Melodi Javid Whitley | Scholars@Duke

Melodi Javid Whitley
Assistant Professor of Dermatology

Melodi Javid Whitley, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Dermatology
Assistant Program Director for Trainee Research
Director of Transplant Dermatology

I am a physician scientist focused on the dermatologic care of solid organ transplant recipients. Clinically, I manage the the complex dermatologic side effects of immunosuppression with a focus on high-risk skin cancer. My research focuses on understanding the drivers of cutaneous malignancy in this population using translational approaches.

Current Research Interests

Duke is a world-wide leader in solid organ transplantation and I am fortunate to be part of the team caring for these patients. After solid organ transplantation, patients receive immunosuppressive medications to protect their transplanted organ. These medications can lead to many dermatological side effects, including increased risk of cutaneous malignancy and viral- associated diseases. My research focuses on understanding these side effects and developing better ways to prevent and treat them.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Solid organ transplant recipients experience a 100-fold increased risk of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma compared to their immunocompetent counterparts. Importantly, these patients experience a high burden of disease with more aggressive tumors and higher morbidity and mortality. Treatment options are particularly limited for these patients. I am conducting translational studies to understand what drives cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in this population in order to develop strategies for prevention and treatment.

HPV-Related Disease
Solid organ transplant recipients also experience a high burden of HPV-related disease including recalcitrant warts. I am working with engineers to develop novel device/drug combinations to treat these lesions.

Current Appointments & Affiliations

Assistant Professor of Dermatology, Dermatology, Clinical Science Departments 2022
Member of the Duke Cancer Institute, Duke Cancer Institute, Institutes and Centers 2023

