate for collaboration across institutions, she is committed to advancing cutaneous lymphoma research, expanding access to clinical trials, and mentoring the next generation of physicians and investigators. She has received numerous professional honors, including a Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to cutaneous lymphoma.
WHAT PATIENTS DON’T KNOW
Long before AI became a buzzword in dermatology, she helped evaluate MelaFind, an early computer-assisted technology for melanoma detection.
When TikTok turned against sunscreen in 2024, Columbia called on her to respond.
She loves to dance, especially tango. Nobody at tumor board has ever seen this. People at weddings have.
TELL US A SECRET
“It’s not that I chose dermatology. Dermatology chose me.”
I’m a third-generation dermatologist. My grandfather studied medicine in Leipzig before World War I and later became chief of a dermatology hospital in Riga. My grandmother and mother were both pediatric dermatologists who, years apart, headed the same pediatric dermatology department in Latvia.
I practically grew up in my mother’s department. During frequent school closures, I spent my days surrounded by her extraordinary collection of dermatologic wax moulages, listening to her lectures to the medical students and young doctors, and watching her treat patients. I particularly loved the difficult case conferences, where distinguished physicians would debate a diagnosis for hours. My mother, invariably late, would rush in, take one look, and often solve the mystery in minutes.
Dermatology was my destiny before I entered medical school. I simply added oncology to the family tradition.
ASK HER ABOUT PATIENTS
What does year fifteen with the same patient look like?
In cutaneous lymphoma, a diagnosis is often the beginning of a relationship that lasts decades. We go through many stages of life together. Treatments change, new discoveries create opportunities, and what seemed impossible fifteen years ago may become possible today. Some of my patients have been with me through much of my career. These long-term relationships are among the most meaningful parts of my work.
What is the one question you wish every new patient would ask?
“How can I live well with this disease?”
A lymphoma diagnosis can make people feel that their lives have suddenly become all about cancer. But many of my patients will live with their disease for decades, and some will have a normal life expectancy. Our goal is not simply to treat the lymphoma, but to control it while allowing people to continue living their lives.
Sometimes that means treating more. Sometimes it means treating less. Knowing the difference is one of the most important parts of what we do.
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