Dr. Martins’ research explores melanoma cell-expressed PD-1 and its signaling pathway effectors as therapeutic targets for cancer treatment. Her work in the laboratory of Dr. Tobias Schatton identified PD-1 intrinsic to cancer cells as an important mediator of melanoma and Merkel cell carcinoma growth via activation of downstream mTOR:mitochondrial ROS signaling. Moreover, she uncovered a novel type I interferon-JAK/STAT signaling pathway regulating cancer cell-PD-1 expression, the blockade of which disrupts PD-1 therapeutic efficacy in murine models. Her current studies focus on integrating these novel biological insights to optimize biomarkers of response to PD-1 checkpoint blockade in melanoma patients.