New York, NY (October 24, 2024) – The Skin Cancer Foundation Research Grants program is designed to help early career investigators find new approaches related to the prevention, detection and treatment of all types of skin cancer. This year, our committee has chosen three awardees to receive grants totaling $125,000. Since 1983, when the program began, it has funded more than $2 million in research grants, many for ideas that led to lifesaving breakthroughs.
The program accepts proposals from dermatology residents, fellows and faculty members within 10 years of their first academic appointment for one-year clinical studies to be conducted under the auspices of the dermatology departments of medical institutions in the United States.
Longtime Committee Chair David Polsky, MD, PhD, assembled a group of volunteer physicians to review the applications and discuss the merit of the work. These committee members are chosen each year based on the applicant pool, and the review process is managed to avoid any potential conflicts of interest. This year, the committee selected three winners from 18 finalists.
“We received a promising batch of grant applications in 2024, many looking at novel approaches to treatment using new combinations of therapies, alternative delivery methods or a different sequence or stage than the current standard of care,” says Dr. Polsky. “The three that rose to the top with our committee members focus on melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma, and we’re excited to see what these investigators will learn and put into practice through the results of this research.”
The 2024 Research Grants Program Recipients are:
Andrew Ji, MD
Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City
Dr. Ji received the $50,000 Todd Nagel Memorial Research Grant Award for his proposal: “Immunosuppression and Macrophage Interactions in the Development of Squamous Cell Carcinoma.” Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) exhibits higher rates of local recurrence and metastasis within organ transplant recipients (OTRs). This project seeks to understand how macrophages, an immune cell type with unclear roles in SCC initiation, may be affected by immunosuppression regimens, increasing cell to cell interactions with tumor cells to accelerate tumor initiation. The grant was funded in part by Linda Nagel, who organizes a charity golf event in Minnesota each year in memory of her late husband, Todd Nagel, who passed away from melanoma.
Nicholas Collins, PhD
Weill Cornell Medical College, New York City
The Research Grants Committee awarded a second $50,000 grant, the Ashley Trenner Research Grant Award, to Dr. Collins for his proposal: “Nutritional Enhancement of Anti-Melanoma Immunity.” This project aims to identify specific dietary nutrients that enhance T cells against melanoma, which will be essential to achieving a long-term goal of using accessible nutritional interventions to enhance immunotherapy against metastatic melanoma. Bob and Karen Trenner fund this research grant in honor of their daughter, Ashley Trenner, who passed away from melanoma.
Gabriela Andrea Pizzurro, PhD
Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
Dr. Pizzurro received the $25,000 Dr. Marcia Robbins-Wilf Research Grant Award for her proposal, “Modeling Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) for Immunotherapeutic Studies.” This project will focus on the analysis of metastatic squamous cell carcinoma. Researchers will study an aggressive mouse model, derived in the lab. They expect to identify key factors that promote and help to establish metastasis in regional lymph nodes, making these factors potential candidates for new therapies. The award was funded in part by Marcia Robbins-Wilf, EdD.
For more information about the Research Grants program, visit SkinCancer.org/research.
About The Skin Cancer Foundation
The Skin Cancer Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, saves and improves lives by empowering people to take a proactive approach to daily sun protection and the early detection and treatment of skin cancer. The Foundation strives to decrease skin cancer incidence and mortality by delivering public education programs, providing patients with guidance and reassurance, engaging medical professionals, awarding research grants and leading advocacy campaigns that call for policy changes. Since its inception in 1979, the Foundation has recommended regular skin exams and following a complete sun protection strategy that includes seeking shade, daily sunscreen use and covering up with clothing, wide-brimmed hats and UV-blocking sunglasses. For more information, visit SkinCancer.org.
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