Robin Davisson to lead Melanoma Research Alliance

Robin Davisson
Davisson

Robin Davisson, the Andrew Dickson White Professor of Molecular Physiology at Cornell, will become president and CEO of the Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) effective Oct. 1.

Davisson’s duties with MRA will be phased in gradually into 2016 as she fulfills commitments at Cornell.

MRA is a public charity formed in 2007 by Debra and Leon Black under the auspices of the Milken Institute. It has provided nearly $68 million to research of the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of melanoma, the deadliest skin cancer. Melanoma of the skin is one of the most common cancers in the United States, with the number of cases tripling in the last 30 years.

“It is a privilege to join MRA at such a transformative time in melanoma research,” said Davisson. “Under the leadership of a devoted and visionary board, MRA has contributed enormously to greater understanding of melanoma and to moving toward highly effective treatment options for all melanoma patients as quickly as possible.”

 Davisson has more than 25 years experience as a neuroscientist, cardiovascular physiologist and genomics researcher, educator and mentor at Cornell and the University of Iowa. At Cornell, she served as director of graduate studies of the field of molecular and integrative physiology, and held dual appointments in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Weill Cornell Medical College.

She has received the Arthur C. Corcoran Memorial Award for excellence in cardiovascular research from the American Heart Association, and was recently elected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

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John Carberry