Shizhen (Jane) Zhu, M.D., Ph.D. is a biomedical researcher who is particularly motivated by work that has the potential to improve public health by advancing the understanding of cancer for the eventual development of improved therapeutics. Dr. Zhu's laboratory utilizes a functional genomics approach and a robust zebrafish model system to explore how findings emerging from integrative genomic studies contribute to the pathogenesis of neuroblastoma and different types of cancers, and to translate the knowledge gained from experimental studies into effective therapies for these malignancies. The cancer research community has invested heavily in understanding the genetic basis of human malignancies, including neuroblastoma, but a direct and sustained impact on patient care resulting from new integrative genetics approaches has yet to be realized. By focusing efforts on neuroblastoma, specifically using a robust novel zebrafish model of neuroblastoma, Dr. Zhu and colleagues will uncover molecular mechanisms that underlie the pathogenesis of this devastating childhood malignancy. Ultimately, understanding these mechanisms will help them develop novel targeted therapies that could reduce the currently high morbidity and mortality rates associated with this tumor.