Joel C. Sunshine, MD, PhD, MS
DermatopathologyDermatology
Highlights
Age Groups Seen
- Young Adult 18-25
- Adult 26-64
- Older Adult 65+
Languages
- English
In-Network Plans
View All Accepted Plans (12)Gender
MaleJohns Hopkins Affiliations:
- Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Faculty
About Joel C. Sunshine
Primary Academic Title
Assistant Professor of Dermatology
Johns Hopkins Physician
Background
Dr. Joel Sunshine is an Assistant Professor of Dermatology, Pathology, Oncology, and Biomedical Engineering at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He specializes in medical dermatology and skin cancer. His areas of clinical expertise include general dermatology, cutaneous oncology including melanoma and Merkel cell carcinoma, and supportive oncodermatology.
Dr. Sunshine obtained his undergraduate degree from Brandeis University, his M.D. and Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and his dermatology residency training and dermatopathology fellowship from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Centers and Institutes
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Additional Academic Titles
Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Assistant Professor of Oncology, Assistant Professor of Pathology
Research Interests
Dr. Sunshine's primary research interest is understanding how skin cancers interact with the immune system, finding new ways to predict which patients will do well with what treatment, and developing new therapies to improve the immune response to skin cancers.
Google Scholar - Publications
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=GIzdVucAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
PubMed - Publications
Selected Publications
Sunshine JC, Akanda MI, Li D, Kozielski KL, and Green JJ. Effects of Base Polymer Hydrophobicity and End-Group Modification on Polymeric Gene Delivery. Biomacromolecules. 2011; 12(10),3592–3600
Sunshine JC, Nguyen P, Kaunitz G, Cottrell T, Berry S, Esandrio J, Xu H, Ogurtsova A, Bleich KR, Cornish TC, Lipson EJ, Anders RA, Taube JM. PD-L1 Expression in Melanoma: A Quantitative Immunohistochemical Antibody Comparison. Clinical Cancer Research. 2017; 23(16):4938-44
Sunshine JC, Peng DY, Green JJ. Uptake and transfection with polymeric nanoparticles are dependent on polymer end-group structure, but largely independent of nanoparticle physical and chemical properties. Molecular Pharmaceutics. 2012; 9(11):3375-3383
Sunshine JC, Perica K, Schneck JP, Green JJ. Particle shape-dependence of CD8+ T cell activation by artificial Antigen Presenting Cells. Biomaterials. 2014; 35(1):269-277
Nghiem PT, Bhatia S, Lipson EJ, Kudchadkar RR, Miller NJ, Annamalai L, Berry S, Chartash E, Daud A, Fling SP, Friedlander PA, Kluger HM, Kohrt HE, Lundgren L, Margolin K, Mitchell A, Olencki TO, Pardoll DM, Reddy SA, Shantha EM, Sharfman WH, Sharon E, Shemanski LR, Shinohara MM, Sunshine JC, Taube JM, Thompson JA, Townson SM, Yearley JH, Topalian SL, Cheever MA. PD-1 Blockade with Pembrolizuma in Advanced Merkel-Cell Carcinoma. New England Journal of Medicine. 2016; 374:2542-2552.
