University of Vermont Cancer Center Member Profile
Melanie Bui, MD, PhD
Associate Professor, Medicine-Dermatology
Clinical Member
Academic Interests
Dr. Bui is working towards a method that can improve our understanding of the early stages of skin cancer. Her approach involves analyzing pre-cancerous subpopulations of the epidermis to gain insight into competing cell populations in sun damaged skin. She uses eeSNVs to quantify these subpopulations after single-cell RNA sequencing. The single cell dissociation protocol used has yielded high cell viability with the epidermal skin cells enriched as confirmed by expression markers detected through flow cytometry. After sorting the cells using the 10x Chromium single cell sorter, RNA-sequencing is performed. The expected outcomes of this project are to determine the mutation spectrum and burden of sun-exposed skin, which averages 2-6 mutations per Mb of coding sequence per cell. Additionally, it will help to identify the spatial arrangement and cell type specificity of pre-cancerous cell populations, including actinic keratoses and lentigines. Overall, this research provides an invaluable opportunity to analyze scarce primary human samples and improve cancer prevention strategies.
Other Titles, Distinctions and Appointments
Quality Scholarship Award, UVMMC, Department of Medicine, 2023
Dr. Bui is working towards a method that can improve our understanding of the early stages of skin cancer. Her approach involves analyzing pre-cancerous subpopulations of the epidermis to gain insight into competing cell populations in sun damaged skin. She uses eeSNVs to quantify these subpopulations after single-cell RNA sequencing. The single cell dissociation protocol used has yielded high cell viability with the epidermal skin cells enriched as confirmed by expression markers detected through flow cytometry. After sorting the cells using the 10x Chromium single cell sorter, RNA-sequencing is performed. The expected outcomes of this project are to determine the mutation spectrum and burden of sun-exposed skin, which averages 2-6 mutations per Mb of coding sequence per cell. Additionally, it will help to identify the spatial arrangement and cell type specificity of pre-cancerous cell populations, including actinic keratoses and lentigines. Overall, this research provides an invaluable opportunity to analyze scarce primary human samples and improve cancer prevention strategies.
Other Titles, Distinctions and Appointments
Quality Scholarship Award, UVMMC, Department of Medicine, 2023