Location

Rochester, Minnesota

Contact

Meves.Alexander@mayo.edu Clinical Profile

SUMMARY

The research of Alexander Meves, M.D., focuses on studying the interaction of cells with their extracellular environment. These interactions play a role in many medically relevant biological processes including cancer, wound healing and aging. Specifically, Dr. Meves' laboratory aims to develop cutting-edge methods to diagnose and treat melanoma. Dr. Meves also studies new approaches to improve wound healing.

Focus areas

  • Molecular risk factors of metastasis. By analyzing patient-derived melanoma tissue, Dr. Meves identified a series of factors that increase the likelihood of melanoma disease progression. His research group is studying the biology of these factors to determine whether they can be targeted by drugs to better treat melanoma and improve survival.
  • New treatments for wound healing and scarring. Dr. Meves discovered medicines that may inhibit excessive scarring. His group is analyzing the effects of these medicines in preclinical models and early clinical trials.

Significance to patient care

The ability to distinguish between lethal cancers that need treating and nonlethal cancers that do not could revolutionize the way we prevent, diagnose and treat cancer. Dr. Meves' research aims to address this challenge specifically in the context of cutaneous melanoma. He and his colleagues apply knowledge on the interplay between cells and their extracellular environment to distinguish between melanoma that needs aggressive treatment and indolent melanoma that does not.

Because the biology that underpins aggressive cancer also drives excessive scarring in the skin, Dr. Meves' research team aims to develop better treatments for patients with hypertrophic scars and other types of skin scars.

Professional highlights

  • Recipient, Career Development Award, National Cancer Institute, 2017

PROFESSIONAL DETAILS

Primary Appointment

  1. Consultant, Department of Dermatology

Joint Appointment

  1. Consultant, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Academic Rank

  1. Professor of Dermatology

EDUCATION

  1. MBA Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota
  2. Mayo Clinic Scholar - Postdoc; Department of Molecular Medicine Max-Planck-Institute for Biochemistry
  3. Fellow - Advanced Clinical Dermatology Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine
  4. Resident - Dermatology Residency Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine
  5. Resident Advanced Clinical Dermatology, Programs in Rochester, Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine
  6. Doctorate of Medicine - For Ph.D.-equivalent work in the area of biochemistry and cell biology. Thesis title: "Identification and Characterization of Stress-Activated Signaling Networks in Primary Human Keratinocytes". Grade: summa cum laude. Heinrich Heine University of Dusseldorf
  7. Internship - Preliminary Internal Medicine Internship Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine
  8. Resident Preliminary Internal Medicine, Programs in Rochester, Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine
  9. Fellow - Carlo Schmid Fellow World Health Organization
  10. Medical School Heinrich-Heine-University, Dusseldorf, Germany
  11. Fellow - Fulbright Fellow in Cell Biology Harvard Medical School

Clinical Studies

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Publications

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BIO-00027476

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