About

Amy M. Geller is an award-winning creative producer and filmmaker with over 20 years of experience in fiction and documentaries for broadcast, educational media, industrials, and branded content. Her work has been broadcast on PBS, the BBC, Documentary Channel, Turner Classic Movies, and YES Satellite TV in Israel, and is available on platforms such as Netflix, Apple TV, Amazon, Tubi, and HERE TV. She served as the Artistic Director of the Boston Jewish Film Festival and was President of Women in Film & Video/New England. Geller produced the widely-seen documentary 'For the Love of Movies: The Story of American Film Criticism' (2009) and co-directed two acclaimed feature documentaries, 'The Guys Next Door' (2016) and 'The Rabbi Goes West' (2019). Currently, she is producing, co-hosting, and co-writing a seven-part audio documentary series titled 'The Rabbis Go West,' scheduled for release in 2024. She holds an MFA in Film & TV from Boston University and a BA in Women's Studies from Bates College.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Environmental health
• Gerontology
• Demography
• Pathology
• Internal medicine
• Psychology
• Nursing
• Surgery
• Social psychology

Selected publications

• Bridging the gap to improve skin cancer prevention practices in childhood cancer survivors

  Cancer · 2026-05-20

  article1st authorCorresponding

  Childhood cancer survivors are at heightened risk of skin cancer post‐diagnosis. New strategies are needed to improve prevention and screening in this high‐risk group.

  PublisherDOI

• Correction: Melanoma toolkit for early detection for primary care clinicians: a 1-year follow-up on outcomes

  Frontiers in Medicine · 2026-03-23

  articleOpen access

  [This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1500216.].

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Tans, Bans, and Sedans: How Distance from Tanning Beds May Save Lives

  Journal of Investigative Dermatology · 2025-02-28

  articleOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Skin cancer screening of firefighters and nonfirefighters: A study of the American Academy of Dermatology SPOTme screening program

  Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology · 2025-02-14

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Local Recurrence and Survival in Patients With Melanoma In Situ

  JAMA Dermatology · 2025-09-03 · 4 citations

  articleOpen access

  Importance: The overdiagnosis of melanoma in situ (MIS) is well documented. There is limited evidence on the rate of local recurrence of the non-lentigo maligna (non-LM)/non-acral lentiginous melanoma (non-ALM) subtypes. Objective: To investigate local recurrence and prognosis in non-LM/non-ALM MIS, the histopathological clearance of the excisional biopsy margins, and the association with the size of wide excision margins. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cohort study included patients with non-LM/non-ALM MIS diagnosed from 1991 to 2023 who were followed up for at least 1 year at the Skin Cancer and Melanoma Unit of Andreas Sygros University Hospital in Athens, Greece. Patients with a history of invasive melanoma or a histopathological diagnosis of LM or ALM in situ were excluded. Median (IQR) follow-up was 5.2 (2.9-7.9) years. Deidentified data on patient demographics and clinical characteristics, including the histopathological clearance of margins of the initial excisional biopsy and the size of margins of the wide excision, were obtained from medical records. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcomes were local recurrence, metastasis, and melanoma-specific survival. Results: A total of 401 patients (214 [53.4%] women) with 403 non-LM/non-ALM MIS and a median (IQR) age of 52 (40-62) years were included in the analysis. MIS was frequently located on the trunk (201 lesions [49.9%]), followed by the lower extremity (99 [24.6%]), the upper extremity (71 [17.6%]), and the head and neck (32 [7.9%]). All lesions were initially treated with excisional biopsy, followed by wide excision for 372 (92.3%). There was only 1 local recurrence in a patient with involved margins at the excisional biopsy who did not undergo wide excision and developed an invasive melanoma 14 months later. Thirty lesions in 30 patients had clear excisional biopsy margins with no wide excision and had no recurrence at a median (IQR) follow-up of 8.1 (4.1-12.9) years. In 23 patients with 23 lesions that had wide excision with narrower than the standard 0.5-cm margins (mean [SD] margin size, 0.36 [0.07] cm), no recurrences were found at a median (IQR) follow-up of 4.3 (2.7-6.2) years. During follow-up, 6 patients (1.5%) developed a lesion suspicious for recurrence near the excision scar, which was excised and showed nevus or solar lentigo on histopathology. No patients had metastasis or melanoma-specific death. Conclusions and Relevance: This cohort study found that diagnostic excisional biopsies with clear margins may be sufficient for treating MIS; however, larger studies are necessary.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Trends in Breslow thickness of nodular and superficial spreading melanoma subtypes and associated factors: a twelve-year analysis from a tertiary referral center in Greece

  Italian Journal of Dermatology and Venereology · 2025-01-22 · 1 citations

  article

  BACKGROUND: Primary tumor thickness is important for prognosis of melanoma patients. To enhance prevention and quantify the true burden of melanoma, better understanding of thickness patterns and associated characteristics is crucial. Previous studies have been limited to report trends and address risk factors of thickness in specific melanoma subtypes in the Greek population. We investigated associations between epidemiological characteristics and thickness for the two most common melanoma subtypes and the trends in thickness over a twelve-year period. METHODS: A retrospective study of 1201 patients with histologically confirmed primary nodular and superficial spreading melanoma (SSM) diagnosed from 2010 to 2021 in "Andreas Sygros" Hospital of Cutaneous and Venereal diseases was conducted. Multiple regression was performed to examine the association of variables of interest with melanoma thickness. RESULTS: SSM thickness significantly increased by 2% per year (percent of change: 2.0, 95% CI: 0.2, 3.7) from 2010 to 2021, while a similar tendency for nodular melanoma (NM) thickness was indicated. Age at diagnosis was demonstrated to be a predictor of thickness for both subtypes. When considering all confounders, overall sun exposure was inversely associated with SSM thickness (PC: -6.2, 95% CI: -12.4, 0.5) and a similar association was indicated for NM (PC: -9.3, 95%CI: -21.1, 4.2). CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate an upward trend of SSM thickness and the associations of age at diagnosis and overall exposure to UV with thickness of both subtypes. Future research is needed to identify additional characteristics and explain differences among all melanoma types.

