WASHINGTON, D.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In advance of Melanoma Awareness Month, the Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA), the largest non-profit funder of melanoma research, today announced funding for 33 innovative research awards totaling $8.26 million.
The newly selected research awards will address critical unmet needs in melanoma detection, prognostication and treatment. Five awards – three of which were generously funded by the Michael and Jacqueline Ferro Family Foundation – will investigate ways to better harness artificial intelligence to improve the early detection and prognosis of melanoma. Several other projects will examine novel drug targets, new treatment approaches for brain metastases, and ways to overcome targeted therapy resistance.
“For so many patients and loved ones who have been affected by melanoma, research is hope,” said Debra Black cofounder and chair of MRA. “While progress is steadily being made, we won’t stop until we have cured melanoma. MRA-funded research is accelerating our progress toward better treatments and ultimately a cure for this disease.”
These new research awards come at a critical time, as rates of melanoma have doubled over the last 30 years. This year in the United States more than 96,000 people will be diagnosed with melanoma and over 7,000 people will succumb to the disease.
“While the explosive rate of new melanoma cases is alarming, I am encouraged by the reduced rate of mortality from melanoma. This is a testament to the vast progress we are making in the lab and in the clinic,” said MRA Chief Science Officer, Marc Hurlbert, PhD. “We still have a long way to go, but we are making headway. Additional investment in basic and clinical research is essential to keep the momentum.”
The new awards will support research at 28 institutions in seven countries, comprising 16 Established Investigators, 12 Young Investigators and five Pilot awards. The grants were selected by MRA’s Grant Review Committee through a diligent peer review process and confirmed by the MRA Board of Directors. The awards announced today bring MRA’s total investment in life-saving melanoma research to over $110 million, in addition to $150 million in outside, leveraged funds.
“At MRA, we’ve seen our funded research translate to true real world improvements in the prevention, detection and treatment of melanoma. We have no doubt that these new awards will take us even closer to achieving our goal of ending pain and suffering due to melanoma,” said MRA President & CEO Michael Kaplan.
MRA’s 2019 grant awards are made possible through the significant contributions of individuals, families, institutions and corporate allies. Donors and partners providing financial support for 75% or more of an award are listed below within the named award.
2019 Grant Awards
Established Investigator Awards
Epigenetic Regulation of Resistance to Targeted Therapies in Melanoma
MRA Established Investigator Award
Rhoda Alani M.D., Boston
University
Targeting MAPK and PI3K signaling via CK2 inhibition in acral melanoma
MRA Established Investigator Award, collaboratively funded by
Columbia University
Angela Christiano Ph.D., Columbia University
Applying AI to Assess Histologic Features to Improve Melanoma Diagnosis
Michael and Jacqueline Ferro Family Foundation - MRA Established
Investigator Award for Artificial Intelligence Applied to Melanoma
Joann
Elmore M.D., M.P.H., University of California Los Angeles
DGAT1 is a novel melanoma oncogene
MRA Established Investigator Award
Adam Hurlstone Ph.D.,
University of Manchester
Eradicating melanoma drug-tolerant cells
MRA Established Investigator Award
Jean-Christophe Marine
Ph.D., VIB
Enhanced-OCT for discriminating nevi from melanomas
Michael and Jacqueline Ferro Family Foundation - MRA Established
Investigator Award for Artificial Intelligence Applied to Melanoma
Mohammadreza
Nasiriavanaki Ph.D., Wayne State University
Developing a predictive tool using machine learning algorithm in melanoma
MRA Established Investigator Award, collaboratively funded by New
York University School of Medicine
Iman Osman M.D., New York
University School of Medicine
Metabolic Control of T cell Senescence for Melanoma Immunotherapy
MRA Established Investigator Award
Guangyong Peng M.D.,
Ph.D., Saint Louis University
Preclinical development of a disrupter of BRAF-containing dimers
MRA Established Investigator Award
Neal Rosen M.D., Ph.D.,
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Studying the effects of intra-tumor heterogeneity on anti-tumor immunity
MRA Established Investigator Award
Yardena Samuels Ph.D.,
Weizmann Institute
Nanomedicine targeting melanoma-astrocytes interplay in 3D brain metastases
MRA Established Investigator Award
Ronit Satchi-Fainaro
Ph.D., Tel-Aviv University
Targeting CD39 in melanoma
MRA Established Investigator Award
Mark Smyth Ph.D., The
Council of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research
Mechanism of EBF3 Tumor Suppression in Melanoma
MRA Established Investigator Award
Hensin Tsao MD, PhD,
Massachusetts General Hospital (The General Hospital Corp.)
