# Melanoma Research Alliance

Source: https://onco.cc/institutions/mra/  
OnCo record `mra` (Institution). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

The melanoma research funder Debra and Leon Black started in 2007; it has put more than $200 million into research and every donated dollar goes to science because the founders cover the running costs.

## Summary

The Melanoma Research Alliance was founded in 2007 by Debra and Leon Black after Debra's melanoma diagnosis. Its own overview states that it has directly invested over $200 million through more than 500 grant awards, that MRA-funded researchers have contributed to 20 new FDA-approved melanoma treatments since its founding, and that because the Blacks cover administrative and fundraising costs, 100% of every donation goes to melanoma research. It funds young investigators, team science and academic-industry partnerships, and convenes an annual scientific retreat. Headquartered in Washington, DC.

## Fields

- Kind: Institution
- Last checked: 2026-09-10
- Also known as: MRA
- City: Washington, DC, US
- Type: consortium
- Website: https://www.curemelanoma.org

## Sources

- MRA overview: https://www.curemelanoma.org/mra-overview/mra-overview

## Connected records

- collections: [Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA)](https://onco.cc/collections/melanoma-research-alliance/)
- cancers: [Melanoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/melanoma/)
- technologies: [Immune checkpoint inhibitors](https://onco.cc/technologies/checkpoint-inhibitor/)
- fronts: [Immunotherapy](https://onco.cc/fronts/immunotherapy/)
- people: [Debra Black](https://onco.cc/people/debra-black/), [Leon Black](https://onco.cc/people/leon-black/)
- bottlenecks: [Funding follows fashion, not burden](https://onco.cc/bottlenecks/b-funding-allocation/), [The valley of death between lab and product](https://onco.cc/bottlenecks/b-translational-valley/)

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