Murilo Ramos Rocha, PhD, is a cancer biologist studying how changes in the skin caused by aging affect the progression of melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer. His work aims to develop new treatments for this disease. Dr. Ramos Rocha is one of two recipients of the 2025 Samuel Jordan Graham Postdoctoral Fellowship. This award, given by the Office of Research, recognizes postdoctoral fellows conducting important research that bridges public health and medicine. The other awardee this year is Beverlin Rosario-Williams, PhD, from the Health, Behavior and Society Department.
Since his undergraduate years, Ramos Rocha has been interested in how cells in the skin’s microenvironment—such as fibroblasts, immune cells, and endothelial cells—interact with tumor cells. He explains, “As we age, these interactions change and influence how tumors grow.”
In 2022, Ramos Rocha joined the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He works in the lab of Ashani Weeraratna, PhD, the E.V. McCollum Chair of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. The Weeraratna Lab focuses on how aging skin affects melanoma development.
One key finding from their research is that aging changes how melanoma responds to targeted therapies. Targeted therapies were once the best treatment for metastatic melanoma. However, many patients, especially older ones, develop resistance or respond poorly to these treatments.
“Dr. Weeraratna has shown that melanoma cells in aged skin take on an invasive form that resists targeted therapy,” said Ramos Rocha.
Ramos Rocha and his team studied these invasive, resistant melanoma cells and found a potential weakness. He said, “These cells are sensitive to drugs that cause a buildup of lipid peroxides, leading to a type of cell death called ferroptosis.”
Ferroptosis is a form of programmed cell death that depends on iron. It has been linked to various cancers. GPX4 is a protein that protects cells from ferroptosis by breaking down harmful lipid peroxides. Ramos Rocha found that blocking GPX4 with inhibitors can kill these invasive melanoma cells, especially those grown in aged skin environments.
The Graham Fellowship will help Ramos Rocha continue this research. He plans to study how combining immunotherapy—specifically immune checkpoint inhibitors—and ferroptosis-inducing drugs can improve melanoma treatment. Immune checkpoint inhibitors have recently become the leading treatment for melanoma, replacing targeted therapy.
He explained, “Our project will explore how these treatments affect immune cells in the aging skin environment. We hope this will lead to better treatment strategies.”
Ramos Rocha values the fellowship’s focus on interdisciplinary research that addresses complex health issues. “Collaboration between scientists from different fields opens new doors for discovery,” he said. “I am grateful for a fellowship that supports this approach and helps translate science into real-world medical advances.”
His project will be co-mentored by Daniel Zabransky, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Oncology at the School of Medicine. Ramos Rocha noted that combining Zabransky’s clinical and immunology expertise with Weeraratna’s knowledge of aging and cancer biology will strengthen the research.
Weeraratna praised Ramos Rocha’s work ethic and creativity: “Murilo combines strong scientific skills with a collaborative spirit. He consistently generates original ideas and turns them into important experiments. He is also a supportive mentor and valuable member of the lab.”
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