The AACR-Ocular Melanoma Foundation Research Fellowship represents a joint effort to encourage and support a postdoctoral or clinical research fellow to conduct ocular/uveal melanoma research and to establish a successful career path in ophthalmology, ocular oncology, uveal melanoma biology, or a similar field.

2025 grantee

Scientific Statement of Research

Despite the FDA-approved use of tebentafusp, a first-in-class TCR-anti-CD3 bispecific fusion protein, in metastatic uveal melanoma (mUM), early progression is common. Roginolisib, a PI3Kδ inhibitor with 88% disease control rate in mUM, enhances effector T-cell function while reducing immunosuppressive immune cells. Dr. Ameratunga and her team will be conducting TRIUMPH, a multi-site, single-arm phase I dose-escalation study evaluating the combination of tebentafusp and roginolisib in first-line HLA-A*02:01-positive mUM. Using a 3+3 design, 6-18 patients will be enrolled across two Australian centers, receiving tebentafusp 68mcg IV weekly with escalating oral roginolisib. Primary objectives include safety assessment and dose optimization, with secondary endpoints evaluating pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.

Biography

Dr. Ameratunga completed Australian oncology training in 2015, followed by a two-year international fellowship in drug development at the Royal Marsden, U.K. He then earned a doctorate focused on tumor evolution in melanoma. Currently, he serves as the Head of Molecular Oncology and Rare Cancers at Alfred Hospital and is a Research Fellow at Monash University. As a physician-scientist, he actively treats rare cancers, including a specialization in ocular melanoma, while conducting early-phase clinical trials.

Acknowledgement of Support

“This support will advance my career development by enabling leadership of an innovative investigator-initiated trial combining novel treatments in uveal melanoma. This will strengthen my reputation in early-phase drug development and uveal melanoma, and generate important translational data supporting future studies positioning me as a leading clinical-scientist in uveal melanoma.”

2024 grantee

Research

Although immune checkpoint inhibitors have been effective for metastatic cutaneous melanomas, they have been less efficacious in ocular melanoma. Adoptive cell therapy using tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) expanded ex vivo have shown promise in ocular melanoma, achieving a 35% response rate. Early robust survival of tumor-specific T cells and transfer of less differentiated T cells have been keys to success with this treatment strategy. Dr. Mahadik seeks to improve the efficacy of TILs by reprogramming with mRNAs to enhance immediate tumor cell killing and long-term persistence. Reprogrammed TILs will be tested in a patient-derived xenograft model.

Biography

Dr. Mahadik began her academic journey at Mumbai University, earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in microbiology. Driven by a passion for cutting-edge research, she pursued her doctorate in biological sciences at the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, focusing on innovative drug delivery systems for colon and brain cancers mediated by the glucocorticoid receptor. She then worked as a visiting scientist at the University of Rennes. Currently, she is a postdoctoral fellow at Yale University, focusing on developing TILs to combat rare melanomas, including ocular melanoma.

Acknowledgment of Support

“I am deeply honored to receive the 2024 AACR-Ocular Melanoma Foundation Joanne Barlia Research Fellowship. This award will allow me to analyze ocular melanoma patient samples and conduct advanced research to uncover insights that will contribute to furthering my understanding and enhancing the efficacy of engineered tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes.”