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Established Investigator Awards

Established Investigator Awards support senior investigators with an established record of scientific productivity and accomplishment and who are past the initial four years of their first academic faculty appointment.


Epigenetic Regulation of Resistance to Targeted Therapies in Melanoma:
Dissects a molecular pathway of a treatment-resistance to BRAF inhibitors and tests specific inhibitors to overcome treatment resistance.

MRA Established Investigator Award

Rhoda Alani, Boston University


Targeting MAPK and PI3K Signaling via CK2 Inhibition in Acral Melanoma:
Investigates the possibility of using CK2 inhibitors, in combination with currently used therapies, to improve treatment outcomes in NF1 mutant acral melanoma.

MRA Established Investigator Award, collaboratively funded by Columbia University

Angela Christiano, Columbia University


Applying AI to Assess Histologic Features to Improve Melanoma Diagnosis:
Uses novel computational techniques to improve the ability to accurately and reproducibly diagnose melanoma, and ultimately enhance patient care.

Michael and Jacqueline Ferro Family Foundation - MRA Established Investigator Award for Artificial Intelligence Applied to Melanoma

Joanne Elmore, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA


DGAT1 is a Novel Melanoma Oncogene:
Aims to dissect how fatty acid metabolism affects melanoma cells and whether targeting this pathway therapeutically can hamper melanoma growth.

MRA Established Investigator Award

Adam Hurlstone, University of Manchester


Eradicating Melanoma Drug-Tolerant Cells:
Aims to understand and therapeutically target the nongenetic strategies tumors use to evade treatment.

MRA Established Investigator Award

Jean-Christophe Marine, VIB (Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie)


Enhanced-OCT for Discriminating Nevi from Melanomas:
Aims to improve the accuracy of melanoma diagnosis by applying artificial intelligence to optical coherence tomography imaging.

Michael and Jacqueline Ferro Family Foundation - MRA Established Investigator Award for Artificial Intelligence Applied to Melanoma

Mohammadreza Nasiriavanaki, Wayne State University


Developing a Predictive Tool Using Machine Learning Algorithm in Melanoma:
Will apply artificial intelligence to microscopic images to predict which Stage III patients will benefit from additional treatment after surgery.

MRA Established Investigator Award, collaboratively funded by New York University School of Medicine

Iman Osman, New York University School of Medicine


Metabolic Control of T Cell Senescence for Melanoma Immunotherapy:
Will uncover how altered energy usage leads to T cell dysfunction and will develop strategies to overcome this in melanoma.

MRA Established Investigator Award

Guangyong Peng, Saint Louis University


Preclinical Development of a Disrupter of BRAF-Containing Dimers:
Aims to determine how best to use a next-generation BRAF inhibitor to maximize its antitumor activity with the goal of advancing these findings to the clinic.

MRA Established Investigator Award

Neal Rosen, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center


Studying the Effects of Intra-tumor Heterogeneity on Anti-tumor Immunity:
Uses a novel melanoma mouse model to better understand the body’s anti-tumor immune response, which could lead to strategies to enhance response rates to therapy.

MRA Established Investigator Award

Yardena Samuels, Weizmann Institute of Science


Nanomedicine Targeting Melanoma-Astrocytes Interplay in 3D Brain Metastases:
Will establish 3D-printed models of melanoma brain metastases to elucidate how melanoma spreads to the brain and to evaluate the efficacy of novel therapeutics.

MRA Established Investigator Award

Ronit Satchi-Fainaro, Tel Aviv University


Targeting CD39 in Melanoma:
Will test whether targeting the cell surface enzyme CD39 either alone or in combination with approved immunotherapies is a promising therapeutic strategy for melanoma.

MRA Established Investigator Award

Mark Smyth, Queensland Institute of Medical Research


Mechanism of EBF3 Tumor Suppression in Melanoma:
Seeks to better understand how alterations in the protein EBF3 drives melanoma formation and responsiveness to immunotherapy.

MRA Established Investigator Award

Hensin Tsao, Massachusetts General Hospital


Proof of Practice: Melanoma Screening Using Computer Vision:
Addresses major barriers holding back the use of computer-assisted diagnostic devices in the clinic to improve melanoma detection.

MRA Established Investigator Award, collaboratively funded by University of California, San Francisco

Maria Wei, University of California, San Francisco


Understanding and Targeting Metabolic Heterogeneity in Melanoma:
Understanding and Targeting Metabolic Heterogeneity in Melanoma: Examines the differences in energy usage among melanoma cells and how this impacts responsiveness to therapy.

MRA Established Investigator Award

Bin Zheng, Massachusetts General Hospital


Finding Pathways That Drive T Cells Into Melanoma:
Aims to find drugs that can enhance T cell recruitment to the tumors and to decipher how they work using a zebrafish model.

MRA Established Investigator Award

Leonard Zon, Harvard University