Zeina S. Tannous, MD

Professor

Chair, Department of Dermatology
Program Co-Director, Residency in Dermatology

Zeina Tannous, M.D. is a tenured Professor and Chair of Dermatology at the LAU Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine and Chief of Dermatology at LAU Medical Center-Rizk Hospital. She is also a Dermatology faculty member at Harvard Medical School. A graduate of the American University of Beirut School of Medicine, Dr. Tannous joined the Harvard Medical School for a Dermatology residency and three fellowships in Dermatopathology, Mohs Micrographic and Dermatologic Surgery, and Laser and Cosmetic Dermatology. She is board-certified in the United States in Dermatology and Dermatopathology.

Dr. Tannous has published over 70 peer-reviewed articles, reviews, chapters, and abstracts. She has also co-authored a leading cosmetic and laser dermatologytextbook and atlas, which contains more than 600 clinical photographs and has been translated into both Korean and Greek.Subsequently, she served as the first author of the second edition of this textbook. She is currently authoring a Comprehensive Textbook of Cosmetic Dermatology, Laser and Energy-Based Therapies that will be published in 2020. Dr. Tannous has served as a guest editor of the Lasers in Surgery and Medicinejournal where she serves as an editorial board member. Dr. Tannous is a member of multiple prestigious dermatological and laser societies including the American Academy of Dermatology, American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, European Society for Laser Dermatology, Lebanese Dermatologic Society and Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. 

Dr. Tannous has presented more than 150 lectures and seminars in regional, national, and international meetings on the topics of Dermatology, Dermatopathology, Laser Surgery, and Dermatologic Surgery. Furthermore, her teaching record includes numerous local contributions in the form of grand rounds and presentations to faculty, residents, medical students and pharmacy students. She has supervised and trained a significant number of fellows, residents, and medical students both in the United States and in Lebanon. 

Dr. Tannous has assumed multiple leadership roles throughout her academic career. She has served as a program co-chair in multiple national and international meetings. She has also served as Associate Program Director for Dermatopathology in the Dermatology Department at Harvard Medical School. She was elected in November 2018 as the founding chair of the Arab Board of Cosmetic Dermatology. She subsequently developed and implemented the fellowship program goals and objectives for training in Cosmetic Dermatology and Lasers, as a subspecialty under the Arab Board of Dermatology, and designed the entire didactic and training curriculum. Dr. Tannous is currently the founding chair and the residency program director of the Department of Dermatology at the school of medicine.

Dr. Tannous has served as a principal investigator on multiple studies, and her research has resulted in three patents. Dr. Tannous’ research interests include the application of lasers and light sources in the treatment of dermatologic conditions, including hemangiomas, portwine stains and skin cancer, as well as non-invasive imaging of skin. She has been exploring the treatment of basal cell carcinoma with vascular-specific lasers and her work has resulted in multiple publications in this area.

