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MELANOMA is a cancer that begins in the melanocytes, the skin coloring cells in the epidermis. The deadliest form of skin cancer due its ability to quickly spread in the body, melanoma is the third-most commonly diagnosed form of skin cancer (4% of cases), killing one American every hour.

2014 Award and Grant Recipients

Below are brief biographies for American Skin Association's 2014 grantees. Among the information included is the title of the grant, the name of the sponsoring institution and the focus of the grant recipient's research.

Hensin Tsao, MD, PhD
Abby S. & Howard P. Milstein 2010 Innovation Award for Melanoma and Skin Cancer Research
Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School
Topic: p53 rescue as a therapeutic strategy in melanoma

Hensin Tsao is an Associate Professor of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Melanoma and Pigmented Lesion Center, the oldest multi-disciplinary melanoma unit in the country.

Dr. Tsao graduated from Brown University with a degree in biochemistry and English. In 1993, he received an MD from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and a PhD in Biophysics/Biochemistry from Columbia University Graduate School of Arts of Sciences. He trained both in internal medicine and dermatology, including a melanoma fellowship at the Harvard-affiliated hospitals, and a postdoctoral fellowship in the Division of Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Daniel Popkin, MD, PhD
2014 Carson Research Scholar Award in Psoriasis
Case Western Reserve University
Topic: Role of pDC in Psoriasiform Skin Inflammation

Daniel Popkin is a practicing physician scientist on faculty as Assistant Professor at Case Western Reserve University, Department of Dermatology. Dr. Popkin completed his MD, PhD and dermatology residency training at Washington University in St. Louis. He was on staff as a dermatology attending for Scripps Clinic and post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Immunology and Microbial Sciences at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California.
Anne Lynn Chang, MD
2014 ASA Research Scholar Award for Melanoma/Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer
Stanford University School of Medicine
Topic: Chemoresistance After Smoothened Inhibitor Treatment

Anne Lynn S. Chang, MD is an Assistant Professor of Dermatology at Stanford University School of Medicine. She is founding Director of the Advanced Basal Cell Carcinoma Clinic, which accepts referrals from around the world. Dr. Chang graduated from Harvard Medical School and completed her residency training in dermatology at Stanford. Her goal is to improve treatments for patients with difficult-to-treat or life-threatening basal cell carcinomas by using molecular information from patient tumor samples to inform future clinical trials.
Brian Capell, MD, PhD
2014 ASA Research Scholar Award for Melanoma/Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer
University of Pennsylvania
Topic: The Role of Epigenomic Changes in Skin Senescence and Transformation

Brian Capell is an Instructor of Dermatology and Postdoctoral Fellow in the Epigenetics Program at the University of Pennsylvania, where he also completed his residency in dermatology in 2013. He received both his MD and PhD from New York University, during which time he completed a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Fellowship at the National Institutes of Health.
Stanca Birlea, MD, PhD
2014 Research Scholar Award in Vitiligo/Pigment Cell Disorders
University of Colorado Denver
Topic: Harnessing the Power of Regenerative Medicine for Vitiligo Treatment

Stanca Birlea is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Dermatology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Director of the Translational Program "Vitiligo: Regenerative Medicine / Stem Cell Approach to Repigmentation", developed in collaboration with the Charles C. Gates Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Biology at University of Colorado. In 1995, she received her MD from University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca, Romania, where she completed the internship (1997) and residency in dermatology (2001), and then her PhD (2004). She completed her five years of post-doctoral training on vitiligo genetics and immunology in the Department of Dermatology with Professor David Norris and Human Medical Genetics Program with Professor Richard Spritz at the University of Colorado (2011), before joining the faculty in the Department of Dermatology.
Hubing Shi, PhD
2014 ASA Research Scholar Award
University of California
Topic: Dissecting the Roles of miRNAs and Histone Modifications During the Early Evolution of BRAF Inhibitor

Hubing Shi received his PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Tsinghua University in China. Dr. Shi's cancer research experience began with melanoma angiogenesis and microenvironment study during his PhD thesis work. This experience provided Dr. Shi the opportunity to comprehensively understand melanoma oncogenesis, development, and metastasis as part of his postdoctoral work. Dr. Shi's plan is to develop a career aimed at identifying how to strangle tumor cells before they acquire resistant capability rather than struggle against the relapsed tumors.
Botond Igyártó, PhD
2014 ASA Research Scholar Award
University of Minnesota Medical School
Topic: Humoral Responses Initiated by Skin Dendritic Cells

