Residents of the state of Queensland in Australia have the highest rates of melanoma and skin cancer in the world. So, for a proportionate response, researchers at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research are about to embark on the largest skin cancer research study ever conducted in that country. As Australia's ABC reports, "the basics are well understood: there are many fair skinned people who are exposed to the harsh subtropical sun." But, according to Associate Professor David Whiteman from the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, genetics play a part, too. It's hoped the study will allow doctors to predict a person's future risk of developing skin cancer. ABC report | Queensland study's homepage