Congratulations to the Burd Lab, whose National Institutes of Health R01 entitled "Mechanisms of UV-Mediated Melanoma Development " was funded by the National Cancer Institute.

The Burd lab in interested in identifying and dissecting the genetic mechanisms involved in cancer and aging. This grant examines the mechanisms by which UV mediated damage contribute to melanoma development. Fair skin and sunburn are major risk factors for melanoma development, but incomplete understanding of how different skin pigments and types of ultraviolet sunlight (UVA, UVB) contribute to melanoma progression has hindered efforts to curb disease incidence. The funded grant will use models genetically representative of human melanoma to determine how different skin pigments and forms of UV light contribute to melanoma progression. This work is anticipated to identify deficiencies in the biological mechanisms that protect us from the sun, which could be mitigated to improve melanoma prevention strategies and patient outcomes. Knowledge gained from these experiments will aid in the development of melanoma preventatives that progress beyond sunscreens, including interventions that mitigate UV carcinogenesis after an exposure or reduce melanoma risk in individuals with more photosensitive skin types.