Developmental Research Program
Director: Stephanie Watowich, Ph.D.; Co-Directors: Jennifer Wargo, M.D., MMSc
The Developmental Research Program is designed to solicit, evaluate, and award funds to support novel projects focused on melanoma biology, prevention, and patient treatment. This program will span the full duration of the parent grant, aiming to supporting at least three one- to two-year awards per year at a maximum of $50,000/year for each award. SPORE leaders will help develop successful projects into full grants or future SPORE projects. Our scope includes both cutaneous and uveal melanoma.
Solicitations for applications are published each spring; contact Viji Ramachandran, Ph.D. for details.
2023 Awardees
Roza Nurieva, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Immunology
"Tfh cell-based adoptive cell therapy for melanoma"
Mauro Di Pilato, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Immunology
"Defining the intratumoral role and infiltration of CCR7+ dendritic cells"
Chandrani Chattopadhyay, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology
"Determine the mechanisms of resistance to imipridone-mediated metabolic inhibition in metastatic uveal melanoma"
Vashisht G Yennu Nanda, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology
"Anti-melanoma activity of next generation PARP1-isoform selective inhibitor combination with immune checkpoint blockade"
Past Awardees
2022
Vahid Afshar-Kharghan, M.D., Professor, Section of Benign Hematology, Department of Pulmonary Medicine
“The complement system: a covert ally to melanoma”
Mauro Di Pilato, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Immunology
“Pinpointing the CCR7+dendritic cells on the tumor map”
Alexander J. Lazar, MD, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Translational Molecular Pathology
“Assessment of intra-patient and intra-tumoral heterogeneity of melanoma brain metastases”
Henry C. Manning, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Cancer Systems Imaging
“Glutamine metabolism-targeted therapeutics for melanoma”
Roza I. Nurieva, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Immunology
“Elucidation of mechanisms underpinning arthritis associated with immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy with preclinical murine model”
2021
Leilei Shi, Ph.D., Instructor, Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology
“Targeting PRMT1 to overcome cancer immune resistance through regulating the non-histone targets”
Chandrani Chattopadhyay, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology
“Targeting succinate dehydrogenase A in metastatic uveal melanoma: effect on growth and metabolic profile”
Stephanie Watowich, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Immunology
“Combating immune toxicities associated with checkpoint blockade therapy in melanoma”
Vashisht Yennu-Nanda, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology
“Evaluate the combination efficacy of PARP inhibition with immune checkpoint blockade in melanoma PDXs”
Yared Hailemichael, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology
“IL-6 blockade to decouple checkpoint blockade cancer immunity from toxicity”
2020
Rodabe N. Amaria, M.D., Associate Professor, Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology
“Elucidating the transcriptomic features of TGF-β resistant TIL associated with clonal expansion and persistence after adoptive transfer using scRNAseq combined with scTCRseq to improve immunotherapy for solid tumors”
Samantha Fix, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology
“CRISPR knockout of TIGIT in adoptively transferred T cells to improve melanoma tumor control”
Lawrence Kwong, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Translational Molecular Pathology
"Expanded Aims of original DRP project titled "Therapeutic targeting of NF1-mutant melanoma by comparison to genetic NF1 reconstitution"
Anthony Lucci, M.D., Professor, Department of Breast Surgical Oncology
“Developing liquid biopsy profiles for stage II/II melanoma patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors”
Roza Nurieva, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Immunology
“Underlying mechanisms and management of ICI-induced arthritis in melanoma patients”
Sapna Patel, M.D., Associate Professor, Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology
“Discovery of tumor-specific antigens in metastatic uveal melanoma using high-throughput sequencing of circulating tumor cells and tumor tissue”
Meredith Pelster, M.D., Hematology and Oncology Fellow, Division of Cancer Medicine
“CNS Metastases in Uveal Melanoma”
2019
Chandrani Chattopadhyay, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology
“Update on Proposal: Exploiting metabolic vulnerabilities of metastatic uveal melanoma for therapeutic intervention”
Suhendan Ekmeckcioglu, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology
“Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factory (MIF) Binding to CD74/CD44 Regulates Inflammatory Response of IFN-gamma”
Sun-Hee Kim, Ph.D., Instructor, Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology
“Targeting a lipid inflammatory pathway to enhance immunotherapy”
Lawrence Kwong, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Translational Molecular Pathology
"Therapeutic targeting of NF1-mutant melanoma by comparison to genetic NF1 reconstitution"