Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer and is known for acquiring resistance to targeted therapies. My dissertation work focuses on understanding the gene regulatory network that governs differentiation of melanocytes during development and how disruptions in this network contribute to melanoma tumorigenesis. In particular, we are studying the role of Activator Protein 2 family transcription factors (TFAP2) in melanocytes and melanoma using a combination of zebrafish genetics and human cell lines.