About Dr Amaya Viros

Skin cancers are the most incident cancers. Non-melanoma skin cancers are highly prevalent but have generally low mortality compared to melanoma skin cancer, which metastasizes in 20% of cases to the lymph nodes and distant organs. The risk of melanoma metastasis depends on primary tumour factors as well as on host factors such as old age and male sex. New targeted and immunotherapies are improving outcomes for some patients. Despite these advancements, the mechanisms of metastasis, therapy resistance, and the influence of host factors, such as age and immune function are not fully understood. 

In the Skin Cancer and Ageing laboratory, we aim to discover the mechanisms that enable melanoma cells to metastasize and thrive in solid organs. We study the host factors such as age, sex and diet that support the survival and growth of melanoma cells during the metastatic process, as well as the tissue-specific factors in metastatic sites that impact the growth of melanoma cells once they seed a distant organ. This research aims to shed light on the interactions between melanoma cells and their environment, providing a foundation for potential therapeutic advancements. 

We also aim to address fundamental questions of melanoma immunotherapy response by anatomic site. Recent advances in cancer immunotherapy have yet to fully explain the heterogeneity of immunotherapy responses in treatment-resistant sites such as the brain and the liver. We are investigating the host and local factors that drive treatment failure, to inform novel therapy approaches that are targeted to specific organs and host characteristics. A key aim of the group is to advance rationales of care adjusted by host and anatomic site characteristics.