Botond Igyártó is an Assistant Professor at University of Minnesota, Department of Dermatology. A native of Transylvania, Dr. Igyártó completed his biology training at Babes-Bolyai University (Kolozsvár), and received his PhD from Semmelweis University (Budapest). He completed his post-doctoral training in the laboratory of Dr. Daniel H. Kaplan.
Dawn Siegel, MD
2014 ASA Research Scholar Award
Medical College of Wisconsin
Topic: Gene Discovery and Functional Analysis of Candidate Genes in PHACE Syndrome

Dawn Siegel, MD is a Pediatric Dermatologist at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. Dr. Siegel also is an Associate Professor of Dermatology at the Medical College of Wisconsin and a member of Children's Specialty Group. She received her medical degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. She did pediatric residency training at Children's Hospital and Research Center, Oakland, California, and a residency in dermatology at the University of California, San Francisco. She also completed both a fellowship in pediatric dermatology and a research fellowship in dermatology at the University of California, San Francisco.
Jillian Richmond, PhD
2014 ASA Research Grant for Vitiligo/Pigment Cell Disorders
University of Massachusetts Medical School
Topic: Examining the Role of Non-Immune Cells in CD8+ T Cell Recruitment and Activation in Vitiligo

Jillian Richmond is a postdoctoral research associate in the Harris Lab at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Dr. Richmond earned her undergraduate degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the Johns Hopkins University, and her doctoral degree in Pathology and Immunology from the Boston University School of Medicine. She performed a postdoctoral fellowship in chemokine biology at the Massachusetts General Hospital prior to her current position.
Shadmehr Demehri, MD, PhD
2014 ASA Research Grant in Skin Cancer & Melanoma
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Topic: Local and Systemic Effects of Calcipotriol on Skin Cancer

Shadmehr Demehri earned his BS in Biology at Washington State University in 2004 and his MD and PhD degrees from the Washington University in St. Louis in 2010. Dr. Demehri has continued his research in the field of cancer immunology during his residency training in dermatology as part of the Washington University Physician Scientist Training Program (PSTP). Currently, he is investigating how the chemical inducers of TSLP can be utilized to treat skin cancer.
Megha Tollefson, MD
2014 ASA Research Grant for Childhood Skin Diseases/Disfigurement/Quality of Life
Mayo Clinic
Topic: Quality of Life of Parents and Caregivers of Children with Psoriasis

Megha Tollefson is a pediatric dermatologist and Assistant Professor of Dermatology and Pediatrics at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Dr. Tollefson is a native of California and moved to Minnesota for her medical training, where she has remained ever since. She received her undergraduate degree from Stanford University, medical degree from the Mayo Clinic, and has completed residencies in both pediatrics and dermatology at the Mayo Clinic, and a fellowship in pediatric dermatology and Stanford.
Marie Tuttle, MD
2014 ASA Research Grant for Autoimmune and Inflammatory Skin Diseases
Case Western Reserve University
Topic: The Role of Iron in the Perpetutation of Inflammation and Infection in Chronic Wounds

Marie Tuttle is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Dermatology at Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals Case Medical Center and Lois Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center. She is a physician scientist with a research focus on factors that influence susceptibility to microbial invasion in non-healing cutaneous wounds, with the goal of translating knowledge from research to novel therapeutics to speed healing and avoid antimicrobial resistance.
Sylviane Lambert, PhD
2014 ASA Research Grant in Psoriasis
The Regents of the University of Michigan
Topic: Role of Psoriasis-Associated TRAF31P2 Coding Variants in IL17 and TNF Signaling

Sylviane Lambert is a Research Associate in University of Michigan's Department of Dermatology where she also held a Post-Doctoral Fellow. She received her undergraduate degree, Master's, and PhD from the University of Namur in Belgium where she studied the localization and processing of the EGFR in cholesterol depleted keratinocytes.
Brandon Adler
2014 Medical Student Grant Targeting Melanoma and Skin Cancer
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Topic: Sanguinarine Nanoparticles for Innovative Treatment of Melanoma

