SolSurvivors Oregon receives $50,000 to partner with researchers on melanoma study

The SolSurvivors Community Engagement Committee.

Exciting news! The project I've been leading in collaboration with Oregon Health & Science University and SolSurvivors has been selected to receive $50,000 from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). Funds will be used to develop a research study that reflects the needs and interests of melanoma patients and their families.

The award comes from PCORI’s Pipeline to Proposal program, which enables individuals and groups who are not typically involved in the scientific research process to develop partnerships with researchers and spearhead the design of a patient-centered research proposal. Since 2013, we have been awarded a total of $90,000 to build a Community Engagement Committee and support the OHSU Department of Dermatology on engagement activities related to the Melanoma Community Registry.

Last fall, our project team jointly hosted a Melanoma Community Research Forum, where over 90 participants gathered in Portland and Bend to learn about the latest melanoma research and participate in small-group discussions about their experience with melanoma. Themes identified during the event are being used to shape a collaborative research project, as well as a community event to be held in November 2016.

Want to get involved? Send me a note at katie@prettyinpale.org.

About PCORI 
PCORI is an independent, non-profit organization authorized by Congress in 2010 to fund comparative effectiveness research that will provide patients, their caregivers, and clinicians with the evidence needed to make better-informed health and healthcare decisions. PCORI is committed to seeking input from a broad range of stakeholders to guide its work.