WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Melanoma Research Alliance, the largest non-profit funder of melanoma research, has named 13 promising clinicians/researchers-in-training as 2020 MRA Dermatology Fellows.
The Fellows, all trainees – either as dermatologists or researchers focused on dermatology – will each receive a $35,000 grant to support an independent research or demonstration project focused on advancing melanoma prevention or early detection. Fellows’ research interests are broad, including research aimed at telemedicine, machine learning, and development of a prevention intervention for young adults.
“This program is unique because it helps attract the best and brightest young scientists and clinicians to focus their efforts on advancing melanoma prevention and early detection,” said MRA Board member and melanoma survivor Denise Kellen. “By investing in these rising stars, we are investing in the next generation of dermatologists and dermatology-focused researchers who will serve on the front lines against this disease.”
The MRA Dermatology Fellowship program, now in its second year, is part of a broader effort by MRA to further engage dermatologists in research to advance melanoma prevention and early detection. This is important because as recent treatment advances have helped people with melanoma live longer, they have not blunted the ever-increasing number of new melanomas diagnosed each year. This year it’s estimated that more than 100,000 people will be diagnosed with melanoma.
Founding support for this program was generously provided by Denise and Michael Kellen. In addition to the Kellen’s continued support, Caterina Heil, Jessica and Natan Bibliowicz and the Polka Dot Mama Melanoma Foundation also contributed to the 2020 cohort.
“We are incredibly grateful for our many donors who are integral in our work,” says MRA President & CEO Michael Kaplan. “Denise and Michael Kellen’s support truly made this program possible and we are thrilled to see Caterina Heil, Jessica and Natan Bibliowicz and the Polka Dot Mama Melanoma Foundation join them in supporting year two of this important initiative.”
2020 MRA Dermatology Fellowship Awardees
Shirin Bajaj, MD
Polka Dot Mama Melanoma Foundation – MRA Dermatology Fellows Award
New York University School of Medicine
Development of an Enhanced Telemedicine-Based Melanoma Diagnostic Platform
Juliana Berk-Krauss, MD
MRA Dermatology Fellows Award
SUNY Downstate Medical Center
Early Detection and Novel Therapies Impact Melanoma Incidence and Mortality
Carter Haag, M.D.
MRA Dermatology Fellows Award
Oregon Health & Science University
Multimedia Learning for Melanoma Prevention and Early Detection Education
Jonathan Kentley, MBBS
MRA Dermatology Fellows Award
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Diagnosis of Melanoma Using Machine Learning and Confocal Microscopy
Sixue Liu, PhD
MRA Dermatology Fellows Award
The University of California, Los Angeles
Mechanisms and Treatments of Metastatic Dissemination by Stage III Melanoma
Enrica Quattrocchi, MD
MRA Dermatology Fellows Award
Mayo Clinic
Melanoma Staging by Artificial Intelligence
Aditi Sahu, PhD
MRA Dermatology Fellows Award
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Towards a Multimodal Imaging Approach for In Vivo Melanoma Diagnosis
Mariana Silva, PhD
MRA Dermatology Fellows Award
Brigham and Women's Hospital
A Novel Integrin-Dependent Metastasis Pathway in Melanoma
Qi Sun, PhD
MRA Dermatology Fellows Award
New York University School of Medicine
Transcriptional Profiling and Marker Identification of Early Stage Melanoma
Zhipeng Tao, PhD
MRA Dermatology Fellows Award
Massachusetts General Hospital
Preventing Melanomagenesis Through Modulating HMGB1 Palmitoylation
Matthew Vesely, MD, PhD
MRA Dermatology Fellows Award
Yale University, School of Medicine
Determining the Immune Inhibitory Landscape in Melanoma
Meng Wang, PhD
MRA Dermatology Fellows Award
The University of California, San Francisco
Characterizing the Genomic Evolution of Acral Lentiginous Melanoma
Yujue Wang, MD, PhD
MRA Dermatology Fellows Award
The University of California, Los Angeles
Genomic Features of Primary Melanoma Predictive of Brain Metastasis
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 $123 million and leveraged an additional $319 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.
