Melanoma is the fifth and seventh most commonly diagnosed cancer in American men and women, respectively.  Currently, it is estimated that 1 in 55 men and 1 in 82 women in the US will be diagnosed with melanoma in his or her lifetime.  Despite the frequency with which melanoma is encountered, relatively few advances in the treatment of melanoma have been made and the mortality rate continues to rise.  Several genes have been implicated in the pathogenesis of melanoma, however its molecular basis is largely unknown.

The goal of Dr. Celebi's program is to identify genes that play a role in melanoma development and progression.  These studies will not only lead to a molecular classification of melanoma, but will also help to predict clinical outcome and lead to discovery of new targets for therapy.