  PublisherDOI

• Oregon primary care providers as a frontline defense in the War on Melanoma™: improving access to melanoma education

  Frontiers in Medicine · 2025-03-14 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Melanoma is one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer but is typically cured with surgical excision when detected early. As an access point to medical care, primary care providers (PCP) play an integral role in early skin cancer detection. However, limited time for examinations and dermatologic training may present barriers to effective skin examination in the primary care setting. As a facet of Oregon Health & Science University's War on Melanoma™ (WoM), our multi-pronged outreach initiative aims to provide PCPs across Oregon with free, convenient, and effective melanoma education. The WoM PCP education campaign was disseminated starting in May 2019 through primary care networks throughout the state of Oregon to 12,792 PCPs, and education was delivered across several platforms: online multimedia tools, large group didactics, individualized practice-based sessions, and in-person distribution of materials to clinics. To date, 829 PCPs have participated in the online Melanoma Toolkit for Early Detection curriculum, 1,874 providers have attended CME didactics, and 9 clinics have received facilitated meetings by Oregon Rural Practice-based Research Network. Eighty-three clinics (comprising 770 providers) were visited on-site and provided educational materials, and more than 150 PCPs have received a free smartphone dermatoscope to aid in skin examination and e-consultation. OHSU's WoM has successfully implemented a multifaceted approach to provide accessible melanoma education to PCPs across the state of Oregon. As a result, we hope to encourage appropriate skin examination in the primary care setting and improve PCPs' diagnostic accuracy and confidence in pigmented lesion evaluation.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Bills to Restrict Access to and Harm From Indoor Tanning Facilities in US State Legislatures, 1992‒2023

  American Journal of Public Health · 2024-11-21 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Objectives. To describe progression, content, and stringency of state legislation regulating indoor tanning and association with state government political party leadership. Methods. Trained research assistants used legal mapping methods to code legislative bills on indoor tanning introduced in US states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. We calculated composite scores on the stringency of age restrictions and of warnings, operator requirements, and enforcement. We evaluated associations of the political party of the legislative sponsor and legislature majority. Results. Between 1992 and 2023, 184 bills were introduced in 49 of 50 states and DC (56 laws were enacted, and 126 bills failed). An under-18 ban was enacted in 22 states and DC. Party affiliation of the bill sponsor and legislature majority combined to affect bill passage and age restrictions. Conclusions. In many states, it took several years and proposed bills before a law on indoor tanning was enacted. Enacted bills were more stringent than failed bills. Public Health Implications. Increasing support for stringent regulations on indoor tanning is evident and may motivate other states or the federal government to prohibit minors from using indoor tanning facilities. ( Am J Public Health. 2025;115(2):191–200. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307894 )

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The skinny on skin: The role of skin‐aware professionals in skin cancer surveillance

  Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology · 2024-09-01 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Licensed nonmedical, skin-aware professionals (e.g., hairdressers, massage therapists, etc.) have the potential to identify skin cancer, but baseline knowledge may not be sufficient to accomplish this goal. Following educational intervention, self-efficacy is one of the best surrogate metrics for behavior change. Curricula that increase knowledge and confidence levels can improve screening behaviors, but few have been tested for efficacy in this population AIMS: We assessed whether an online curriculum could reliably improve skin screening knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of nonmedical professionals PATIENTS/METHODS: Skin-aware professionals were recruited through the Oregon Health Authority and IMPACT Melanoma TM. Participants completed a pre-survey, online training module, post-survey, and one-year follow-up survey. We evaluated participants' indicated levels of concern for suspicious and nonsuspicious lesions relative to "gold standard" physician ratings. We also assessed confidence and self-reported behavior change regarding talking to clients about skin cancer and recommending they see a provider to evaluate suspicious lesions RESULTS: The pre-survey was completed by 9872 skin-aware professionals; 5434 completed the post-survey, and 162 completed the one-year follow-up survey. Participants showed a significant improvement in ability to indicate the correct level of concern for all lesion types in concordance with "gold standard" physician ratings (p < 0.001). Participants reported increased comfort levels in discussing health-related topics with their clients posttraining CONCLUSIONS: Our training module effectively increased skin-aware professionals' knowledge, confidence, and concern for malignant lesions. Skin-aware professionals may serve as a valuable extension of the skin self-exam, but additional studies are needed to evaluate the impact of these curricula long-term, including potential downstream consequences.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Geotemporal Analysis of Melanoma Incidence and Mortality Identifies Distinct Clusters of Trends within the United States Between 2001 and 2019

  Journal of Investigative Dermatology · 2024-07-07 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• Reducing Skin Cancer Risk in Childhood Cancer Survivors

  NIH · $3.4M · 2013–2019

• Technology-Enabled Activation of Skin Cancer Screening for Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Survivors and their Primary Care Providers

  NIH · $4.1M · 2020–2026

• NIH Grant R25CA091958

  NIH · $1.6M · 2009

Frequent coauthors

• Martin A. Weinstock

  Providence College

  217 shared

• Allan C. Halpern

  174 shared

• Stephen W. Dusza

  151 shared

• Waqas R. Shaikh

  National University of Medical Sciences

  136 shared

• Susan M. Swetter

  122 shared

• Howard K. Koh

  109 shared

• Donald R. Miller

  North Dakota State University

  96 shared

• Maryam M. Asgari

  Harvard University

  89 shared