# Melanoma (MEL) Research Program

> **NIH NIH P30** · NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · 2022 · $32,775

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract:
The Melanoma Program (MEL) carries out impactful research aimed at improving patient outcomes by
understanding melanoma biology and addressing unmet needs in melanoma management. This effort is
facilitated by one of the nation’s oldest and largest biobanks of melanoma specimens, linked to prospective,
and protocol-driven clinical information for more than 3,700 patients. Special areas of interest include: better
stratification of recurrence risk after primary treatment, improved decision making for adjuvant treatment of
those at high risk of recurrence, identification of the molecular drivers of melanoma progression with a
particular focus on brain tropism, and developing new therapies for patients with advanced melanoma. Led by
Iman Osman, MD and Jeffrey Weber, MD PhD, MEL comprises a multi-disciplinary team of 21 members
representing 12 departments at NYU School of Medicine and other NYU colleges that advances basic
science, translational and clinical melanoma research. Six new members filled strategic needs, and have
advanced our goal of bringing novel therapeutics into the clinic. MEL has also significantly enhanced its
research and outreach targeting the PCC catchment area with a new effort on acral melanoma, which
disportionately affects African Americans and Hispanics. Since the last CCSG review, our NCI funding has
nearly tripled from $729K to $2.1 million, while overall cancer-related funding has almost doubled from $3.4 to
$6.03 million. Members published 354 papers, with 31% of the citations appearing in journals with IF>10.
Members are highly collaborative: 19% of publications are intra-programmatic, 31% of publications are intra-
programmatic, and 35% are inter-institutional (with NCI-CCs). During this funding period, MEL members
made major strides in understanding the melanoma cell-of-origin and the mechanisms driving metastatic
progression. We have focused our attention on downstream epigenetic and transcriptional programs, some
that are directly ‘druggable’ (i.e., BRD4); others that indirectly result in emergence of novel targets (e.g.,
HSF1, AMIGO2, FUT8, PTK7). MEL co-leaders and several of its senior members recently submitted a
SPORE application, which received a high impact score and will be resubmitted in May 2018. Our scientific
goals are organized around three complementary thematic aims: Aim 1: To identify novel prognostic and
predictive molecular biomarker(s) of melanoma progression and response to therapy, Aim 2: To understand
the biologic heterogeneity of melanoma at the molecular level, and Aim 3: To develop new treatments that
overcome therapeutic resistance. MEL promotes the PCC mission to improve cancer treatment, outcome,
and quality of life for patients by: (1) accruing patients to high quality, investigator-initiated trials, (2)
expanding a large melanoma biobank tied to clinical information, (3) pursuing science that informs patient
stratification for personalized treatment, and (4) de...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10358554
- **Project number:** 5P30CA016087-41
- **Recipient organization:** NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** Iman Osman
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $32,775
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1997-12-01 → 2024-02-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10358554

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10358554, Melanoma (MEL) Research Program (5P30CA016087-41). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10358554. Licensed CC0.

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