About the Lab:

Much of Dr. Marks’ efforts are focused on melanosomes of pigmented cells. These lysosome related organelles are disrupted in a group of rare heritable disorders, and pigment cell-specific proteins that localize to melanosomes are targets for the immune system in patients with melanoma. The lab aims to understand how melanosomes are formed and integrated with the endosomal pathway. Dr. Marks’ research is well funded by NIH. His trainees gain experience in areas including molecular biology, cell biology, and pigment biology. Dr. Marks’ inclusion as a trainer provides our students and fellows with the opportunity to receive training in basic melanocyte biology relevant to skin diseases including melanoma, albinism and vitiligo.

Training Information:

Dr. Marks has mentored multiple predoctoral and postdoctoral students since 1997, many of whom have focused on pigment-related dermatological diseases or pigment cell biology.

Current and Former T32 Trainees:

Former:

Chloe Snider, PhD

Yueyao Zhu, BS

Lihn Le, MD, PhD

Tina Ho, MD

Shanna Bowman, PhD

Megan Dennis, PhD

Ariel Lefkovith, MS