Patents
- Peptide/particle delivery systems, 9,717,694
- Multicomponent Degradable Cationic Polymers, 9,884,118
- Biomimetic artificial cells: anisotropic supported lipid bilayers on biodegradable micro and nanoparticles for spatially dynamic surface biomolecule presentation, 20,180,256,745
- Artificial Antigen Presenting Cells Having a Defined and Dynamic Shape, 20,140,370,099
Honors
- Fellow, Advancing Innovation in Dermatology, 1/1/17
- Siebel Scholar, Thomas and Stacey Siebel Foundation, 1/1/15
Graduate Program Affiliations
Biomedical Engineering
Memberships
- Society for the Immunotherapy of Cancer
- Society for Investigative Dermatology
Locations
- Johns Hopkins Health Care & Surgery Center - Green Spring Station, Lutherville
- 10755 Falls Road, Pavilion I STE 350, Lutherville, MD 21093
- Get Directions
- phone: 410-955-5933
- fax: 410-367-2763
Expertise
Education
- Fellowship: McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern, Dermatopathology, 2020
- Residency: McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern, Dermatology, 2019
- Medical Education: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MD PhD, 2015
- Graduate School: Brandeis University, MS, 2007
Board Certifications
- Dermatopathology: American Board of Dermatology, 2020
- Dermatology: American Board of Dermatology, 2019
Insurance
- Aetna
- CareFirst
- Cigna
- First Health
- Geisinger Health Plan
- HealthSmart/Accel
- Johns Hopkins Health Plans
- MultiPlan
- Pennsylvania's Preferred Health Networks (PPHN)
- Point Comfort Underwriters
- Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS)
- Veteran Affairs Community Care Network (Optum-VACCN)
Ratings & Reviews
4.7 out of 5
131 ratings, 39 reviewsThe Patient Rating score is an average of all responses to physician related questions on the national CG-CAHPS Medical Practice patient experience survey through Press Ganey. Responses are measured on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best score. Comments are also gathered from our CG-CAHPS Medical Practice Survey through Press Ganey and displayed in their entirety. Patients are de-identified for confidentiality and patient privacy.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 3/10/2026
Dr Sunshine and everyone in the office is awesome. I would recommend everyone to visit this team.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 2/10/2026
Always available for any concerns during periods between yearly appointments.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 1/27/2026
Knowledgeable, thorough, efficient, friendly, respectful
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 1/27/2026
Appt.schedule was months ahead. Thena sooner appt came up with Dr Sunshine. He was great
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 1/20/2026
Professional and informative. Happy to have such a knowledgeable physician.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 1/6/2026
Dr. Sunshine was very professional. He took his time with the examination and answered all my questions.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 1/6/2026
Dr. Sunshine is an outstanding physician. Very professional and comprehensive. Also very personable!
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 12/30/2025
It took several months to get sn sppointment with this office or any other JH dermatology office in Balt/DC area. At least 4 months, maybe more
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 12/30/2025
Dr. Sunshine and the resident were thorough and I felt very satisfied with their professional approach in the exam.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 12/30/2025
Dr. Sunshine met me on short notice, since I was at hospital for another problem.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 12/29/2025
He was thorough.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 12/2/2025
Dr. Sunshine is a great and empathetic dermatologist. Very gentle and sincere.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 11/25/2025
Very good
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 11/18/2025
Dr. Sunshine is wonderful. The care and concern excellent.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 11/11/2025
This was my first appointment with Dr. Sunshine and I felt It went very well. There were no issues and I was advised to see him In a years time.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 10/28/2025
Dr. Sunshine and his resident were both outstanding! Thank you for all that you do !
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 10/21/2025
Very kind, professional, knowledgeable.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 9/12/2025
They were very helpful
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 9/2/2025
Dr. Sunshine is an excellent doctor. Very generous with his time. Great sense of humor. Obviously loves what he is doing.
- 4 out of 5 starsReviewed on 9/2/2025
Appointment felt rushed. Relied on resident review instead of his personal assessment
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 8/26/2025
Excellent. Listened well and explained everything completely.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 7/8/2025
Everyone was very professional, kind and very thorough
- 4 out of 5 starsReviewed on 7/1/2025
He was nice but his co-worker did most of the exam and a biopsy.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 6/24/2025
Outstanding
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 6/17/2025
He was very thorough in his examination.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 6/10/2025
He was very good
- 3 out of 5 starsReviewed on 6/10/2025
At least this time he didn't act as though he had never met me. He came in for the visit in a timely manner.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 5/27/2025
Great
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 5/27/2025
Provider was professional, courteous and thorough
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 5/20/2025
Unfortunately there are not many new treatments options that Dr Sunshine can offer for my condition.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 5/13/2025
Very affable and patient.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 5/13/2025
Very good visit
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 5/6/2025
Very good doctor
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 5/6/2025
Had Biopsy done and results were given within two days.
- 1 out of 5 starsReviewed on 4/29/2025
I sat in a providers Exam room for 40 minutes , then left, unseen
- 4 out of 5 starsReviewed on 4/22/2025
Dr. Sunshine seems very skilled, and Im impressed with the follow-up.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 4/15/2025
It has been an excellent experience being seen over years now at Johns Hopkins Dermatology at Greensprings Station. Appreciate greatly my health care keeping vigalence and treatment for melanoma.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 4/15/2025
Excellent I felt your service was superior to the treatment I have been receiving from Duke University Hospital.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 4/15/2025
Both resident and attending were very attentive and caring