Speakers
Hunter Shain, Ph.D.
Donald A Kerr Endowed Collegiate Professor of Oral Pathology
Associate Professor
Professor, Department of Dermatology
University of California, San Francisco
Dr. Hunter Shain is an Associate Professor in the Department of Dermatology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where he also holds affiliations with the Institute of Human Genetics and the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. He leads the Precancer Atlas of Skin Cancer center, a major component of the National Cancer Institute's Human Tumor Atlas Network (HTAN), focused on constructing comprehensive maps of the molecular, cellular, and spatial changes that underlie the earliest stages of skin cancer development. In his research program, Dr. Shain employs cutting-edge genomic and multi-omic technologies, including single-cell sequencing and spatial transcriptomics, to decipher the genetic evolution and immune microenvironment of precancerous skin lesions as they progress toward melanoma and other cutaneous malignancies. His work aims to identify biomarkers and mechanisms that could transform early detection and prevention strategies for skin cancer. Dr. Shain earned his B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois and his Ph.D. in Cancer Biology from Stanford University, followed by postdoctoral training in cancer genomics at UCSF. His scholarship has advanced understanding of melanoma risk and pre-malignant genomic processes, contributing to the field's broader efforts to intercept cancer before it becomes invasive.
Lei Wei, Ph.D.
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Associate Professor
I am a computational biologist specializing in the detection and interpretation of low frequency somatic mutations, which represent early driver events in the development of various human cancers. Skin has become the primary organ system I study because of its accessibility and because skin cancer provides a uniquely informative model for investigating early mutational processes and opportunities for prevention. My background includes extensive experience with whole genome, exome, and targeted sequencing analyses across diverse disease contexts. I received prior training through the Pediatric Cancer Genome Project at St Jude Children;s Research Hospital and Washington University. After joining Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, my research, conducted in collaboration with dermatologists and experimental biologists, has focused on UV induced epidermal clonal mutations and their role in skin cancer prevention, field cancerization, and early intervention. This work includes quantitative evaluation of sunscreen photoprotection, comparative assessment of field therapies such as photodynamic therapy and 5 fluorouracil for actinic keratoses, and strategies aimed at reducing UV associated mutational burden. I have also established collaborations with pharmaceutical industry partners and dermatologists in related areas, including basal cell carcinoma and autoimmune skin disease, where I apply mutational characterization and quantitative analyses to better understand disease severity and progression. Across these efforts, my goal is to integrate quantitative, data driven approaches with dermatologic research and clinical insight to advance strategies for early detection, interception, and prevention of skin cancer.