Dr. Scott Binder, MD

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Get to know Dermatopathologist Dr. Scott Binder, who is a practicing dermatopathologist in California.

Dr. Binder is a nationally and internationally known dermatopathologist with large and varied routine and consultative practices. He is the Founder & Director of the Binder Institute of Pathology under the umbrella of the Affiliated Pathologists Medical Group. 

As such, he receives many second opinion consults on difficult and challenging cases in dermatopathology from academic institutions, reference laboratories, and community pathology groups from all over the country as well as international locations. 

Among his past academic appointments, Dr. Binder, an Emeritus Professor of Pathology and Dermatology, served in the past as Professor of Pathology, Dermatology, and Laboratory Medicine, and Senior Vice Chair of the Department of Pathology at UCLA Health. Currently, he is voluntary faculty at Harbor-UCLA Department of Pathology, and a senior consultant for the Departments of Dermatology and Oncology at UC Irvine School of Medicine.

Having earned his undergraduate and medical degrees at the University of Chicago, Dr. Binder completed the residency program at UCLA. As part of his residency program, he specialized in gastrointestinal pathology under internationally-known experts, Drs. Klaus Lewin and Wilfred Weinstein. He attended Scripps Clinic/Naval Hospital San Diego for his fellowship training in dermatopathology under the mentorship of Dr. James Graham. After this training, he completed a preceptorship with A. Bernard Ackerman, MD – “the father of modern dermatopathology” – at New York University. 

Beginning his academic career as an Associate Clinical Professor at USC/LA County Medical Center, Dr. Binder was recruited by Cedars-Sinai as Director of Surgical Pathology and Chiefs of Dermatopathology and Gastrointestinal Pathology. In 2001, he joined the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at UCLA. 

In 2002, he founded the Dermatopathology Fellowship Program at UCLA and for 15 years trained fellows who hold both academic and community-based positions across the United States. Dr. Binder has trained international scholars from countries including China, Germany, Greece, Iran, Israel, Japan, and South Korea among others. 

Dr. Binder is a member of numerous Pathology and Dermatology Societies. He is board-certified in anatomic and clinical pathology & dermatopathology by the American Board of Pathology. Pathology is one of 24 member boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties.

Dermatopathology is a joint subspecialty of dermatology and pathology that focuses on the study of cutaneous diseases and tumors at a microscopic and molecular level. Dermatopathologists are doctors who use microscopes and other sophisticated instruments to analyze samples of skin, hair, and nails to diagnose diseases and to identify tumor markers which may be used to treat various skin cancers, including melanoma and lymphoma among others.

With over 100 publications and more than 150 invited speakerships nationally and internationally, Dr. Binder is a widely-sought expert in diseases and tumors of the skin. He is frequently invited to give keynote talks at the most prestigious dermatopathology meetings, including the annual American Society of Dermatopathology meeting and the American Academy of Dermatology meeting. He receives many invited lectureships, and is regularly invited to speak and give grand rounds at universities within California and across the country. 

With a research focus on telemedicine/telepathology, Dr. Binder was a past recipient and principal investigator of a $12M grant from the State of California in Telepathology Medicine (Digital Pathology), and a past co-investigator of a $4.5M grant for the study of Genomic Sequencing of Malignant Gliomas and Melanomas. 

Currently, Dr. Binder oversees a dermatopathology clinical service which is well known among Southern California dermatologists for the quality and timeliness of his reports. His service includes the technical component of histology slides, global sign-outs, and access to the most current subspecialty studies, such as direct immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, and molecular genetic testing. 

On a more personal note, Dr. Binder speaks both English and Spanish.

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