Brandon Adler is a medical student at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where he is currently undertaking the Einstein-Montefiore Basic Science/Translational Research Fellowship under the mentorship of Dr. Adam Friedman. His research focus is on nanotechnology and its translational applications in dermatology. Originally from Savannah, GA, he graduated with Honors in English from Oberlin College.
Priyanka Chablani
2014 Medical Student Grant Targeting Melanoma and Skin Cancer
Ohio State University College of Medicine
Topic: Role of Adjuvant Radiation Therapy After Lymphadenectomy in BRAF or NRAF Mutated Stage III Melanoma

Priyanka Chablani is currently a third year medical student at The Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus, Ohio. Priyanka completed her undergraduate studies at Columbia University, where she studied Philosophy and Creative Writing. She received an M.S. in Physiology and Biophysics from Georgetown University. Priyanka has previously been involved in basic neuroscience research at Georgetown, research on stroke at the University of Pittsburgh, and most recently rectal cancer and melanoma research at Ohio State. She is originally from Pittsburgh, PA.
Chen (Amy) Chen
2014 Medical Student Grant Targeting Melanoma and Skin Cancer
Harvard Medical School
Topic: Extramammary Paget 's Disease: A Large Cohort Study and Systematic Review

Amy Chen is a second year medical student in the New Pathway program at Harvard Medical School. She graduated from Harvard College in 2012 with a degree in Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology and a secondary in Psychology. She grew up in Princeton, NJ.
Joshua Clark
2014 Medical Student Grant Targeting Melanoma and Skin Cancer
Targeting Melanoma and Skin Cancer University
Topic: Community Perceptions about the Use of Black Salve

Joshua Clark received his undergraduate degree in Clinical Laboratory Sciences from Weber State University. He has worked as a public health microbiologist for four years and is currently a second year medical student at the University of Utah School of Medicine. He grew up in rural Southern Idaho.
Jeffrey Cohen
2014 Medical Student Grant Targeting Melanoma and Skin Cancer
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Topic: Sleep Disorders and Duration and the Risk of Melanoma Among US Women and Men

Jeffrey Cohen is a member of the Class of 2015 at Harvard Medical School and is currently pursuing a year of research in dermatoepidemiology. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Rochester, where he studied Biology and Health and Society. He is originally from Great Neck, New York.
Alexander Fogel
2014 Medical Student Grant Targeting Melanoma and Skin Cancer
Stanford University School of Medicine
Topic: Stanford Dermatology Personal Genomics Skin Cancer Prevention Project

Alexander Fogel is a medical student at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Alex received his undergraduate degree at the California Institute of Technology. Alex's current work focuses on the impact of new technologies on health and healthcare delivery. In developing the Stanford Dermatology Personal Genomics Project for Skin Cancer Prevention, Alex is exploring how genomic information can be used to encourage patients to make lifestyle changes that will reduce their risk of developing melanoma and other skin cancers. Alex's other research at Stanford has explored pediatric teledermatology and drug repurposing within pediatric dermatology.
Alina Goldenberg
2014 Medical Student Grant Targeting Melanoma and Skin Cancer
University of San Diego School of Medicine
Topic: Comparison of SCC with Aggressive Subclinical Extension Among Immunocompetent and Immunosuppressed

Alina Goldenberg is a fourth-year medical student at the University of California, San Diego. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Health at University of California, Berkeley in 2009. Alina is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Clinical Research and involved in multiple research projects within the UC San Diego Division of Dermatology focusing on squamous cell carcinoma among the immunosuppressed population. She is originally from Kiev, Ukraine and moved to San Francisco in 1999.
David Harker
2014 Medical Student Grant Targeting Melanoma and Skin Cancer
University of Texas Southwestern School of Medicine
Topic: The Immunosuppressive Role of DC-HIL+MDSC in Melanoma and Other Cancers

David Harker is currently a second year medical student at the University of Texas Southwestern School of Medicine. He completed a Bachelors of Science degree in Genetics and Biotechnology at Brigham Young University. During David's time at BYU, he performed research in crop genetics and contributed to the sequencing of the cotton genome. He is originally from Alberta, Canada.
Yiannis Koullias
2014 Medical Student Grant Targeting Melanoma and Skin Cancer
Boston University School of Medicine
Topic: Modeling the Metastasis of Malignant Melanoma Using Microfluidic Platforms