Selected Publications

Selected Journal Articles

• Youssef NJ, Rizk AG, Ibrahimi OA, Tannous ZS. Long-term comparison of a Large Spot Vacuum Assisted Handpiece vs the Small Spot Size Traditional Handpiece of the 800 nm Diode Laser. J Drugs Dermatol, 2017 Sep 1;16(9):893-898. 
• Jalian HR, Avram MM, Stankiewicz KJ, Shofner JD, Tannous Z. Combined 585 nm pulsed-dye and 1,064 nm Nd:YAG lasers for the treatment of basal cell carcinoma. Lasers Surg Med. 2014;46(1):1-7.
• Lin JY, Warger WC, Izikson L, Anderson RR, Tannous Z. A prospective, randomized controlled trial on the efficacy of fractional photothermolysis on scar remodeling. Lasers Surg Med. 2011;43(4):265-72. 
• Konnikov N, Avram M, Jarell A, Tannous Z. Pulsed dye laser as a novel non-surgical treatment for basal cell carcinomas: Response and follow up 12-21 months after treatment. Lasers Surg Med. 2011;43(2):72-8. 
• Shah SM, Konnikov N, Duncan LM, Tannous ZS. The effect of 595 nm pulsed dye laser on superficial and nodular basal cell carcinomas. Lasers Surg Med. 2009;41(6):417-422. 
• Tannous Z, Al-Arashi M, Shah S, Yaroslavsky AN. Delineating melanoma using multimodal polarized light imaging. Lasers Surg Med. 2009;41(1):10-16. 
• Tannous Z, Torres A, González S. In vivo real-time confocal reflectance microscopy: a noninvasive guide for Mohs micrographic surgery facilitated by aluminum chloride, an excellent contrast enhancer. Dermatol Surg. 2003;29(8):839-46. 
• González S, Tannous Z. Real-time, in vivo confocal reflectance microscopy of basal cell carcinoma. J Am Acad Dermatol.2002;47(6):869-74. 
• Tannous ZS, Mihm MC, Flotte TJ, González S. In vivo examination of lentigo maligna and malignant melanoma in situ, lentigo maligna type by near-infrared reflectance confocal microscopy: comparison of in vivo confocal images with histologic sections. J Am Acad Dermatol.2002;46(2):260-3.
• Tannous ZS, Lerner LH, Duncan LM, Mihm MC, Flotte TJ. Progression to invasive melanoma from malignant melanoma in situ, lentigo maligna type. Hum Pathol.2000;31(6):705-8.

Books, Monographs, and Textbooks

Marc R Avram, Sandy S Tsao, Zeina S Tannous, Mathew M. Avram. Color Atlas of Cosmetic Dermatology. First Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill ; 2006 Dec. Report No.: ISBN: 0071437614. p. 295 pgs. This cosmetic companion to the Fitzpatrick Color Atlas features treatment options and descriptions of cosmetic and surgical procedures.

Zeina Tannous, Mathew M. Avram, Sandy Tsao, Marc R. Avram. Color Atlas of Cosmetic Dermatology. 2nd Edition New York: McGraw-Hill ; 2011 Mar. Report No.: ISBN: 978-0-07-163503-5. p. 324 pgs. This is the second edition of the widely read cosmetic companion to the Fitzpatrick Color Atlas.

Zeina Tannous, Molly Wanner. Comprehensive Textbook of Cosmetic Dermatology, Laser and Energy-Based Therapies.First Edition. Jaypee publishing Company: 2020. Approximately 500 pages. In preparation: Expected completion during the first quarter of 2020.

View Dr. Tannous’s publications on Pubmed (search terms: Zeina Tannous, Tannous ZS, Tannous Z, Zeina ST).

Professional and Research Interests

• Vascular birthmarks (hemangioma, portwine stains)
• Skin cancer
• Dermatologic/Mohs micrographic surgery
• Cosmetic dermatology and lasers
• Laser treatment of scars (acne, surgical, traumatic, burn)
• Dermatopathology

Education and Training

• Internship in Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon, 1995-1996 
• Residency in Dermatology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, 1996-1999
• Clinical Fellowship in Dermatopathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 1999-2000
• Clinical Fellowship in Mohs Micrographic/Dermatologic Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Lahey Clinic, Harvard Medical School, 2000-2001
• Clinical and Research Fellowship, supported by a grant from the Department of Energy, Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 2000-2001
• Transitional Internship in Surgery and Internal Medicine, Carney Hospital, Massachusetts, 2001-2002
• Residency in Dermatology, Harvard Medical School, Department of Dermatology (Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, BI-Deaconess Medical Center, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Children’s Hospital, Lahey Clinic), 2002-2005
• Clinical and Research Fellowship in Lasers and Cosmetic Surgery, Department of Dermatology, Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 2004-2005

Professional Organizations and Memberships

Licensure and Certification

• Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Board of Registration in Medicine, 2004
• American Board of Dermatology, 2005
• American Board of Pathology and American Board of Dermatology, Dermatopathology, 2005
• Recertification, American Board of Dermatology, 2014

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