Articles by Cody Barnett, MPH, MRA Senior Director of Communications & Patient Engagement
Asking the Tough Questions: Perspectives on Being a Caregiver, Self Care, & Mucosal Melanoma
By Cody Barnett, MPH, MRA Senior Director of Communications & Patient Engagement | 18 September 2021 In Melanoma Stories
“Being a caregiver can be the hardest job,” says Patricia Janiak. “Your loved one might be the one going through this – but we’re the ones who have to put on our brave face while always being a step ahead. We’re the ones who call the doctors, ask the tough questions, and when needed, we push the envelope.”
Mark, Stage 4 Melanoma, & a Personalized Vaccine Clinical Trial
By Cody Barnett, MPH, MRA Senior Director of Communications & Patient Engagement | 6 September 2021 In Melanoma Stories
The melanoma treatment landscape had dramatically changed in the time since Mark was first diagnosed with melanoma. New options had earned FDA approval and many other approaches were actively being tested in clinical trials. Hear Mark's story with a personalized vaccine made to help train his immune system to fight melanoma cells.
Full Sails Ahead: Immunotherapy Shows Continued Survival Benefit for Patients Facing Advanced Melanoma
By Cody Barnett, MPH, MRA Senior Director of Communications & Patient Engagement | 28 July 2021 In News, Science, Treatment
After carefully following patients enrolled in Checkmate 067 over the last 6.5 years, he and the research team determined that 49% of patients treated with Opdivo + Yervoy were alive at 6.5 years and 77% of these patients remained treatment-free. This represents the longest reported median overall survival in a phase 3 melanoma clinical trial – ever.
For Amanda, Research is Personal
By Cody Barnett, MPH, MRA Senior Director of Communications & Patient Engagement | 26 June 2021
For Amanda, melanoma research will always be personal. In addition to her own history – she is very aware that her four children will also always be connected to this disease. “We’ve made some real progress – and that’s great – but we aren’t there yet. My kids now have a history of this, too – and I’m also doing this for them. Discoveries don’t happen by accident – we have to be willing to invest in them.”
Advancing Melanoma Research in Times of Uncertainty
By Cody Barnett, MPH, MRA Senior Director of Communications & Patient Engagement | 9 June 2021 In Allies & Partnerships, Melanoma Stories, Policy, Prevention, Science, Treatment
Each year, the annual MRA Scientific Retreat brings hundreds of people from across the melanoma research ecosystem together to exchange ideas, report on scientific progress, celebrate achievements, and mourn the losses. In these ways, the 2021 Retreat was no different.
Separating Hope From Hype in Melanoma Research
By Cody Barnett, MPH, MRA Senior Director of Communications & Patient Engagement | 4 June 2021 In Science, Treatment
In the last decade alone 13 therapeutic approaches have earned FDA approval giving patients, families, and clinicians new tools to treat melanoma. But there can be a fine line between hope and hype, especially today when news — both true and inflated — travels instantly via the internet and social media.
Firming the Foundation: Pathology, Rare Melanomas, and Moving the Field Forward
By Cody Barnett, MPH, MRA Senior Director of Communications & Patient Engagement | 21 May 2021 In Science, Treatment
When Dr. Priyadharsini Nagarajan talks about her work at MD Anderson Cancer Center, her energy and excitement could light up any room. That’s because Dr. Nagarajan – a pathologist who specializes in skin (called a ‘dermatopathologist’) – sees her work as critical to creating a firm foundation for all subsequent...
SPOTMYUV: Your Sunscreen’s New Best Friend
By Cody Barnett, MPH, MRA Senior Director of Communications & Patient Engagement | 20 May 2021 In Allies & Partnerships, Prevention
SPOTMYUV, a small, water-resistant sticker applied to any skin exposed to direct sunlight such as your arm or shoulder, helps the wearer know when it is time to reapply their sunscreen by changing color. Throughout the day, a SPOT sticker works to absorb the sunscreen’s UV protecting ingredients at about the same rate as your skin. The SPOT is clear when you are protected by your sunscreen and quickly turns into a deep purple as the sunscreen loses its effectiveness. By monitoring the SPOT, you get a real-time way to monitor your sunscreen without chancing sunburn.
Melanoma Research Alliance Announces $8.1 million in Research Awards
By Cody Barnett, MPH, MRA Senior Director of Communications & Patient Engagement | 27 April 2021 In News, Prevention, Science, Treatment
The Melanoma Research Alliance, the largest non-profit funder of melanoma research, is proud to announce $8.1 million in funding for 34 new research awards. The awards, issued on the cusp of Melanoma Awareness Month, provide critical funding to address urgent unmet needs in melanoma.
Mitch Diamond Honors His Grandfather’s Legacy By Raising Awareness of Melanoma
By Cody Barnett, MPH, MRA Senior Director of Communications & Patient Engagement | 13 April 2021 In Melanoma Stories
Five years ago, when he was just 8-years old, Mitch Diamond lost his grandfather due to melanoma. Now, for his Bar Mitzvah, he’s asking his friends, family, and community to help him raise awareness of and help prevent melanoma.
About the Author
Cody Barnett, MPH, MRA Senior Director of Communications & Patient Engagement
Cody Barnett, MPH serves as the Director of Communications & Patient Engagement at the Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA). In this role, he works to develop and cultivate strategies, messages, and stories that propel MRA and its mission forward. In addition, he develops patient-friendly articles, tools, and resources that demystify new research advances and make them actionable. Cody is responsible for media relations, web and social marketing, publications and materials development, and organizational branding. He is committed to using the power of storytelling and patient-centered thinking to advance melanoma research and improve patient outcomes.
Before joining the Melanoma Research Alliance, Cody served as Director of Communications at AIDS United, where he directed all internal, public, member, and online communications for the national HIV-focused organization. Previous to this, he managed digital communications for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s signature initiative, Aligning Forces for Quality (AF4Q).
Cody earned his Master of Public Health (MPH), concentrating in health policy, from The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health in 2013 and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from York College of Pennsylvania.