Yiannis Koullias is a third year medical student at Duke University School of Medicine. He is currently completing his research year in the Department of Dermatology at Boston University School of Medicine, where he is investigating melanoma metastasis. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Harvard University in 2011. He is originally from Staten Island, New York.
Matthew Mansh
2014 Medical Student Grant Targeting Melanoma and Skin Cancer
University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine
Topic: Characterizing Voriconazole-Associated Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis in Human Keratinocytes

Matthew Mansh is a fourth year medical student at Stanford University and has devoted a year to pursue basic science and clinical epidemiological research related to skin cancer in solid organ transplant recipients at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) . He graduated with High Honors with a Bachelor of Science degree in Molecular Biology from Haverford College in 2008. He is originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Kathleen McGuinn
2014 Medical Student Grant Targeting Melanoma and Skin Cancer
Thomas Jefferson University Medical College
Topic: Role of Fibulin-4 in the Pathogenesis of Oral Head and Neck

Kathleen McGuinn is currently devoting a year to Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology research between her third and fourth year of medical school at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, PA. She graduated summa cum laude from Gettysburg College where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry. Kathleen McGuinn is from York, Pennsylvania and plans to apply for residency in dermatology.
Ji Qi
2014 Medical Student Grant Targeting Melanoma and Skin Cancer
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Topic: Assessment of PD-L1 as a Predictive Biomarker of Response to Ipilimumab in Melanoma Patients

Ji Qi is from Fairfax, VA. She received her undergraduate degree from Princeton University, where she majored in Molecular Biology with minors in Global Health and East Asian Studies. Currently she is a third-year medical student at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Nicholas Theodosakis
2014 Medical Student Grant Targeting Melanoma and Skin Cancer
Yale University School of Medicine
Topic: Metabolic Reprogramming of Melanoma by BRAF Inhibitors

Nicolas Theodosakis is a fourth year medical student in the Yale School of Medicine's MD/PhD program. Nick graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Virginia in 2008 with a distinguished BSc in Biochemistry and a BA in Psychology. At UVA, he served as a research assistant in the lab of David Jones, MD studying correlations between PET scanning and the presence of select tumor biomarkers in the setting of lung and esophageal cancer. He also spent two summers in the lab of Malcolm Brock, MD at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institute studying lung cancer epigenetics. Additionally, Nick spent 6 months in Tokyo, Japan researching the use of methylation profiling as a prognostic tool in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. At Yale, Nick conducts research into melanoma metabolomics in the lab of Marcus Bosenberg, MD, PhD. He is originally from Newport News, Virginia.
Shira Wieder
2014 Medical Student Grant Targeting Melanoma and Skin Cancer
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Topic: B-RAFV600E Inhibition Reprograms Mitochondrial Function Promoting Poor Prognosis and Chemoresistance

Shira Wieder is a fourth year medical student at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and is currently devoting a year to melanoma research at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She graduated summa cum laude from New York University in 2010 receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree. She is originally from Westchester County, New York.
Tarek Yamany
2014 Medical Student Grant Targeting Melanoma and Skin Cancer
Columbia University
Topic: Hairless Gene Regulation of PREX2 and COL6A1

Tarek Yamany received his undergraduate degree from Carnegie Mellon University, where he studied Computer Science and Chemistry. He is currently a medical student at Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School and has devoted a year to pursue research at Columbia University. He is originally from Princeton, New Jersey.
Betty Yang
2014 Medical Student Grant Targeting Melanoma and Skin Cancer
University of Texas Medical School at Houston
Topic: The Effect of ECP on Th1/Th2/Th17/Treg Cytokines and Related Molecules in Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma

Betty Y. Yang is a fourth year medical student at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. She has dedicated a year to conduct translational research in cutaneous oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical-biological engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Sherry Yu
2014 Medical Student Grant Targeting Melanoma and Skin Cancer
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Topic: Sun Behaviors and Quality-of-Life after Cutaneous Melanoma Diagnosis

Sherry Yu is a third year medical student at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. She graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Case Western Reserve University in 2011. She is originally from Chicago, Illinois.

Recipients list by year: 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012

Complete List of Research Grant & Award Recipients