Contact Information

Department of Dermatology, DUMC 3135, Durham, NC 27710
melodi.whitley@duke.edu

Background
Education, Training, & Certifications
- Dermatology Residency, Dermatology, Duke University School of Medicine 2018 - 2021
- Duke-UNC Immunotherapy T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship, Dukecancer Center, Duke University School of Medicine 2020 - 2021
- Internal Medicine Internship, Internal Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine 2017 - 2018
- M.D., Duke University School of Medicine 2017
- Ph.D., Duke University School of Medicine 2017
Leadership & Clinical Positions at Duke
- Director of Transplant Dermatology
  Assistant Program Director for Trainee Research
Academic Positions Outside Duke
- Adjunct Assistant Professor of Dermatology, University of Nebraska Medical Center. 2022 - 2023
Expertise
Subject Headings
Research
External Relationships
- University of Nebraska Medical Center
Publications & Artistic Works
Selected Publications
- Academic Articles
  - Fernandez, Jennifer M., Bianka N. Bubic, Sabrina Dahak, Elizabeth M. Mata, Kevin R. Kwan, Adam Sutton, Melodi Javid Whitley, and Ashley Wysong. “Racial and ethnic differences in tumor characteristics and overall survival of women with melanoma: A national cancer database retrospective cohort study.” Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 88, no. 3 (March 2023): 694–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2022.07.036.
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  - Wackel, Megan, Katherine Plampton, Corey Georgesen, Ashley Wysong, and Melodi Javid Whitley. “Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma is associated with a lower disease-specific survival in immunosuppressed patients: A matched case-control study.” Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 87, no. 6 (December 2022): 1410–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2022.08.042.
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  - Blue, Elliot D., S Caleb Freeman, Marissa B. Lobl, Dillon D. Clarey, Rose L. Fredrick, Ashley Wysong, and Melodi Javid Whitley. “Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma Arising in Immunosuppressed Patients: A Systematic Review of Tumor Profiling Studies.” Jid Innov 2, no. 4 (July 2022): 100126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xjidi.2022.100126.
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  - Whitley, Melodi Javid, Jutamas Suwanpradid, Chester Lai, Simon W. Jiang, Jonathan L. Cook, Daniel E. Zelac, Ross Rudolph, et al. “ENTPD1 (CD39) Expression Inhibits UVR-Induced DNA Damage Repair through Purinergic Signaling and Is Associated with Metastasis in Human Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma.” J Invest Dermatol 141, no. 10 (October 2021): 2509–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jid.2021.02.753.
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  - Scoggins, Connie S., Melodi J. Whitley, and Amber R. Atwater. “Sodium persulfate: A contact allergen present in hot tub shock treatment.” Contact Dermatitis 85, no. 3 (September 2021): 373–75. https://doi.org/10.1111/cod.13862.
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  - Whitley, Melodi Javid, and Sue Ellen Cox. “Commentary on Prospective Clinical Trial of the Latest Generation of Noninvasive Monopolar Radiofrequency for the Treatment of Facial and Upper Neck Skin Laxity.” Dermatol Surg 47, no. 6 (June 1, 2021): 767. https://doi.org/10.1097/DSS.0000000000003030.
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  - Jiang, Simon W., Melodi Javid Whitley, Paula Mariottoni, Tarannum Jaleel, and Amanda S. MacLeod. “Hidradenitis Suppurativa: Host-Microbe and Immune Pathogenesis Underlie Important Future Directions.” Jid Innov 1, no. 1 (March 2021): 100001. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xjidi.2021.100001.
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  - Mariottoni, Paula, Simon W. Jiang, Courtney A. Prestwood, Vaibhav Jain, Jutamas Suwanpradid, Melodi Javid Whitley, Margaret Coates, et al. “Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Reveals Cellular and Transcriptional Changes Associated With M1 Macrophage Polarization in Hidradenitis Suppurativa.” Front Med (Lausanne) 8 (2021): 665873. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2021.665873.
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  - Petty, Amy J., Melodi J. Whitley, Alexandra Balaban, Kenneth Ellington, and Anne L. Marano. “Pyoderma gangrenosum induced by secukinumab in a patient with psoriasis successfully treated with ustekinumab.” Jaad Case Rep 6, no. 8 (August 2020): 731–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdcr.2020.06.011.
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  - Whitley, Melodi Javid, Willis Barrow, Oana I. Craciunescu, Michelle Pavlis, and David G. Kirsch. “Kaposi sarcoma in a patient with postpolio syndrome.” Cutis 104, no. 5 (November 2019): E20–22.
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  - Whitley, Melodi Javid, Jason E. Stout, Atul Kapila, M Angelica Selim, Parisa Mansoori, and Anne L. Marano. “Papulonecrotic tuberculid and Poncet disease: A case of multisystem delayed-type hypersensitivity in a patient with Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.” Jaad Case Rep 5, no. 9 (September 2019): 794–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdcr.2019.07.002.
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  - Huang, Jianguo, Mark Chen, Melodi Javid Whitley, Hsuan-Cheng Kuo, Eric S. Xu, Andrea Walens, Yvonne M. Mowery, et al. “Generation and comparison of CRISPR-Cas9 and Cre-mediated genetically engineered mouse models of sarcoma.” Nat Commun 8 (July 10, 2017): 15999. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms15999.
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  - Chitalia, Rhea, Jenna Mueller, Henry L. Fu, Melodi Javid Whitley, David G. Kirsch, J Quincy Brown, Rebecca Willett, and Nimmi Ramanujam. “Algorithms for differentiating between images of heterogeneous tissue across fluorescence microscopes.” Biomed Opt Express 7, no. 9 (September 1, 2016): 3412–24. https://doi.org/10.1364/BOE.7.003412.
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  - Bartholf DeWitt, Suzanne, William C. Eward, Cindy A. Eward, Alexander L. Lazarides, Melodi Javid Whitley, Jorge M. Ferrer, Brian E. Brigman, David G. Kirsch, and John Berg. “A Novel Imaging System Distinguishes Neoplastic from Normal Tissue During Resection of Soft Tissue Sarcomas and Mast Cell Tumors in Dogs.” Vet Surg 45, no. 6 (August 2016): 715–22. https://doi.org/10.1111/vsu.12487.
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  - Whitley, Melodi Javid, Diana M. Cardona, Alexander L. Lazarides, Ivan Spasojevic, Jorge M. Ferrer, Joan Cahill, Chang-Lung Lee, et al. “A mouse-human phase 1 co-clinical trial of a protease-activated fluorescent probe for imaging cancer.” Sci Transl Med 8, no. 320 (January 6, 2016): 320ra4. https://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.aad0293.
