Education:

• Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands, M.Sc.
• Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands, PhD

Research Focus:

Melanoma is highly resistant to treatment with current chemotherapies. The development of new treatment options is of utmost importance considering the increase in melanoma incidence. Dr. Cheng’s research is focused on melanocyte viability and chemoresistance, and in particular, on the role of the Oculocutaneous Albinism type 2 (OCA2) gene in these processes. Loss of OCA2 expression results in a significant decrease of sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents. Dr. Cheng aims to elucidate the biological mechanisms that underlie chemoresistance and cell survival in melanoma, which will provide targets for future therapies.