Our work focuses on both clinical practice and research. The basic scientific laboratory is fully integrated with the clinical research performed through the Familial Melanoma Research Clinic. The goals of this laboratory research are translational in nature, with an emphasis on identification and understanding the molecular pathways that lead to melanoma predisposition.

By studying samples derived from patients at high, moderate, and low risk for melanoma at the molecular and cellular level, we hope to uncover a method of reducing risk. The laboratory uses state-of-the-art techniques such as expression microarray analysis, tissue array strategies, and molecular genetic assays to examine the differences between patients at high and low risk for melanoma.