Donors make a Difference: Aristophane Chay’s Melanoma Research Journey

Aristophane Chay, a second-year PhD student in the Department of Biochemistry, received the Donnor Studentship and Canderel Travel Awards through the Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute (GCI) internal studentship competition this year. The Donnor Studentship Award, made possible by the Donnor Foundation, is designed to support outstanding PhD students pursuing research on the genetics of cancer initiation or progression at the GCI.

Under the supervision of Prof. Ian Watson, Aristophane evaluates responses to RAF inhibitors in non-BRAF V600 melanoma, namely BRAF non-V600, NRAS, and NF1 mutant melanomas. In around 50% of cutaneous melanoma cases, cancer cells are driven by a V600 mutation in the BRAF gene which allows these patients to be treated with BRAF inhibitors, in combination with MEK inhibitors. The remaining, non-BRAF V600 cases are not eligible for this treatment, so if patients experience failure with first-line immune therapy, there is not currently any approved targeted therapy available.

However, based on preliminary work in the Watson lab, Aristophane believes novel pan-RAF inhibitors, when combined with currently approved MEK inhibitors, may represent viable therapeutic options for patients with non-BRAF V600 melanoma. Ultimately, his work seeks to improve patient outcomes by maximizing tumor response and minimizing the adverse effects of treatment.

After his graduate studies, Aristophane aims to pursue translational research to improve cancer patients’ outcomes. A recent presentation at the Society for Melanoma Research Congress in New Orleans, USA, funded by the Canderel Travel Award, provided him with an opportunity to network with a wide range of experts in the international melanoma research community and receive valuable feedback from researchers, clinicians, and industry scientists, which will serve to further refine his work moving forward. Indeed, great discoveries are not made by researchers alone—they are the result of the commitment of an entire community devoted to improving the lives of cancer patients.

Thinking back on the application process for the GCI internal studentship competition, Aristophane discusses the significant role of the GCI community in setting him up for success in his scientific career: “Today, grant writing and preparing funding applications is a skill in and of itself in academic research and the collaborative environment of the Watson lab truly helps me hone that skill”. By sharing tips and actionable information to maximize funding chances as well as reviewing applications, he says his lab mates and supervisor provided invaluable mentorship and support.

Community support is, perhaps, most important during the inevitable setbacks and challenges in research. Aristophane expresses his gratitude to his peers at the Institute for their guidance and encouragement following an unsuccessful round of applications for doctoral scholarships early on. “I had open conversations with my friends, which allowed me to process the experience and feel supported rather than discouraged… They helped me refine my applications, and thanks to their support, I successfully applied for and received the Donner Studentship Award, from the GCI”, he shares.

Our successes are rooted in the strength of our community, which empowers our researchers to take on the toughest challenges in cancer research today. Scholarship funding is one aspect of this, ensuring trainees like Aristophane are driven to and have the resources to focus on continuing to push the cutting-edge of cancer research forward.

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