MRA Meetings

The MRA hosted its Second Annual Scientific Retreat in Las Vegas in February 2010. The retreat this year was attended by over 130 of the leading melanoma scientists from the United States and abroad, as well as senior leadership from nonprofit foundations, government agencies, industry, and other like-minded organizations. MRA’s annual retreat is a crucial component of our mission to provide a unique and interactive forum to share data early, to identify future directions, to discuss ideas, and to look for synergies and partnerships.  The retreat this year was held at a critical time in the field of melanoma research – a time when the urgency of the problem continues to grow and the opportunities for progress toward solutions are great.

The retreat program featured cutting-edge research results and special sessions on emerging topics of interest. In addition to reports from many MRA awardees, special sessions were held throughout the meeting which focused on some of the emerging and important issues in melanoma research.

Download: Transformative Advances in Melanoma Research: Highlights from the 2nd Annual MRA Scientific Retreat (July 2010)

In February 2009, a little more than a year after its inception, MRA convened its first scientific retreat in Washington, DC, and brought together 100 of the world’s leading melanoma researchers. The retreat facilitated early sharing of data with the potential to make transforming advances in the biology and treatment of melanoma.

View the presentations from the 2009 Scientific Retreat

The first gathering of the MRA was held in Washington, DC, in November 2007.  The meeting was charged with identifying the crucial scientific and clinical questions that need to be addressed in order to transform the field of melanoma detection and treatment, and to begin to map out concrete ways to effect that transformation.

The State of Melanoma Research Call to Action Meeting whitepaper was developed from that meeting and briefly describes current limitations in melanoma basic and clinical science, and summarizes the potential opportunities for the MRA to drive breakthroughs in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of this deadly disease.

Download the State of Melanoma Research Call to Action Meeting whitepaper