Melanoma Research Alliance

The Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) aims to find a cure for this deadly skin cancer by funding the most promising melanoma research worldwide in the areas of treatment science; diagnosis and staging; and prevention. Our mission is to eliminate suffering and death due to melanoma. Because patient outcomes are usually positive if cancer is detected early, we promote melanoma awareness and earlier detection, to increase the likelihood that a patient is diagnosed with melanoma in its more treatable stages. Finally, since cutaneous melanoma risk is directly correlated with an individual's lifetime exposure to UV rays, we work with our partners to educate the public about risk-reduction and prevention strategies, including reduced exposure to UV rays and awareness of one's skin.

Due to ongoing support from our founders covering all administrative and fundraising expenses, 100% of the funds raised by MRA support our scientific research programs. MRA is the largest private funder of melanoma research worldwide, supporting individual investigator and collaborative team projects focused on translational, innovative research that will impact the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of melanoma in the near and intermediate future.
We seek to fund the most promising, transformative melanoma research. To that end, projects are solicited via RFP process and undergo peer review by our independent Grant Review Committee. The committee comprises senior thought-leaders in melanoma and cancer research. After scientific peer review by the GRC, the MRA Board of Directors approves all research awards for funding.
Each type of MRA award addresses different needs within the melanoma research landscape.
• Team Science Awards are the centerpiece of the MRA research funding portfolio and foster a collaborative research process. Multidisciplinary teams consist of Principal Investigators with complementary expertise who may hail from different institutions and countries.
• Young Investigator Awards aim to attract early career scientists with novel ideas into melanoma research, recruiting and supporting the next generation of melanoma researchers. To date MRA has funded 40 Young Investigators.
• Pilot Awards test potentially transformative ideas that do not have extensive preliminary data but articulate a clear hypothesis and translational goals.
• Established Investigator Awards support senior investigators with an established record of scientific productivity and accomplishment.
Our focus on collaboration between stakeholders has led to the creation of Academic-Industry Partnerships, whereby MRA forms an agreement with a biopharmaceutical company or another foundation to co-fund a research program of strategic importance to both parties.
On the awareness and prevention front, MRA leverages alliances with companies in the sun safety space, as well as with larger retail companies like L'Oreal Paris and Sports Authority. Together, we work to spread melanoma awareness though social media, consumer advertising, and press activities. We also work with our corporate allies and other foundations to create PSA messages and other awareness vehicles.
MRA's headquarters is in Washington, DC, where we maintain access to key policymakers and participate in coalitions to focus on issues central to our mission. Our involvement in policy discussions is key to protecting medical research funding, advancing a streamlined and effective regulatory process to accelerate innovation for patients, and to putting melanoma prevention on the public health agenda.

MRA has established a trusted scientific reputation around the world as a result of the strength and sophistication of its scientific programs. We have engaged advisory boards that work in concert with our internal scientific team to shape the organization's scientific strategy, identify trends or areas of opportunity for MRA, and assist in the implementation of our programs. These include:
• The Grant Review Committee, which evaluates all research grant proposals, is made up of 26 of the world's leading clinicians, scientists and researchers across the spectrum of disciplines relevant to the rapidly changing melanoma field.
• Our Scientific Advisory panel is comprised of leaders from academia, medicine, government, and industry and advises the MRA leadership team on scientific matters and policies of MRA including research needs and opportunities that may be targeted for funding and planning scientific symposia.
• The Medical Advisory Panel features practicing clinicians from surgical and medical oncology and dermatology who advise MRA on medical matters and policies including medical consultations, clinical research needs and opportunities, clinical regulatory and policy initiatives, and public education about melanoma.
MRA has committed and involved leaders, including its co-founders Debra Black, a melanoma survivor, and her husband, Leon Black. MRA's Board of Directors is engaged and active in enhancing the organization's reach and impact, with significant and diverse experience in finance, philanthropy, pharmaceuticals, disease advocacy foundations, entertainment, media, and government.
In addition to the generous and ongoing support of our founders, MRA has a growing base of support from individual and organizational donors, allies and constituents based around the world. We have more than 90 alliances with corporations and other entities who work with us to conduct cause campaigns and outreach activities, provide funds to support our scientific programs, or donate in-kind services to the organization. Additionally, we have established alliances with more than 10 like-minded foundations and associations, and we belong to several coalitions to enhance our reach and impact.

Since our founding in 2007, MRA has developed into the leading private funder of melanoma research and an industry leader in innovative collaborations. We have recruited industry leaders to serve on our Board and Advisory committees, established a world-class research program, and launched collaborations with biopharmaceutical companies that serve as examples of successful research models across the industry.

To-date, we have funded more than $101 million of melanoma research, supporting 266 research programs at 126 different institutions in 15 countries. MRA-funded researchers have also leveraged an additional $35 million in research funding from other sources.

From 2007-2018, twelve new therapies were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat advanced melanoma, providing unprecedented options for patients. Our presence and research dollars have acted as a catalyst within this research space. MRA-funded research is vital to the continued development and better understanding of these novel approaches to maximize their benefit for patients.

Additionally, our research dollars have supported 37 clinical trials to test promising agents alone and in combination for the treatment of metastatic melanoma and led to scores of new patent applications filed for new technologies, which have the potential to be developed into new tools or treatments for patients. MRA-supported research has been published in hundreds of papers in high-impact journals, helping to further inform the scientific and clinical communities about promising new melanoma research so that others may build upon the results to help patients.

Our corporate alliances help us reach many more people than we could alone, especially during Melanoma Awareness Month each May. Major partnerships have included L'Oreal, BJ's Wholesale Club and Stand Up To Cancer.

We have much left to accomplish in the fight against melanoma. We receive more high quality proposals than we can fund. Most new melanoma treatments only work in a minority of patients with the cancer, and patients often become resistant to them over time. We need to further support more preclinical and clinical studies of to overcome drug resistance and exploit combinations of different therapies in order to reach a day when metastatic melanoma is no longer a death sentence.