Category: Allies & Partnerships
Challenge Accepted: MRA 2020 - 2021 Annual Report
19 October 2021 In Allies & Partnerships, Melanoma Stories, News, Policy, Prevention, Science, Treatment
This was a year like no other. COVID-19 presented new challenges that required new ways of thinking. At MRA, confronting challenges is part of our DNA. We never stop challenging ourselves, no matter the odds or obstacles, in pursuit of conquering melanoma and saving lives.
Melanoma Isn't Just Another Skin Cancer
By Cody R. Barnett, MRA Director of Communications | 5 October 2021 In Allies & Partnerships, Melanoma Stories
Too many people think that melanoma is just another skin cancer – and in 2005, Daisy Helman was one of them. She had just learned that a lump her father noticed on his arm was actually melanoma. “I just assumed that this wasn’t a big deal. Just cut it out – dad will be fine. Looking back, I was so wrong.”
Biomarkers: What They Are, Why They Matter, and Where They are Going
22 July 2021 In Allies & Partnerships, Science, Treatment
The melanoma treatment field has been rewarded recently with an abundance of riches. But all these exciting new treatment options for patients can also create complexity and confusion. Fortunately, help is on the way in the form of biomarkers — molecular or cellular indicators for whether a patient is likely to respond or is currently responding to their therapy, or whether they are likely to have a recurrence of their cancer.
Setting the Groundwork for Patient-Centric 1st in Human Clinical Trial Funding Opportunities
7 July 2021 In Allies & Partnerships, News, Science
From Michael Kaplan, MRA President & CEO: There is a reason the word “Alliance” is in our name! The Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) knows that to achieve our mission of ending suffering and death due to melanoma, broad partnerships and collaborations are required. In this spirit, MRA entered its first partnership with...
Advancing Melanoma Research in Times of Uncertainty
By Cody R. Barnett, MRA Director of Communications | 9 June 2021 In Allies & Partnerships, Melanoma Stories, Policy, Prevention, Science, Treatment
Each year, the annual MRA Scientific Retreat brings hundreds of people from across the melanoma research ecosystem together to exchange ideas, report on scientific progress, celebrate achievements, and mourn the losses. In these ways, the 2021 Retreat was no different.
SPOTMYUV: Your Sunscreen’s New Best Friend
By Cody R. Barnett, MRA Director of Communications | 20 May 2021 In Allies & Partnerships, Prevention
SPOTMYUV, a small, water-resistant sticker applied to any skin exposed to direct sunlight such as your arm or shoulder, helps the wearer know when it is time to reapply their sunscreen by changing color. Throughout the day, a SPOT sticker works to absorb the sunscreen’s UV protecting ingredients at about the same rate as your skin. The SPOT is clear when you are protected by your sunscreen and quickly turns into a deep purple as the sunscreen loses its effectiveness. By monitoring the SPOT, you get a real-time way to monitor your sunscreen without chancing sunburn.
A New Treatment Approach in the Arsenal: Neoadjuvent Therapy
23 April 2021 In Allies & Partnerships, News, Science, Treatment
Surgery is the backbone of melanoma treatment and is curative for the vast majority of patients with localized melanoma. However, even if surgery successfully removes all detectible traces of tumor tissue, some patients will still experience a melanoma relapse. Can neoadjuvant therapy, an experimental approach, reduce the risk of recurrence?
Against the Odds: Racing for Melanoma Research
19 April 2021 In Allies & Partnerships, Melanoma Stories, Treatment
Patrick O’Neill along with his four closest college friends and fellow Boat Racing, LLC members, find themselves in a very implausible position: first-time horse owners heading to the Kentucky Derby—horseracing’s pinnacle event.
Summer Kramer: Aligning Passion with Purpose
By Michael Kaplan, MRA President & CEO | 19 April 2021 In Allies & Partnerships, Melanoma Stories, Prevention
Frustrated with her inability to find stylish UPF protective clothing after her own melanoma diagnosis, Summer Kramer founded her own company called SUMMERSKIN. Now, eight years later, she has aligned her passion with purpose through a new partnership with the Melanoma Research Alliance.
Five Melanoma Research Highlights to Look Forward to in 2021
By Marc Hurlbert, Ph.D., MRA Chief Science Officer | 13 January 2021 In Allies & Partnerships, News, Prevention, Science, Treatment
At MRA, every day we are focused on how melanoma research can be reimagined to accelerate progress similar to what has been accomplished in record time with COVID-19 research, and look forward to a future not only void of COVID-19; but where suffering and death due to melanoma are no more.