Exposure to UV radiation is the most significant environmental risk factor in skin cancer development. UVB radiation can damage important genes in DNA such as tumor suppressor p53, thereby altering protein function and leading to skin cancer. Recent research indicates ER-localized protein IRE1α may influence the cellular response to UVB damage. This project utilizes immortalized human keratinocyte cells to investigate the role of IRE1α and p53 expression in the cellular response to UVB-induced damage.