With expertise in skin cancer, Mohs surgery, and aesthetic dermatology, Ellen Marmur integrates her creative talents and love of the outdoors into her holistic approach to patient care. Ellen Marmur, M.D. ’99, is the founder of Marmur Medical, a women-led practice in New York City. She is also a clinical professor of dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Drs. Ellen and Jonathan Marmur are members of the Albert Einstein Legacy Society, which recognizes individuals—alumni, faculty, parents, and friends—who choose to advance Einstein’s mission and its future prosperity through legacy gifts in their estate plans. If you would like to speak to someone about creating a plan that best meets your philanthropic goals, visit einsteinmed.plannedgiving.org to explore your options, or contact Dorea Ferris, senior director of planned giving, at 718.430.3594 or dorea.ferris@einsteinmed.edu.
Ellen Marmur, M.D. ’99, and Jonathan Marmur, M.D.
I’ve always been a visual person, and dermatology is about patterns, colors, and textures on the skin that tell a story. Your priority should always be protecting your skin with moisturizer and sunscreen. But health also involves keeping in shape, protecting your body, and aging well. The key elements of my philosophy include a true commitment to sufficient sleep, exercise, a healthy diet, hydration, stress reduction, and mental health. Healthy skin starts with intentional self-care that not only prioritizes your body but protects it, too.
I know all too well the dangers of skin cancer. I loved being outdoors and tanning, but I did everything wrong. In 2007, I noticed a pink bump on my nose. A biopsy identified basal cell carcinoma. It was removed, but more skin cancers appeared, including a melanoma on my knee. To raise awareness, I spearheaded the Skin Cancer, Take a Hike initiative with the American Academy of Dermatology to support education and screening. We estimate that we’ve prevented 5,000 melanomas.
When I started at Einstein, I was leaning toward obstetrics and gynecology until a dermatology class led by Michael Fisher, M.D., changed my direction. The first day, he took us outside to sit on the grass—a stark contrast to the long nights of deliveries. He asked us simple questions like, “If somebody comes to you with dandruff, what do you think?” I thought they just needed a shower, but a brilliant resident explained that it could be a sign of Parkinson’s disease or AIDS. The answers showed an encyclopedic understanding of the human body through visual acuity.
You don’t have to achieve everything in your first five years. The learning curve is steep. Give yourself grace and patience. Ask for advice, take it slow, and you’ll get there.
My husband, Jonathan, and I have also been very intentional when it comes to planning for the future, and in this case, for the future of Einstein. Jonathan has his own special connection to Einstein; he is the nephew of renowned researcher and beloved faculty member Julius Marmur, Ph.D., whom he considered a close mentor. Jonathan and I have found inspiration in the Jewish tradition of tikkun olam, which fills us with a profound sense of doing our part to repair the world. In that spirit and to support Einstein, where both of us have roots that run deep, we have planned to include a gift from our estate to the College of Medicine. For us, giving back to Einstein is an honor.
