Spring 2025 Grantee Highlight:
Drew Adams

Drew Adams, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University

By finding innovative ways to drug an established melanoma vulnerability, Drew Adams and his team hope to develop new treatments for this aggressive form of skin cancer.

Melanoma is particularly challenging to treat when certain gene mutations are present. While many existing therapies target a cancer growth pathway called MAPK, their effectiveness often diminishes over time. Recent research highlights the protein DUSP4 as critical for melanoma cell survival, but it is notoriously difficult to target with current drugs.

To address this, the Adams lab is using advanced genetic and chemical tools to identify small molecules that can block DUSP4 or its downstream effects. Their team at Case Western Reserve University, which combines expertise in chemistry, biology, and drug discovery, is working to overcome this challenge.

The goal of their project is to discover new drugs that can work in combination with existing melanoma treatments to improve patient outcomes.