About Suraj Venna, MD
Dr. Suraj Venna is a board-certified dermatologist and Director of the Inova Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center. He is fellowship trained in melanoma and cutaneous oncology.
Prior to his position at Inova, Dr. Venna directed and founded a multi-disciplinary melanoma and skin cancer program in Washington, D.C. The melanoma team was the recipient of the President's Patients First Award, given for outstanding delivery and coordination of care. He was faculty at Georgetown University School of Medicine, where he taught medical students and trained residents in dermatology. Dr. Venna also directed the melanoma and cutaneous oncology fellowship program.
Dr. Venna began his medical training in Washington, D.C., where he was an intern at Georgetown. He completed his dermatology residency training at Boston University (BU) where he also completed an additional year as a research fellow in melanoma. Following this, he went to the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) to pursue a fellowship in cutaneous oncology. Dr. Venna also served on the faculty at BU and at UCSF where he was the Director of the Melanoma Screening Clinic. During his time at UCSF, he was awarded Teacher of the Year consecutively in 2008 and 2009.
He is actively engaged with dermatologists both on a local and national level. Dr. Venna was on the Executive Committee of the Washington D.C. Dermatological Society and is also past president of the society. On a national level, he served the American Academy of Dermatology on the State Policy Committee and the Pigmented Lesions Subcommittee. In 2011, he was awarded the presidential citation from the American Academy of Dermatology for his testimony at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s hearing to ban tanning beds. Dr. Venna has been involved with the American Society of Clinical Oncology and served a three-year term on the Melanoma Education Committee for which he was the track leader in his final year.
Awards/Associations/Appointments
- Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University
- Melanoma and Skin Cancer Committee, American Society of Clinical Oncology, 2012-2015
- American Academy of Dermatology Presidential Citation Award, 2011
- Teacher of the Year, Dept. of Dermatology, University of California San Francisco, 2009
- Teacher of the Year, Dept. of Dermatology, University of California San Francisco, 2008
- National Institute of Health Ruth Kirchstein Research Service Award, 2005
- AOA Medical Honor Society, 2005
- American Skin Association, Melanoma Research Award, 2005
- Pochi Award for Excellence in Dermatology, Boston University, 2001
Blog Posts
Inova Dermatologist Brings Melanoma Awareness to Capitol Hill. June 7, 2018.
Raising Skin Cancer Awareness: Inova Dermatologist Joins Skin Cancer Health Fair & Screening on Capitol Hill. July 11, 2016.
Experts from Inova Schar Cancer Institute’s Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center Speak at Largest Annual Meeting of Dermatologists. March 16, 2016.
Inova Dermatologist Helps Local Students Win Sun-Shade Grant to Improve Sun Safety and Prevent Melanoma. February 3, 2016.
Former President Jimmy Carter: A Health Update. December 10, 2015.
Preventing Melanoma: Should You Drink More Coffee and Hold Off on the Viagra? September 1, 2015.
Jimmy Carter's Rare Cancer Diagnosis. August 27, 2015.
Patient Reviews
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