Merkel CELLebration Dinner 2025
The Merkel Cell Carcinoma Collaborative (MC3) Institute was proud to host the annual Merkel CELLebration Dinner on Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, at the UW Medicine South Lake Union biomedical research campus in Seattle.
We were thrilled to welcome over 200 in-person attendees, and over 40 virtual attendees who watched the presentation from around the world via livestream.
The annual event highlights the latest research and advances in the treatment of Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC)—a rare and aggressive skin cancer—while fostering connections among patients and their families, physicians, pharmaceutical partners, and scientific experts.
This special evening is made possible entirely through the generosity of our donors, whose support ensures the Merkel CELLebration continues to bring hope, connection, and inspiration to our MCC community.
This year, we proudly celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Merkel CELLebration. First held in 2005 as a small, intimate gathering of MCC patients and scientists from the labortatory of Paul Nghiem, MD, PhD, the CELLebration has grown over the past two decades into a cherished tradition. Today, it stands as a meaningful and highly anticipated event that brings together patients, families, clinicians, and researchers from across the country.
The program featured an overview of MCC, two impactful patient stories, and scientific updates on improving MCC outcomes through immunotherapy, the gut microbiome, and clinical trials. Attendees also had the opportunity to tour the Nghiem Lab guided by members of the lab’s research team.
During the presentation, two noteworthy achievements were recognized. We honored Shailender Bhatia, MD, who was named the inaugural Lyn and Daniel Lerner Endowed Chair in Merkel Cell Carcinoma for his dedication to outstanding clinical care to patients with MCC and leadership of numerous clinical trials to improve outcomes in this life-threatening cancer.
We also celebrated the renewal of a $14.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) which began on August 1, 2025, and will extend through 2030. The grant will support collaborative research across four institutions: Fred Hutch Cancer Center, University of Washington, University of Michigan, and University of Virginia, and involve more than 60 investigators and staff.
We're incredibly grateful to everyone who attended this year's Merkel CELLebration. It's an honor to stand with you in the fight against this disease.
We also extend our gratitude to our philanthropic partners at Fred Hutch. Their support has been instrumental in securing funds which directly contribute to the success of our mission.
Thank you to our MC3 Institute team for their help planning and organizing this year’s event. A special thanks to Gourmondo Caterers, Live Oak AV, and Arcobaleno Strings for their contributions to this event.
