About Travis W. Vandergriff, MD

Travis W. Vandergriff, M.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Dermatology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He has a joint appointment in the Department of Pathology. Dr. Vandergriff is both a general dermatologist and a dermatopathologist, and he has special expertise in diagnosing skin cancer. Board certified in both dermatology and dermatopathology (American Board of Dermatology and American Board of Pathology), he serves as Director of UT Southwestern’s dermatopathology service and as Assistant Director of the Dermatopathology Fellowship Program. Dr. Vandergriff’s professional honors include the Department of Dermatology’s 2014 Outstanding Teacher Award and a three-time Texas Rising Star designation by Super Doctors®. His research interests include melanoma and other skin cancers, as well as medical education. He has co-authored 16 textbooks and published nearly 40 scholarly articles related to dermatology and dermatopathology. Dr. Vandergriff earned his medical degree at Baylor College of Medicine, where he was a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. He completed a transitional-year internship at Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center in Denver before coming to UT Southwestern to perform a residency in dermatology (serving as Chief Resident) and a fellowship in dermatopathology. He also holds a B.A. in linguistics and Spanish literature from the University of Texas at Austin, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and graduated summa cum laude in the Plan II Honors program. Dr. Vandergriff speaks both English and Spanish. He joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2011. Dr. Travis Vandergriff has two important roles at UT Southwestern Medical Center when it comes to caring for patients with skin diseases. As a dermatologist and dermatopathologist, Dr. Vandergriff evaluates and treats general dermatology patients with a wide variety of skin conditions – from eczema and acne to dermatitis and rashes. His primary clinical interest, however, is treating patients with all types of skin cancer. He specializes in helping patients with a history of skin cancer, those at high risk for the disease, and people who are concerned that they may have it because of the presence of atypical moles, lesions, or other symptoms. Board certified and fellowship trained in dermatopathology , Dr. Vandergriff is an expert in microscopically examining and interpreting skin biopsies (tissue samples), including cases of suspected skin cancer. “Because our ultimate goal is to choose the most appropriate treatment for every patient’s specific condition, the most essential part of treating a patient is making sure you have the right diagnosis,” he says. “By interpreting patients’ biopsies within the context of their clinical findings, I can provide the most accurate diagnoses possible for skin cancers such as basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma.”