��ѻ��ý

Murilo Ramos Rocha, PhD, is a cancer biologist exploring how age-driven alterations to the skin microenvironment impact melanoma progression to lay the groundwork for new strategies to treat this deadly form of skin cancer. And now, he is one of two 2025 awardees of the Samuel Jordan Graham Postdoctoral Fellowship, presented by the Office of Research to postdoctoral fellows who are leading foundational or translational research projects leading that incorporate both public health and medicine. This year's other awardee is Beverlin Rosario-Williams, PhD, in the Health, Behavior and Society Department. 

“Ever since undergrad, I have been fascinated by the interactions between cells from the microenvironmen��–fibroblasts, immune cells, and endothelial cells–and tumor cells. As we grow old, these relationships change and impact how tumors develop.”

In 2022, this interest led him here to the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, working in the lab of Ashani Weeraratna, PhD, E.V. McCollum Chair of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. The Weeraratna Lab studies melanoma, with a focus how the aging skin microenvironment influences progression. 

One important aspect of how aging influences melanoma is by changing how it responds to targeted therapy, which until recently was the most effective strategy to treat metastatic melanoma. Unfortunately, many patients develop resistance or respond poorly to treatment, and this is more common among aged patients. 

“Over the years, Dr. Weeraratna has shown that melanoma cells in the aged skin differentiate into an invasive phenotype that is resistant to targeted therapy,” said Ramos Rocha. 

Ramos Rocha and colleagues analyzed these invasive, targeted therapy-resistant cells and discovered a potential susceptibility. 

“These cells are vulnerable to one class of drugs that induce the accumulation of lipid peroxides and cellular death through a process called ferroptosis,” Ramos Rocha explained. 

Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent form of programmed cell death, and suppression of the pathway has been implicated in a number of cancers. GPX4 is a protein that converts lipid peroxides to non-toxic products, protecting cells from the impacts of ferroptosis, and Ramos Rocha found that GPX4 inhibitors can kill the invasive cells that resulted from growing in aged microenvironment conditions.

The Graham Fellowship will support Ramos Rocha’s work to build on these findings, and extend his studies into the immune checkpoint inhibitor treatments that have revolutionized melanoma treatment and replaced targeted therapy as the most effective option.

“In our project, we will combine the use of immunotherapy and ferroptosis inducers to explore this vulnerability and better understand the dynamic regulation of immune cells in the aged skin microenvironment,” he said. 

Ramos Rocha hopes that the project will provide the knowledge to create novel, and more effective, treatment strategies.

The Graham Fellowship program focuses on interdisciplinary projects that tackle complex problems in public health and medicine, a focus Ramos Rocha appreciates.

“I believe the exchange of knowledge and experience that happens when scientists from different backgrounds cooperate unlocks new possibilities for scientific discovery,” he said. “I am extremely grateful to be awarded a fellowship that values those interdisciplinary connections to accelerate scientific research toward real-world translational applications.”

His project will be co-mentored by Daniel Zabransky, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Oncology in the School of Medicine. Ramos Rocha said the project will benefit from integrating Zabransky’s clinical and immunological perspective with Weeraratna’s insight on the biology of aging and microenvironments. 

“What truly sets Murilo apart is his unique combination of scientific rigor and collaborative spirit,” said Weeraratna. “He has an outstanding ability to generate original ideas and translate them into meaningful experiments. Beyond his scientific achievements, he is an exceptional lab citizen and mentor.”