AACR-Conquer Cancer®, the ASCO Foundation Young Investigator Award for Translational Cancer Research

The AACR-Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation Young Investigator Award for Translational Cancer Research provides funding to physician-scientists to encourage and promote quality research in translational oncology. This joint award supports physician-scientists during the transition from fellowship programs to faculty appointments.

2026 Grantee

Amanda Truong, MD, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow and Dermatology Resident
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Leveraging Desmoplastic Melanoma Signatures to Enhance Immunotherapy Response

Scientific Statement of Research

Desmoplastic melanoma (DM) responds exceptionally well to anti-PD1 immunotherapy, offering a unique opportunity to uncover mechanisms driving this response. Dr. Truong’s project leverages integrated RNA sequencing data from baseline and on-treatment biopsies collected from DM and non-DM clinical trials. Preliminary data showed key differences, including upregulation of extracellular matrix genes and specific immune signatures. Building on these findings, she will characterize distinguishing signatures of DM and determine whether these features predict response or play a functional role in immunotherapy sensitivity or resistance. This work aims to use DM as a model to define strategies for predicting immunotherapy response and overcoming immunotherapy resistance in melanoma, with the potential to inform approaches in other malignancies.

Biography

Dr. Truong earned her medical and doctoral degrees from the University of Utah, where her doctoral research focused on combination drug therapies to enhance targeted therapy response in melanoma. She is currently a dermatology resident in the Specialty Training and Advanced Research (STAR) Program at University of California, Los Angeles and is pursuing postdoctoral training while studying immunotherapy response in desmoplastic melanoma. Her research interests include translational research, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and cutaneous malignancies.

Acknowledgement of Support

“I am deeply honored to receive the AACR-Conquer Cancer®, the ASCO Foundation Young Investigator Award for Translational Cancer Research. This support represents a crucial milestone in my postdoctoral training and will enable me to pursue my research goals as I transition to independence as a physician-scientist focused on translational research.”