Christopher J. Marshall Award

For Studies on Signal Transduction and Melanoma (In Partnership with the Melanoma Research Foundation)

Established in 2015 at the SMR congress in San Francisco, the Society for Melanoma Research in partnership with the Melanoma Research Foundation Congress established The Christopher J. Marshall Award For Studies on Signal Transduction and Melanoma. This award is presented to a student who has made substantial published and original contribution to studies of signal transduction and melanoma within the previous two years. The award’s focus on students, fellows or new PIs is in keeping with Chris Marshall’s dedication to mentoring and training new generations of cancer scientists.

See below for application details.

Sydney M. Shaffer

2023 – Sydney M. Shaffer, MD, PhD

2022 – Arianna Baggiolini, PhD

2021 - Carla Daniela Robles-Espinoza, PhD

2019 - David Olmeda, PhD

2018 - Vito Rebecca, PhD

2016 - Maria Romina Girotti, PhD

Application Information

The key criterion for the award is that the applicant must have made a substantial published and original contribution to studies of signal transduction and melanoma within the previous two years. This focus on students, fellows or new PIs is in keeping with Chris Marshall’s dedication to mentoring and training new generations of cancer scientists. Note that studies in signal transduction and melanoma are viewed broadly and are considered to encompass signaling within the melanoma cell as well as within cells of the host microenvironment, including immune cells.

Here are some salient details of the application and evaluation process:

The applicant must be:
- A current student,
- A current postdoctoral fellow or;
- A new independent PI who is within eight years of the receipt of his/her terminal degree.
Applications may be made by any trainee, whether an SMR member or non-member, who is currently affiliated with any institution involved in melanoma research, melanoma medicine, or melanoma-related biomedical science. Additional consideration may be given to current SMR members.
Applications must consist of:
- Complete contact information for the applicant.
- The applicant’s full CV or Bio Sketch.
- A list, including Pubmed IDs, of the applicant’s published melanoma-relevant research manuscripts. In addition, PDFs of accepted manuscript(s) that are in press, including a confirmatory e-mail from the journal indicating that the manuscript is accepted for publication, are eligible. Papers that are under review or in preparation are not eligible for consideration.
- A maximum of two letters of recommendation, no longer than 2 pages in length/letter, one of which must be a formal letter of support from the applicant’s current or former mentor, which describe the applicant’s suitability for this prestigious award.
Application period is May 1st – July 1st of each year.
Applications will be evaluated by designated members of the SMR Awards committee with external assistance as required.
The award will consist of an unrestricted honorarium of $5,000, a commemorative plaque and support for the awardee to attend the SMR Annual Congress.
The awardee must be available to accept the award in person at the Society for Melanoma Research Congress.

Apply Here

SMR is dedicated to supporting diversity and inclusion for everyone. We encourage applications from any individual who is within 8 years of receiving their terminal degree and especially encourage those in underrepresented populations to apply for this award.