Joshua Arbesman, MD
Staff
Location: Cleveland Clinic Main Campus
Research
Melanoma rates in the United States have increased more than 12-fold in the past 50 years. Despite major public health efforts to reduce exposure to ultraviolet radiation, the primary environmental risk factor, these rates continue to rise. We in the Arbesman Lab seek to identify and characterize other risk factors for melanoma, including hereditary risk factors, to expand the types of skin cancer prevention techniques available to high-risk individuals.
Biography
Josh Arbesman, MD is a physician scientist who specializes in melanoma treatment and research. A dermatologist who treats individuals at high risk of developing melanoma, Dr. Arbesman studies skin cancer risk factors with the goal of helping his patients through all aspects of their care. Dr. Arbesman is a leading expert in the field of genetic risk factors for melanoma. He has challenged the idea that melanoma is one of the least heritable cancer types by demonstrating that up to 15% of cases are associated with inherited pathogenic gene variants and has shown that many of these variants influence a tumor’s response to immunotherapy. By studying genetic risk factors for melanoma, Dr. Arbesman hopes his team will be able to identify new areas of skin cancer prevention beyond reducing sun exposure, expanding the options available for at-risk individuals.
Education & Professional Highlights
Education & Fellowships
Residency - University Hospitals Case Medical Center
Dermatology
Cleveland, OH USA
2015
Residency - University of Buffalo Hospitals
Internal Medicine
Buffalo, NY USA
2011
Medical Education - University at Buffalo School of Medicine
Buffalo, NY USA
2010
Undergraduate - Brandeis University
Waltham, MA USA
2006
Residency - University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center
Cleveland, OH USA
Internship - University at Buffalo School of Medicine
Buffalo, NY USA
Medical Education - University at Buffalo School of Medicine
Buffalo, NY USA
Certifications
- Dermatology
Research
While melanoma isn’t strictly hereditary in the same way as BRCA-associated breast and ovarian cancers, there are still many genetic risk factors influencing an individual’s overall lifetime risk of developing the disease.
Using targeted cancer panel screening, whole exome & whole genome sequencing we are further characterizing and identifying novel genetic risk factors for melanoma. We correlate our findings with functional laboratory work examining individual genes to better interrogate their role in melanoma.
Using this functional understanding of how a specific gene is responsible for melanoma development, we seek to design novel skin cancer prevention therapies to be used in high-risk melanoma individuals.
Our Team
Selected Publications
View publications for Joshua Arbesman, MD
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Selected Publications
- Ribaudo I, Arbesman M, Ni Y, Isaacs J, Kennedy LB, Ko J, Funchain P, Truong TG, Arbesman J. Genetic Landscape of Mucosal Melanoma: Identifying Pathogenic Germline Variants. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res. 2025 Mar;38(2):e70007. doi: 10.1111/pcmr.70007. PMID: 40045179.
- Shen A, Arbesman M, Lodha R, Rayman P, Gastman B, Ko J, Truong TG, Diaz-Montero CM, Ni Y, Funchain P, Arbesman J. Germline Pathogenic Variant-Positive Patients with Melanoma Exhibit Improved Response to Checkpoint Inhibitor Immunotherapy. J Invest Dermatol. 2025 Jan 13:S0022-202X(25)00004-1. doi: 10.1016/j.jid.2024.12.016. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39814198.
- Thakker S, Arbesman J, Klein JC, Sunshine JC, Rebecca VW, Belzberg M. Three-Dimensional Nuclear Architecture and Genomic Structural Variations in Melanoma. J Invest Dermatol. 2025 Jun;145(6):1530-1534. doi: 10.1016/j.jid.2024.12.004. Epub 2024 Dec 24. PMID: 39725157.
- Chelakkot VS, Thomas K, Hussein L, Romigh T, Ni Y, Arbesman J. Mouse Tail-Skin Dissociation and Preparation of Live Single-Cell Suspension for Downstream Analysis of Melanocytes. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res. 2025 Jan;38(1):e13216. doi: 10.1111/pcmr.13216. Epub 2024 Dec 3. PMID: 39625901.
- Funchain P, Ni Y, Heald B, Bungo B, Arbesman M, Behera TR, McCormick S, Song JM, Kennedy LB, Nielsen SM, Esplin ED, Nizialek E, Ko J, Diaz-Montero CM, Gastman B, Stratigos AJ, Artomov M, Tsao H, Arbesman J. Germline cancer susceptibility in individuals with melanoma. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2024 Aug;91(2):265-272. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2023.11.070. Epub 2024 Mar 20. PMID: 38513832.
- Shen A, Arbesman M, Lodha R, Rayman P, Bungo B, Ni Y, Chan T, Gastman B, Ko J, Diaz-Montero CM, Arbesman J, Funchain P. Clinical and Immunologic Features of Germline Pathogenic Variant-Positive Patients with Melanoma. Clin Cancer Res. 2024 Feb 1;30(3):564-574. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-23-1964. PMID: 38032355.
- Chelakkot VS, Thomas K, Romigh T, Fong A, Li L, Ronen S, Chen S, Funchain P, Ni Y, Arbesman J. MC1R signaling through the cAMP-CREB/ATF-1 and ERK-NFκB pathways accelerates G1/S transition promoting breast cancer progression. NPJ Precis Oncol. 2023 Sep 7;7(1):85. doi: 10.1038/s41698-023-00437-1. PMID: 37679505; PMCID: PMC10485002.
- Decosma L, Ni Y, Funchain P, Arbesman J. Melanoma body site distribution: Germline genetics may have a lesser role. JAAD Int. 2023 Mar 28;11:220-221. doi: 10.1016/j.jdin.2023.03.003. PMID: 37152215; PMCID: PMC10154950.
- Rambhia PH, Stojanov IJ, Arbesman J. Predominance of oral mucosal melanoma in areas of high mechanical stress. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2019 Apr;80(4):1133-1135. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2018.07.064. Epub 2018 Aug 20. PMID: 30138653; PMCID: PMC6393210.
- Arbesman J, Ravichandran S, Funchain P, Thompson CL. Melanoma cases demonstrate increased carrier frequency of phenylketonuria/hyperphenylalanemia mutations. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res. 2018 Jul;31(4):529-533. doi: 10.1111/pcmr.12695. Epub 2018 Mar 12. PMID: 29473999; PMCID: PMC6013363.
- Conic RZ, Arbesman J. Melanoma Tumor Characteristics: An Analysis of Mutational Burden and Copy Number Alterations by Patient Age and Stage. J Invest Dermatol. 2018 May;138(5):1218-1221. doi: 10.1016/j.jid.2017.09.055. Epub 2017 Dec 5. PMID: 29221686; PMCID: PMC5912976.
Careers
Research News
Joshua Arbesman, MD, answers our biggest questions about skin cancer, including what it is, how to prevent melanoma and whether melanoma is hereditary.
Genetic factors predisposing someone to melanoma may also impact immune cell populations, which could help people with these factors respond to immunotherapy.
Up to one in seven melanoma patients are genetically predisposed to the cancer, suggesting inherited genetics may be a bigger risk factor than sun exposure in some cases.