Medical Student Organizes Annual Pickleball Tournament To Raise Funds for Melanoma Research

(July 24, 2025) — Medical student Sach Thakker (M’26) is once again blending his passion for sports and service by organizing a pickleball tournament to raise money for melanoma research. The combination was inspired by his college tennis coach, who was diagnosed with melanoma, and his own desire to gain a deeper understanding of cancer in people of color.

“This year, we decided to organize a pickleball tournament instead of tennis in order to welcome even more participants,” said Thakker, who is being helped in his organizing efforts by members of the dermatology interest groups at Georgetown and George Washington University. “We wanted to organize a tournament that encourages people to get outdoors, stay active and have fun with their friends while also raising awareness of proper skin protection.”

The tournament is scheduled for the morning of August 2, 2025, at the Hayes Park Pickleball Courts in Arlington, Virginia.

Finding an Interest in a Medical Specialty Through Sport

Thakker has been an avid tennis player his whole life, playing in college at Virginia Commonwealth University. “Tennis is an amazing lifelong sport. However, the risk of skin cancer from unprotected time outside cannot be ignored,” said Thakker.

During his final year of college, Thakker’s longtime tennis coach was diagnosed with melanoma. “I saw what he endured while searching for dermatologists to treat his cancer,” he said. Contrary to popular belief, certain types of melanoma can disproportionately affect patients with skin of color, like Thakker’s tennis coach, according to a Georgetown study.

The experience with his coach left Thakker not only more aware of the necessity of proper skin protection while playing tennis, but also with a newfound interest in dermatology.

“I had an interest in pursuing medicine during my time in undergraduate, where I was able to shadow physicians in Richmond,” said Thakker, who became focused on dermatologic equity, which involves expanding access to skin care in underserved communities, along with developing a greater understanding of how skin conditions present in people of color.

“Much of dermatologic research still centers on Caucasian skin, making it difficult to detect melanoma, especially rare forms, in skin of color patients until they present at much later stages,” said Thakker.

Advancing Dermatologic Equity

Thakker’s own research focuses on acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM), a rare and especially aggressive subtype of melanoma that appears on the palms and soles of feet, mostly affects people of color and can result in severe treatment, such as amputation, if not detected and treated early.

“I’m studying the efficacy of new therapies for ALM, including immunotherapy, targeted therapy and chemotherapy, and investigating genetic mutations to personalize treatments for a specific population,” said Thakker, whose work has been supported by a grant from the Melanoma Research Foundation. Several of his publications have appeared in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD), and his research poster highlighting his ALM research was selected as one of the top 20 posters at the 2025 American Academy of Dermatology’s annual meeting.

Unfortunately, Thakker expects skin cancer to become even more prevalent in society. But he hopes that events like this year’s pickleball tournament will help increase awareness of the necessity for proper skin care.

“Pickleball is an easy game to learn, so I invite anyone who wants to play and support melanoma research to join us!” said Thakker.

Heather Wilpone-Welborn
GUMC Communications