Using zebrafish to shed light on melanoma: an interview with Liz Patton

Abstract

Liz Patton is a Senior Lecturer at the MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, where she leads a research group whose goal is to understand melanocyte and melanoma development. Early on in her research career, Liz investigated cell cycle regulation in yeast and the implications for cancer, but now primarily exploits the zebrafish model to identify new pathways and therapeutic compounds relevant to melanoma. In this interview, Liz recalls some of her most exciting breakthroughs to date, discusses the advantages of zebrafish as a disease model and provides her perspectives on the current challenges in cancer research.