Proof of practice: melanoma screening using computer vision
MRA Established Investigator Award, collaboratively funded by
University of California, San Francisco
Maria Wei M.D., Ph.D.,
University of California, San Francisco
Understanding and targeting metabolic heterogeneity in melanoma
MRA Established Investigator Award
Bin Zheng Ph.D.,
Massachusetts General Hospital
Finding Pathways That Drive T-Cells Into Melanoma
MRA Established Investigator Award
Leonard I. Zon M.D.,
Harvard University
Young Investigator Awards
Identification of metabolic liabilities of melanoma cells
MRA Young Investigator Award
Kivanc Birsoy Ph.D., The
Rockefeller University
Discovering unconventional CD8+ T-cell epitopes in metastatic melanoma
Bristol-Myers Squibb - MRA Young Investigator Award in Immunotherapy
Yiwen
Chen Ph.D., University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center
Optimization of GITR antibodies for melanoma immunotherapy
MRA Young Investigator Award, collaboratively funded by Weizmann
Institute of Science
Rony Dahan Ph.D., Weizmann Institute
Targeting copy number alterations to overcome immune evasion in melanoma
Julie and Edward J. Minskoff - MRA Young Investigator Award
Teresa
Davoli Ph.D., New York University School of Medicine
Microbial metabolites in immunotherapy of malignant melanoma
Bristol-Myers Squibb - MRA Young Investigator Award in Immunotherapy
Simon
Heidegger M.D., Klinikum rechts der Isar der Technische Universitat
Munchen
TANK-Binding Kinase 1 (TBK1) As A Novel Cancer Immunotherapy Target
Tara Miller Melanoma Foundation - MRA Young Investigator Award
Russell
Jenkins M.D., Ph.D., Massachusetts General Hospital
Transcriptional and Epigenetic Regulators of Melanoma Initiation
MRA Young Investigator Award
Charles K. Kaufman M.D., Ph.D.,
Washington University in St. Louis
Dissecting tumor-immune cell interactions in uveal melanoma
Ellen and Gary Davis - MRA Young Investigator Award
Ashley
Laughney Ph.D., Weill Cornell Medical College
Identifying new molecular targets and drugs to treat resistant Melanoma
Jill and Jay Bernstein - MRA Young Investigator Award
Nir
London Ph.D., Weizmann Institute
Factors that Influence Artificial Intelligence-based Melanoma Diagnosis
Michael and Jacqueline Ferro Family Foundation - MRA Young
Investigator Award for Artificial Intelligence Applied to Melanoma
Veronica
Rotemberg M.D., Ph.D., Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Elucidating cross-presentation of melanoma-derived antigens
Lee Grinberg Family - MRA Young Investigator Award
Stefani
Spranger Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The multifaceted Ambra1-based signaling in melanoma response to therapy
MRA Young Investigator Award
Daniela De Zio Ph.D., Kraeftens
Bekaempelse
Pilot Awards:
Development of Novel YAP-TEAD Inhibitors for Uveal Melanoma
MRA Pilot Award
Fernando Camargo Ph.D., Children's Hospital
Boston
Mitochondrial Control of Melanoma Initiation
MRA Pilot Award, collaboratively funded by Icahn School of Medicine
at Mount Sinai
Jerry Chipuk Ph.D., Icahn School of Medicine at
Mount Sinai
Blood vessel co-option by brain tropic melanoma cells
MRA Pilot Award
Andrew Dudley Ph.D., The University of
Virginia
Spliced immune receptors for immune regulation and melanoma immunotherapy
MRA Pilot Award
Michal Lotem M.D., Hadassah Hebrew
University Medical Center
Targeting ferroptosis to combat resistant forms of melanoma
MRA Pilot Award
James Olzmann Ph.D., University of
California, Berkeley
About Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA)
Founded in 2007 under the auspices of the Milken Institute, with the generous support of Debra and Leon Black, the Melanoma Research Alliance exists to accelerate treatment options and find a cure for melanoma. As the largest nonprofit funder of melanoma research, it has dedicated over $110 million and leveraged an additional $150 million towards its mission. Through its support, MRA has championed revolutions in immunotherapy, targeted therapies, novel combinations and diagnostics. Due to the ongoing support of its founders, 100 percent of donations to MRA go directly to its melanoma research program. MRA's ability to fund wide-ranging research in melanoma is amplified by unique collaborations and partnerships with individuals, private foundations, and corporations. Visit http://www.CureMelanoma.org for more information.
