This Project Grant award of $757,497 from the Defense Health Agency will support research by Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA to investigate the "ROLE OF PERILESIONAL REACTIVE ASTROCYTOSIS IN MELANOMA BRAIN METASTASES". The project is funded under the Military Medical Research and Development program (CFDA 12.420), which supports basic, applied, and advanced biomedical research to transform healthcare for Service Members and the American public. Drexel University has extensive experience as a prime recipient and subcontractor of federal grants, having received over $100M in funding from agencies such as the NIH, NSF, and NASA for research in areas like materials science, engineering, and public health. This 3-year project will leverage Drexel's expertise to advance the understanding of how astrocytes, a type of brain cell, respond to and influence the development of melanoma brain metastases.