Melinda Jen, MD
About Melinda Jen
Pediatric dermatologist Melinda Jen, MD, believes the skin is unique, because the entire organ is visible to the naked eye. "The skin is a window into the body," she explains. "Manifestations on the skin can frequently clue us into something else going on in the body.” Further, given the visibility of the skin, even conditions that appear to be minor can have a profound impact on a patient.
As the Director of Dermatologic Surgery and Laser, Dr. Jen strives to provide the best surgical environment for each child. She performs procedures under local anesthesia, sedation and general anesthesia. In addition to more standard surgical procedures, Dr. Jen also treats a variety of conditions with laser, including vascular lesions and scars.
Dr. Jen’s other major clinical interest is in pediatric pigmented lesions, and she serves as the Director of the Pediatric Pigmented Lesion Group. There, she specializes in caring for patients with congenital nevi, atypical nevi, and melanoma. The risk factors, frequency and prognosis of melanoma appear to be different in children than in adults. As melanoma is relatively rare in the pediatric population, more research is needed to counsel families and inform treatments. Toward this end, Dr. Jen maintains an active registry of rare tumors and melanoma, and CHOP participates in a national study to learn more about these tumors.
Titles
Attending Physician
Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics and Dermatology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Certifications
Dermatology – American Board of Dermatology
Pediatric Dermatology – American Board of Dermatology
Awards and Honors
2015-2016, Faculty Teaching Honor Roll, Pediatric Residency, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
2015-2016, Career and Community Advancement Award, Women's Dermatologic Society
2015-2016, Mentorship award in procedural dermatology, Society for Pediatric Dermatology
2012, Jean A. Cortner Divisional Teaching Award, General Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Leadership and Memberships
Memberships in Professional Organizations
2012-present, American Academy of Pediatrics
2009-present, Women's Dermatologic Society
2009-present, Society for Pediatric Dermatology
- 2011-present, Junior Faculty and Fellows Committee
- 2018-present, Awards Committee
2007-present, American Academy of Dermatology
Editorial and Academic Positions
Editorial Positions
2018-present, Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, Reviewer
2014-present, Pediatric Emergency Care, Reviewer
2013-present, JAMA Dermatology, Reviewer
2009-present, Pediatric Dermatology, Reviewer
Academic and Institutional Committees
2012-present, Laser Safety Committee
2011-present, Dermatology Residency Selection Committee
Education & training
Medical Degree
MD - Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
Internship
Pediatrics - Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Residency
Dermatology - University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT (Chief Resident)
Pediatrics - Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Fellowship
Pediatric Dermatology - Rady Children's Hospital, University of California, San Diego, CA
Publications
Publications
2019
Valiga Alexander, Neidig Lane, Cusack Carrie Ann, Gaddis Kevin, Jen Melinda, Rubin Adam, Moon Amanda T: Plexiform fibrohistiocytic tumor on the chest of a 5-year-old child and review of the literature. Pediatric dermatology Mar 2019.
Provini Lauren E, Stellar Judith J, Stetzer Molly N, Nguyen Phuong D, Jen Melinda: Combination hyperbaric oxygen therapy and ustekinumab for severe hidradenitis suppurativa. Pediatric dermatology Feb 2019.
Heller Elizabeth, Murthy Aditi S, Jen Melinda V: A slime of the times: Two cases of acute irritant contact dermatitis from homemade slime. Pediatric dermatology 36(1): 139-141, Jan 2019.
2018
Ashchyan Hovik, Jen Melinda, Elenitsas Rosalie, Rubin Adam I: Surreptitious apple cider vinegar treatment of a melanocytic nevus: Newly described histologic features. Journal of cutaneous pathology 45(4): 307-309, Apr 2018.
Yu JiaDe, Jen Melinda V, Yan Albert C, Elenitsas Rosalie, Rubin Adam I: Angiomatoid and desmoplastic Spitz nevus presenting as a keloidal nodule. Pediatric dermatology Mar 2018.