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  - Lazarides, Alexander L., Melodi J. Whitley, David B. Strasfeld, Diana M. Cardona, Jorge M. Ferrer, Jenna L. Mueller, Henry L. Fu, et al. “A Fluorescence-Guided Laser Ablation System for Removal of Residual Cancer in a Mouse Model of Soft Tissue Sarcoma.” Theranostics 6, no. 2 (2016): 155–66. https://doi.org/10.7150/thno.13536.
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  - Whitley, Melodi Javid, Adela R. Cardones, Oana I. Craciunescu, and David G. Kirsch. “Externally applied high-dose-rate brachytherapy for deeply invasive cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in an older patient.” Pract Radiat Oncol 6, no. 4 (2016): e141–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prro.2015.11.008.
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  - Mueller, Jenna L., Henry L. Fu, Jeffrey K. Mito, Melodi J. Whitley, Rhea Chitalia, Alaattin Erkanli, Leslie Dodd, et al. “A quantitative microscopic approach to predict local recurrence based on in vivo intraoperative imaging of sarcoma tumor margins.” Int J Cancer 137, no. 10 (November 15, 2015): 2403–12. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijc.29611.
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  - Whitley, Melodi J., Ralph Weissleder, and David G. Kirsch. “Tailoring Adjuvant Radiation Therapy by Intraoperative Imaging to Detect Residual Cancer.” Semin Radiat Oncol 25, no. 4 (October 2015): 313–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semradonc.2015.05.005.
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  - Sachdeva, Mohit, Melodi J. Whitley, Jeffrey K. Mito, Yan Ma, Dina C. Lev, Diana M. Cardona, and David G. Kirsch. “MicroRNA-16 suppresses metastasis in an orthotopic, but not autochthonous, mouse model of soft tissue sarcoma.” Dis Model Mech 8, no. 9 (September 2015): 1169. https://doi.org/10.1242/dmm.022582.
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  - Sachdeva, Mohit, Melody J. Whitley, Jeffrey K. Mito, Yan Ma, Dina C. Lev, Diana M. Cardona, and David G. Kirsch. “MicroRNA-16 suppresses metastasis in an orthotopic, but not autochthonous, mouse model of soft tissue sarcoma.” Dis Model Mech 8, no. 8 (August 1, 2015): 867–75. https://doi.org/10.1242/dmm.017897.
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  - Liu, Yang, Jeffrey R. Ashton, Everett J. Moding, Hsiangkuo Yuan, Janna K. Register, Andrew M. Fales, Jaeyeon Choi, et al. “A Plasmonic Gold Nanostar Theranostic Probe for In Vivo Tumor Imaging and Photothermal Therapy.” Theranostics 5, no. 9 (2015): 946–60. https://doi.org/10.7150/thno.11974.
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  - Fu, H. L., J. L. Mueller, M. Javid, D. G. Kirsch, N. Ramanujam, and J. Q. Brown. “Optimization of illumination frequency and preclinical validation of a wide-field structured illumination microscope designed for imaging in situ tumor margins.” Cleo: Applications and Technology, Cleo at 2013, November 19, 2013.
  - Cuneo, Kyle C., Jeffrey K. Mito, Melodi P. Javid, Jorge M. Ferrer, Yongbaek Kim, W David Lee, Moungi G. Bawendi, Brian E. Brigman, and David G. Kirsch. “Imaging primary mouse sarcomas after radiation therapy using cathepsin-activatable fluorescent imaging agents.” Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 86, no. 1 (May 1, 2013): 136–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrobp.2012.12.007.
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  - Fu, H. L., J. L. Mueller, M. Javid, D. G. Kirsch, N. Ramanujam, and J. Q. Brown. “Optimization of illumination frequency and preclinical validation of a wide-field structured illumination microscope designed for imaging in situ tumor margins.” 2013 Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics, Cleo 2013, January 1, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1364/cleo_at.2013.ath1n.3.
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  - Fu, Henry L., Jenna L. Mueller, Melodi P. Javid, Jeffrey K. Mito, David G. Kirsch, Nimmi Ramanujam, and J Quincy Brown. “Optimization of a widefield structured illumination microscope for non-destructive assessment and quantification of nuclear features in tumor margins of a primary mouse model of sarcoma.” Plos One 8, no. 7 (2013): e68868. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0068868.
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  - Dussupt, Vincent, Paola Sette, Nana F. Bello, Melodi P. Javid, Kunio Nagashima, and Fadila Bouamr. “Basic residues in the nucleocapsid domain of Gag are critical for late events of HIV-1 budding.” J Virol 85, no. 5 (March 2011): 2304–15. https://doi.org/10.1128/JVI.01562-10.
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  - Dussupt, Vincent, Melodi P. Javid, Georges Abou-Jaoudé, Joshua A. Jadwin, Jason de La Cruz, Kunio Nagashima, and Fadila Bouamr. “The nucleocapsid region of HIV-1 Gag cooperates with the PTAP and LYPXnL late domains to recruit the cellular machinery necessary for viral budding.” Plos Pathog 5, no. 3 (March 2009): e1000339. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1000339.
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  - Ruthel, Gordon, Gretchen L. Demmin, George Kallstrom, Melodi P. Javid, Shirin S. Badie, Amy B. Will, Timothy Nelle, et al. “Association of ebola virus matrix protein VP40 with microtubules.” J Virol 79, no. 8 (April 2005): 4709–19. https://doi.org/10.1128/JVI.79.8.4709-4719.2005.
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- Book Sections
  - Whitley, M. J., A. R. Cardones, and Sarah Myers. “Rashes to Recognize in the Immunocompromised Transplant Patient: Focus on the Solid Organ Transplant Recipient.” In Emerging Transplant Infections, edited by M. I. Morris, C. N. Kotton, and C. Wolfe. Springer, 2021.
- Conference Papers
  - Ashton, J. R., J. Hoye, K. Deland, M. Whitley, Y. Qi, E. Moding, D. G. Kirsch, J. West, and C. T. Badea. “A dual energy CT study on vascular effects of gold nanoparticles in radiation therapy.” In Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of Spie, Vol. 9788, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2217012.
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- Datasets
  - Fu, Henry L., Jenna L. Mueller, Melodi J. Whitley, Diana M. Cardona, Rebecca M. Willett, David G. Kirsch, J Quincy Brown, and Nimmi Ramanujam. “Structured Illumination Microscopy and a Quantitative Image Analysis for the Detection of Positive Margins in a Pre-Clinical Genetically Engineered Mouse Model of Sarcoma.,” 2016. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0147006.
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Teaching & Mentoring
Advising & Mentoring
- As the Assistant Program Director for Trainee Research of the Duke Department of Dermatology Residency Program I am dedicated to mentoring medical students, residents and fellows in our department.

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Education, Training, & Certifications

Leadership & Clinical Positions at Duke

Academic Positions Outside Duke

Subject Headings

External Relationships

Selected Publications

Academic Articles

Book Sections

Conference Papers

Datasets

Advising & Mentoring