Allan C. Halpern, MD -- Chief, Dermatology Service

Allan C. Halpern, MD

Dermatologist & Internist

Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Congenital nevi (moles)
  • Melanoma of the skin
  • Atypical moles

My Specialties

  • Prevention and early detection of melanoma in people with dysplastic nevi (moles)
  • Diagnosis and management of skin cancer
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Dr. Halpern's Office Information
Languages: English
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Get to Know Me

I am a board-certified internist and dermatologist with special expertise in skin cancer — especially melanoma. Much of my clinical career has focused on the early detection and management of melanoma in high-risk individuals.

To improve the early detection of melanoma, I have pioneered the use of whole-body photography to assist in the detection of changing moles in patients with dysplastic nevi (large, irregular colored or shaped moles). We have established a fully computerized digital imaging system at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to monitor moles in patients who have dysplastic nevi or a personal history of melanoma.

The program creates a baseline digital photographic record of the patient’s moles. When the patient returns for follow-up appointments, new and changing moles can be identified, enabling subtle melanomas to be recognized at a stage when they are easily cured. The system also reduces the need to excise stable moles and moles erroneously perceived by the patient to have changed.

My research efforts are focused on epidemiologic (population-based) studies of risk factors for developing melanoma and strategies for the prevention and early detection of this disease. Part of this research is an ongoing study of the genetic and environmental factors that influence the development of moles in children and adolescents. Another exciting area of research involves the development of novel optical imaging techniques for the non-invasive diagnosis and management of skin cancer. These techniques include the use of automated computerized image analysis and non-invasive subsurface microscopy. These technologies are currently being developed in a research setting and are not yet available for clinical care.

In addition to my role as Chief of the Dermatology Service, I am Co-Leader of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s Melanoma Disease Management Team, which incorporates the expertise of doctors in surgery, medical oncology, clinical immunology, dermatology, pathology, and radiation oncology to diagnose and treat melanoma.

What I Do at MSK

I'm a dermatologist, which is a doctor with special training in skin, hair, and nails.

I'm an internist at MSK. This is a doctor with special training in many problems that affect organs, including the heart, kidney, liver, and lungs.

  • Chief, Dermatology Service
  • Associate Vice Chair, Promotions Advisory Committee, Department of Medicine
Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Congenital nevi (moles)
  • Melanoma of the skin
  • Atypical moles
  • Melanoma
  • Skin cancer and conditions

My Specialties

  • Prevention and early detection of melanoma in people with dysplastic nevi (moles)
  • Diagnosis and management of skin cancer
Education & Honors

Education

  • MD, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Residencies

  • Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
  • Montefiore Medical Center

Board Certifications

  • Internal Medicine
  • Dermatology

Awards and Honors

  • Castle Connolly: America’s Top Doctor (2025)
  • Castle Connolly: America’s Top Doctor (2024)
  • Top Doctors New York Metro Area, Castle Connolly (2023)
  • Castle Connolly: America's Top Doctors (2023)
  • Castle Connolly: New York Magazine Top Doctors (2005-2020)

Insurance Information

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If you have questions about insurance, call us at 646-497-9176.

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Contact and Location

Office Phone
Location
New York, NY
West Harrison, NY
David H. Koch Center for Cancer Care at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
530 East 74th Street New York NY 10021
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Memorial Sloan Kettering Westchester
500 Westchester Avenue West Harrison NY 10604
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Colleagues

Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering work as teams, with specialists from all different areas. This allows us to consider all your needs together, and to give you the best possible care.

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Clinical Trials

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Find a Clinical Trial for You

Memorial Sloan Kettering's doctors and scientists are constantly developing new treatments for cancer. MSK is typically running hundreds of clinical trials at a given time.

You may be able to participate in a clinical trial even if you are new to MSK. Search our online directory to find trial information and see more about who can participate.

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Research and Publications

Publications on PubMed

Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Halpern’s journal articles. Pubmed is an online index of research papers and other articles from the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.

See all on PubMed

Disclosures

Members of the MSK Community often work with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology, and life sciences companies, and other organizations outside of MSK, to find safe and effective cancer treatments, to improve patient care, and to educate the health care community. These activities outside of MSK further our mission, provide productive collaborations, and promote the practical application of scientific discoveries.

MSK requires doctors, faculty members, and leaders to report (“disclose”) the relationships and financial interests they have with external entities. As a commitment to transparency with our community, we make that information available to the public. Not all disclosed interests and relationships present conflicts of interest. MSK reviews all disclosed interests and relationships to assess whether a conflict of interest exists and whether formal COI management is needed.

Allan C. Halpern discloses the following relationships and financial interests:

  • Canfield Scientific
    Professional Services and Activities
  • SKIP Derm, LLC
    Equity; Intellectual Property Rights
  • SpotDoc
    Equity

If you’re a patient at MSK and would like more information about your doctor’s external relationships, please talk with your doctor.

The information published here is a complement to other publicly reported data and is for a specific annual disclosure period. There may be differences between information on this and other public sites as a result of different reporting periods and/or the various ways relationships and financial interests are categorized by organizations that publish such data.

This page and data include information for a specific MSK annual disclosure period (January 1, 2024 through disclosure submission in spring 2025). This data reflects interests that may or may not still exist. This data is updated annually.

Learn more about MSK’s COI policies here. For questions regarding MSK’s COI-related policies and procedures, email MSK’s Compliance Office at [email protected].


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