Stewardship Report Volume 9 - Winter 2026

Research and Science

Partnering with Leaders in Melanoma Hosted the Brain Metastasis 4.0 Workshop NOVEMBER 2025 Workshop co-chairs: Michael A. Davies, MD, PhD (MD Anderson Cancer Center); Harriet Kluger, MD (Yale School of Medicine); Eva Hernando-Monge, PhD (NYU Langone)

American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) APRIL 25–30, 2025; CHICAGO, IL Three oral and one poster presentation of MRF-funded research. To learn more about the innovative melanoma research

presented at AACR, scan the QR code to view: Melanoma Research Updates Presented at 2025 American Association for Cancer Research Conference

American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) MAY 30–JUNE 5, 2025; CHICAGO, IL Attended several sessions related to innovations in melanoma care, including the rare melanoma subtypes. Presented the ASCO Conquer Cancer Foundation — MRF Endowed Award to Mark Schuiveling, MD, for research on “AI-detected tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and response

to PD-1-based treatment in advanced melanoma.” To learn more about the ASCO presentations, scan the QR code to view: 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting Recap

Michael A. Davies, MD, PhD MD Anderson Cancer Center

Harriet Kluger, MD Yale School of Medicine

Eva Hernando- Monge, PhD NYU Langone

Society for Melanoma Research International Congress (SMR)

OCTOBER 25–28, 2025; AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS Presented the SMR/MRF Christopher J. Marshall Award to: Simone Lubrano, PhD (University of Pisa, Italy and UCSF) [top right image] for his work to understand why some melanomas stop responding to treatments over time and identify new ways to make therapies more effective. Presented the SMR/MRF Young Investigator Award to Joanna Pozniak, PhD (VIB-KU Leuven, Laboratory for Molecular Cancer Biology, Belgium) [bottom left image] for her work focusing on understanding how individual patients’ tumors react to immune-centered therapies (immunotherapy).

“I am a stage 4 melanoma survivor. In 2017 my wife saw a small painless bump on the back of my head. Without any other symptoms I was soon diagnosed with 6 tumors in my brain, 16 in my lungs and 1 on my gallbladder. With probably weeks to live, the CheckMate 204 trial program turned out to be just what I needed. Those immunotherapy treatments saved my life. Research is the reason I survived and am able to enjoy life today. I have told my story multiple times since then, but no group has ever listened as intensely or felt so satisfying to me as my 2025 talk at the MRF’s Brain Metastasis 4.0 Workshop. Researchers are the best!” — David Marsden, Patient Advocate

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