Chang Xiao, Li Dong, Tian Lifeng, Liu Yichuan, March Michael, Wang Tiancheng, Hou Cuiping, Pellegrino Renata, Levy Richard, Jen Melinda, Soccio Raymond, Sleiman Patrick, Hakonarson Hakon, Castelo-Soccio Leslie: Heterozygous Deletion Impacting SMARCAD1 in the Original Kindred with Absent Dermatoglyphs and Associated Features (Baird, 1964). The Journal of pediatrics 194: 248-252.e2, Mar 2018.
2016
Coughlin Carrie C, Jen Melinda V, Boos Markus D: Drug Hypersensitivity Syndrome with Prolonged Course Complicated by Parvovirus Infection. Pediatric dermatology 33(6): e364-e365, Nov 2016.
2004
Siegel Richard M, Muppidi Jagan R, Sarker Malabika, Lobito Adrian, Jen Melinda, Martin David, Straus Stephen E, Lenardo Michael J: SPOTS: signaling protein oligomeric transduction structures are early mediators of death receptor-induced apoptosis at the plasma membrane. The Journal of cell biology 167(4): 735-44, Nov 2004.
2003
Young David M, D'Argenio David A, Jen Melinda, Parke Donna, Nicholas Ornston L: Gunsalus and Stanier set the stage for selection of cold-sensitive mutants apparently impaired in movement of FAD within 4-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase. Biochemical and biophysical research communications 312(1): 153-60, Dec 2003.
Lectures by Invitation
2019
Melinda J. "Challenging Pediatric Nevi", American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting, Washington DC. Mar, 2019.
2018
Melinda J. "Procedural Dermatology in the Pediatric Population", American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA. Feb, 2018.
2017
Melinda J. "Pediatric Dermatology", American Academy of Dermatology DermPrep course, Phoenix, AZ. Nov, 2017.
Melinda J. "Dermatology Update 2017: Pediatric dermatology", Maui Derm NP+PA Fall 2017 meeting, New Orleans, LA. Sep, 2017.
Melinda J. "Pediatric dermatology", Maui Derm NP+PA Fall 2017 meeting, New Orleans, LA. Sep, 2017.
Melinda J. "Managing Challenging Nevi in Children", American Academy of Dermatology Summer Meeting, New York, NY. Jul, 2017.
Editorials, Reviews, Chapters
2016
Melinda Jen, Adam Rubin: Wells Syndrome (Eosinophilic Cellulitis). Hematopathology of the Skin. Alejandro Gru, Andras Schaffer (eds.). 2016.
2015
Melinda Jen: Rash - Drug Eruptions. Fleisher and Ludwig's Textbook of Pediatric Emergency Medicine. Richard G Bachur MD, Kathy N. Shaw MD, MSCE (eds.). Wolters Kluwer, 2015.
2013
Melinda Jen, Mary Wu Chang: Hidradenitis suppurativa. Severe Skin Diseases in Children: Beyond Topical Therapy. Wynnis Tom, MD (eds.). Springer, December 2013.
2012
Jen M, Shah KN, Yan AC. Cutaneous changes in nutritional disease. In: Wolff K, Goldsmith LA, Katz SI, Gilchrest BA, Paller AS, Leffel DJ, editors. Fitzpatrick’s dermatology in general medicine. 8th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2012.
2011
Jen M, Chang MW. Pityriasis rubra pilaris. In: Harper, Oranje, Prose, editors. Textbook of pediatric dermatology. 3rd ed. Oxford: Blackwell; 2011.
2007
Jen M, Shah KN, Yan AC. Cutaneous changes in nutritional disease. In: Wolff K, Goldsmith LA, Katz SI, Gilchrest BA, Paller AS, Leffell DJ, editors. Fitzpatrick’s dermatology in general medicine. 7th ed. New York: McGraw Hill; 2007.