Melanoma Research Foundation

04/22/2026

-- Today, we are thrilled to recognize Mathieu Desaunay, PhD and his mentor Poulikos Poulikakos, PhD of Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, recipient of the MRF Career Development Award.

Dr. Desaunay's research project entitled, "Next-Generation RAF Targeting Strategies for RAS-Mutant Melanoma", focuses on developing targeted therapies for NRAS-mutant melanoma.

Regarding his work and its potential patient impact, Dr. Desaunay shares:

"Melanoma is an aggressive form of skin cancer that commonly depends on the MAPK pathway (a signaling cascade involving RAS → RAF → MEK → ERK activation). In melanoma, MAPK signaling becomes deregulated and promotes tumor progression. This deregulation is often driven by mutations in RAS, which occur in around 20% of melanoma patients and make the disease particularly difficult to treat with current therapies. Most existing drugs that target the MAPK pathway in RAS mutant melanoma, including RAS, RAF, and MEK inhibitors, act by broadly shutting down this signaling in both cancerous and healthy cells. While this approach can slow tumor growth, it often leads to significant side effects, limited long term effectiveness, and the rapid development of drug resistance.

To overcome these limitations, our research takes a different approach by developing next generation RAF inhibitors that behave in an unexpected way. With the support of the MRF Career Development Award, I aim to uncover the molecular mechanisms behind this paradoxical drug behavior and advance more effective combination therapies, offering new hope for patients with melanoma."

Click here to learn more - https://melanoma.org/news-press/research-grant/next-generation-raf-targeting-strategies-for-ras-mutant-melanoma/

04/22/2026

Jacksonville, we’re just six months away!

The 6th Annual benefiting the MRF returns on Thursday, October 22 on the lawn at TPC Sawgrass for another unforgettable evening with purpose at its core.

Expect a vibrant night bringing the community together with incredible food, craft cocktails and live entertainment from The Band Be Easy—all in support of advancing lifesaving melanoma research.

Want a preview of what’s in store? Scroll through highlights from last year’s event and relive the energy, impact and unforgettable moments.

Sponsorship opportunities are now available, a powerful way to showcase your support and make a meaningful impact. Visit getnakedjax.org or reach out to getnakedjax@melanoma.org to learn more and get involved.

04/21/2026

In honor of Volunteer Appreciation Month, we’re proud to spotlight Lynette Renner from our Twin Cities Miles for Melanoma 5K, one of the many incredible individuals who help make this community so special 💛

Volunteers like Lynette are at the heart of every Miles for Melanoma event, bringing passion, dedication and a shared commitment to raising awareness and supporting those impacted by melanoma.

We’re so grateful for Lynette and all of our volunteers who make this work possible. Your impact goes far beyond event day!

Interested in getting involved? Sign up to volunteer and be part of the impact this year: https://buff.ly/XVAGvYJ

04/21/2026

-- in this installment of our Exploring Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte (TIL) therapy series, hear from Dr. James Smithy of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center as he provides an overview of the TIL treatment process, shares what patients can expect and highlights potential side effects.

Dr. Smithy also speaks to the factors that patients and providers should consider to determine if TIL therapy is a viable treatment option and highlights questions that patients should ask their doctor. He concludes this session by examining further research and investigation of TIL therapy's benefit for patients living with brain metastasis.

Click here to watch the full conversation with Dr. Smithy to learn more about TIL therapy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiQmCSsNWGk

You can also access our TIL infographic which explains how TIL works and whether it may be an option for you: https://online.flippingbook.com/view/37381110/

04/20/2026

The MRF's Patient Forum is the largest online community for melanoma patients, thrivers and caregivers! We encourage all members of the melanoma community, including the rare melanoma subtypes: ocular, mucosal, acral lentiginous and pediatric/AYA, to join the Patient Forum. The Forum is a valuable resource for discussing your melanoma journey, posing questions on specific clinical trials or treatments, gaining a supportive network and more!

To learn more and join the Patient Forum, visit - https://buff.ly/AidPXw9

04/20/2026

Chicago, get ready to run with the energy of the Windy City. Registration is officially open for the Chicago Miles for Melanoma 5K!

Join us on Sunday, July 19 at our brand new venue, Diversey Harbor, for a morning that brings people together in support of a powerful cause. Whether you’re running, walking or cheering from the sidelines, your participation helps drive critical funding for melanoma research and support programs for patients and families.

