The Relationship Between Skin Tone and Molecular Alterations in Melanoma
Vanessa Weir
| Mentor | Veronica Rotemberg, MD, PhD and Alexander Shoushtari, MD |
|---|---|
| Award Type | Medical Student Award |
| Institution | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) |
| Donor Support | Looney Legacy Foundation |
Melanoma is the deadliest type of skin cancer. In addition to genetics, increased sun exposure may put individuals at a higher risk for developing melanoma, although this is reported only in lighter skin populations. The relationship between skin tone, genes that may lead to melanoma, and the biological makeup of melanoma tumors is not well understood in diverse populations. The aim of this study is to understand how skin tone may influence the genetic and molecular causes of advanced melanoma.