What you probably wouldn’t include is that Vermont has a very high rate of skin cancer. In fact, few Vermonters are even aware that Vermont has the 3rd highest incidence of melanoma in the country. The multi-institution grant, led by UVM, will investigate the conditions that promote the formation of rare types of DNA damage that drive melanoma. For example, understanding what solar exposures are driving rare damages could lead to the development of new sunscreens that can prevent these types of rare DNA damage. The team hopes to provide new insight into why certain states, like Vermont, experience such a high incidence of melanoma while lacking common features typically associated with skin cancer incidence.