Early bird pricing is available for a limited time, so rally your team, secure your spot and save before rates increase. Let’s make this our biggest, boldest Chicago event yet. Sign up today: https://buff.ly/l9lyjaD

04/18/2026

The countdown is on—just 3 weeks until we kick off the 2026 Miles for Melanoma season at the DC Miles for Melanoma 5K! We’re excited to have Dermestetics joining us on event day to provide free on-site spot checks, offering an important opportunity to prioritize your skin health. Be part of this powerful start to the season, join us on Saturday, May 9! https://donate.melanoma.org/site/TR?fr_id=2192&pg=entry

04/16/2026

Famed college basketball broadcaster, Dick Vitale, has announced a new melanoma diagnosis affecting his lungs and liver and will begin immunotherapy treatment. A longtime cancer advocate, Vitale has previously battled multiple cancers and remains determined, sharing that he plans to “win this battle.” His story is a powerful reminder of the importance of continued research, early detection and support for those facing melanoma. Click here to read the full article:

Dick Vitale said he is confident he will go "5 for 5" after a biopsy confirmed melanoma in his lung and liver cavity for his fifth cancer diagnosis.

04/16/2026

Join us for the Together Against Melanoma: Patient & Caregiver Symposia series, bringing together leading experts, patients, caregivers and community members for a day of education, connection and support.

These in-person and free events offer the opportunity to learn about the latest advancements in melanoma research and treatment, hear directly from experts and patient voices and connect with others navigating similar experiences.

Upcoming events include:
• May 2: Fred Hutch Cancer Center – Northwest Melanoma Symposium: Science to Survivorship
• May 9: The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center
• May 12: Yale Cancer Center Patient & Caregiver Symposium

From clinical updates to personal stories, this series provides a meaningful opportunity to ask questions, gain insights and feel supported throughout your melanoma journey.

Breakfast, lunch and refreshments will be provided. We hope you can join us!

Learn more and RSVP: https://buff.ly/9mJRzdb

04/15/2026

It's and we are thrilled to highlight Kenneth Hu, PhD of UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, a recipient of the MRF Career Development Award, funded in memory of Aaron Landenberger.

Dr. Hu's work focuses on mapping the death and growth of tumor cells in .

Regarding his work & its impact on the patient community, Dr. Hu shares:

"Harnessing the immune system to target melanoma has been an incredibly successful treatment strategy. However, a large percentage of patients still don't benefit from durable responses to immunotherapies like checkpoint blockade. Our goal is to figure out what are the remaining bottlenecks to complete responses to checkpoint blockade in melanoma and target them.

To do this, we have to understand where our forces (our immune system) are being mustered against the enemy (melanoma cells). We have developed an imaging system that allows us to map the rate of tumor cell killing in 3D across large volumes of tissue. With this innovative approach, we have identified unique neighborhoods of the tumor where tumor cell killing is maximal following checkpoint blockade. We are currently delving deeper to understand how these neighborhoods grow outwards in tumors that respond well to therapy and how they are restrained in tumors that do not. With the MRF Career Development Award, we are able to explore these very basic questions and build a truly interdisciplinary research program that harnesses cutting-edge technologies to watch our immune system in action. Our long-term goal is to use our findings to generate predictive models of immunotherapy treatment responses that we can deploy in the clinic to forecast patient outcomes as well as target remaining roadblocks to full immunotherapy responses."

Learn more here - https://buff.ly/kB0TSZp

04/15/2026

New York, we’re counting down! In just six months, we’ll gather for the 25th Annual New York Gala at our new venue, Guastavino's—a designated New York City interior landmark—on Thursday, October 15, a milestone year that promises to be truly unforgettable.

This special evening will bring together our community for a celebration of progress, resilience and hope, all in support of advancing melanoma research and care. Expect a dynamic program filled with powerful stories, meaningful recognition and moments that move the mission forward.

More details, including this year’s honorees, are coming soon. Click here to learn more, purchase tickets, explore sponsorship opportunities or support the event with a donation: https://buff.ly/UEZKnwU

04/14/2026

Trial met the primary endpoint showing statistically significant improvement in median PFS by BICR, with 6.9 months for the darovasertib combination versus 3.1 months for ICT (HR: 0.42; 95% CI:...