Looking for healthy human volunteers to participate in a research study focused on skin surface metabolites (such as amino acids and lipids), non-invasively collected from pigmented moles (birthmarks) and nearby non-pigmented skin.

About the study

This study is part of a bigger project aiming to develop a non-invasive method for skin cancer detection and monitoring. The study is approved by the Swedish Ethical Review Authority (Ref. No: 2025-01524-02).

The goal of this part of the study is to create a profile of healthy human skin (both pigmented and non-pigmented) by analysing its metabolome and lipidome. This will serve as a comparison for the next phase of the project, which involves patients with melanoma.

As a participant, you will:

  • Have three tape strips taken from a pigmented mole and seven from nearby non-pigmented skin.
  • Undergo two non-invasive tests to assess the skin barrier: transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and impedance spectroscopy using the Nevisense device.
  • Have the skin photographed before and after tape sampling.

All samples will be analysed in the lab after your visit – no further participation is needed. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact us.

Participation details

  • The study involves a single visit, which takes approximately 30 minutes. It will take place at Malmö University, Forskaren, Per Albin Hanssons väg 35, Malmö.
    No travel reimbursement is available, so we are primarily looking for participants who live nearby.
  • The study can be conducted in English or Swedish – just let us know your preference in advance.

Who can participate?

To participate, you must meet the following criteria:

  • You are 50+ years old and have a pigmented mole larger than 6 mm in diameter (the bigger, the better).
  • You have no concerns about your pigmented mole: no recent or worrying changes in size, colour, etc. (Please note, we are not able to assess the malignancy of pigmented moles as part of this study. It is intended only for healthy volunteers.)
  • You or your family have no history of melanoma.

If you meet these criteria and would like to volunteer (or if you know someone who might be interested), please get in touch with us, and we will schedule a time and date for participation.

Contact information