Melissa is a rising fourth-year Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology major at UCLA and has worked at Dr. Willy Hugo’s lab since her sophomore year. The Hugo lab uses computational and wet lab techniques to study melanoma drug resistance to targeted therapies and cancer immunotherapies. Ultimately, the lab aims to uncover mechanisms of tumor resistance such that strategies to re-sensitize melanoma to therapies may be discovered. Melissa is currently investigating melanoma metastasis to the liver, specifically the role played by the vitamin D pathway as informed by previous RNA Sequencing (RNASeq) analysis done by the lab. She spatially profiles the liver tumor microenvironment via CODEX multiplex immunofluorescence imaging to identify cell population(s) that respond to and/or secrete vitamin D pathway molecules. She also co-cultures 2D melanoma and 3D melanoma spheroids with hepatocytes and stromal cells to understand their migration, invasion, and fibrosis-forming capabilities in response to vitamin D pathway molecules. Finally, she investigates the effects of vitamin D pathway molecules on T cell killing of 3D melanoma spheroids and targeted therapy sensitivity. Concurrently, Melissa is collaborating with another student to analyze single cell RNASeq data from patients with melanoma treated with immunotherapies. They are using their analyses and literature review to propose a new bispecific antibody immunotherapy. Melissa thanks the Hugo lab, particularly Drs. Willy Hugo, Qianyu Guo, for their steadfast teaching and guidance. She also thanks the Amgen Foundation for their generous support which has enabled her to focus on research throughout the summer.