Teo Soleymani MD, FAAD, FACMS

A Los Angeles native, Dr. Soleymani completed his undergraduate studies in Evolutionary Biology at UCLA. He went on to graduate from the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, during which time he was awarded numerous accolades for academic excellence and was inducted into the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha honor society, considered widely to be the highest award bestowed in medical school.

Dr. Soleymani completed his internship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he was awarded the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine Excellence in Teaching with Humanism Award. He then went on to complete his residency at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, one of the world’s most premier dermatology training programs. While at Stanford, Dr. Soleymani worked with world-renowned experts in cutaneous oncology and complex skin diseases and was the recipient of various academic awards and distinctions. 

Following residency, Dr. Soleymani completed a rigorous fellowship in Mohs Micrographic Surgery, Cutaneous Oncology, and Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Zitelli and Brodland Skin Cancer Center under the tutelage of John Zitelli, M.D., considered by many to be  the world’s most prestigious and competitive fellowship program. His fellowship was directed by both John Zitelli, M.D. and David Brodland, M.D, widely considered to be two of the pre-eminent leading authorities in Mohs surgery. Notably,  Dr. Soleymani’s fellowship director, Dr. John A. Zitelli, MD, was trained directly by Dr. Frederic E. Mohs himself, the founder and pioneer of Mohs surgery. This direct lineage from Dr. Mohs enables Dr. Soleymani provides his patients with the highest-quality Mohs surgery possible. Additionally and in much acclaim, Dr. Soleymani’s unique fellowship training was the only program in the world that included fellowship training in both Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery as well.  As a result he is one of only a handful of Mohs Surgeons in the world with dedicated specialized training in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery as well, allowing him to provide the best possible functional and aesthetic reconstructive results. 

Dr. Soleymani also completed a fellowship in dermatopharmacology, clinical trials and drug development at the famed Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology at NYU in New York City.  During this time, he was a co-investigator for over 14 different investigator-initiated and industry-sponsored, multi-center, phase I-III clinical trials developing new drugs for various diseases in dermatology. His work during his fellowship earned him the coveted Maurice Husik, M.D. Award for Best Research.

Prior to establishing California Dermatology and Mohs Surgery Specialists, Dr. Soleymani practiced as a full-time Clinical Professor of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery at UCLA, where he was also the Director of the Pigmented Lesions and Melanoma Clinic, as well as Co-Director of Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology Fellowship Education and Resident Surgery Education programs. 

During his tenure at UCLA, Dr. Soleymani received both local and national acclaim for introducing landmark and pioneering  surgical treatments for complex, high-risk and challenging skin cancers. He introduced advanced Mohs micrographic surgery with intra-operative immunostaining to UCLA,  pioneered groundbreaking work for the treatment of early-stage melanomas on the head and neck developed UCLA’s first Mohs Surgery for Melanoma program.  He also pioneered the creation and utilization of advanced intra-operative immunostaining during surgery for high-risk, complex and rare-skin cancers, which allowed for much higher tumor cure rates and greater successful clearance of the most challenging tumors.  As a result of his pioneering work, Dr. Soleymani was able to make tremendous improvements in patient outcomes and quality of care. 

In addition to clinical patient care, Dr. Soleymani remains robustly active in academic research, continuing to publish numerous scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals and book chapters in textbooks. He has lectured and continues to present at local, regional, and national academic conferences and remains active in clinical and translational research regarding dermatologic oncology and surgical reconstruction. He is considered by many to be a key thought leader and national expert in skin cancer treatment.

In his spare time, Dr. Soleymani enjoys spending quality time with his wife and sons, staying active, and traveling.

Awards