Young Investigator Awards

MRA Young Investigator Awards aim to attract early career scientists with novel ideas into melanoma research, thereby recruiting and supporting the next generation of melanoma researchers. Young Investigators are scientists within four years of their first academic faculty appointment. A mentorship commitment from a senior investigator is required.

To learn more about MRA funded research awards, please visit CureMelanoma.org/Grants

Enhancing an Abscopal Response by Elucidating the Role of Stem-Like T-Cells

ASTRO-MRA Young Investigator Award in Radiation Oncology

Zachary Buchwald MD, PhD, Emory University

Targeting Liver Metastases to Enhance Immunotherapy Efficacy in Melanoma

MRA Young Investigator Award, collaboratively funded by The University of Michigan

Michael Green MD, The University of Michigan

Dissecting the role of CD58 in Cancer Immune Evasion and T Cell Exclusion

Tara Miller Melanoma Foundation — MRA Young Investigator Award

Benjamin Izar MD, PhD, Columbia University Medical Center

Dissecting Tumor and Immune Evolution in Unresectable In-Transit Melanoma

Amanda and Jonathan Eilian — MRA Young Investigator Award

David Liu MD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Targeting SPP to Activate Antigen Presentation in Melanoma via HLA-E

MRA Young Investigator Award, collaboratively funded by the Broad Institute

Robert Manguso PhD, The Broad Institute

Tumor Microbiome Potentiates Cancer Immunotherapy in Melanoma

Bristol Myers Squibb — MRA Young Investigator Award

Marlies Meisel PhD, University of Pittsburgh

Uncoupling MEK and ERK To Treat Melanoma

MRA Young Investigator Award

Gatien Moriceau PhD, The University of California, Los Angeles

Delineating Novel Mechanism of Immune Evasion in Melanoma Brain Metastases

MRA Young Investigator Award

Inan Olmez MD, Pennsylvania State University

Mitochondrial Uncoupling: A New Therapeutic Approach for Melanoma

Merck — MRA Young Investigator Award

Rachel Perry PhD, Yale University School of Medicine

Understanding and Improving Neoepitope-Specific T Cell Response to Melanoma

Leveraged Finance Fights Melanoma-MRA Young Investigator Award

Cristina Puig Saus PhD, The University of California, Los Angeles

Immunotherapeutic Cytokine/Antibody Fusion Proteins to Treat Melanoma

MRA Young Investigator Award

Jamie Spangler PhD, Johns Hopkins University-School of Medicine

Improving Immunotherapy Outcomes Through Solving irAEs

Bristol Myers Squibb — MRA Young Investigator Award

Alexandra-Chloe Villani PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital

Adipocyte Remodelling in Melanoma Progression and Immunotherapy Response

MRA Young Investigator Award

Amaya Viros MD, PhD, The University of Manchester

Targeting CDK6 in T Cells for Melanoma Therapy

Bristol Myers Squibb — MRA Young Investigator Award

Haizhen Wang PhD, Medical University of South Carolina

Since its founding in 2007, the Melanoma Research Alliance has become the largest non-profit funder of melanoma research worldwide. Through 380 awards, MRA has directly invested more than $131 million, and leveraged an additional $415 million in collaborative and follow-on funding towards its mission. MRA is catalyzing strategic, collaborative, and accountable research efforts that have moved the field forward and given patients and their loved ones better treatment options and renewed hope.

To learn more about MRA funded research awards, please visit CureMelanoma.org/Grants