Scientific Research Grants and Clinical Fellowships
The Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation (CBTF) is committed to finding a cure for pediatric brain and spinal cord tumors. In its 35-year history, CBTF has awarded over 80 research grants totaling over $11 million dollars to prestigious doctors and researchers at leading institutions throughout the United States for research into the causes of, and effective treatments for, pediatric brain and spinal cord tumors.
CBTF has also provided over $650,000 for professional training and clinical fellowships in the field of pediatric neuro-oncology with a goal to increase the number of experienced professionals equipped with cutting edge information and specific knowledge in the field of pediatric brain and spinal cord tumors.
Research Grants Awarded 1990 – 2023
2023
The Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation provided two $12,500 Quality of Life Grants to support the advancement of providing education and clinical interventions to institutions already dedicated to care and cure. One grant went to Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey in developing and implementing LIFTT (Learning & Integrating Friendship Tools Together) for brain tumor patients and survivors. The other grant will support Advocate Health and Hospitals Corporation in developing and implementing a staff education program for their Pediatric Oncology Survivorship in Transition (POST).
CBTF also provided $50,000 to continue to support and strengthen the infrastructure of the Children’s Brain Tumor Network (CBTN).
2021/2022
As founders of The Children’s Brain Tumor Network (CBTN), the Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation recognizes the importance of providing funding to support the infrastructure of this one-of-a-kind partnership. Since fundraising for infrastructure was extra challenging during the pandemic, CBTF provided $50,000 to support CBTN’s infrastructure.
2020
The Children’s Brain Tumor Tissue Consortium (CBTTC) was renamed Children’s Brain Tumor Network (CBTN). There are currently 25 collaborating institutions across the globe.
Children’s Brain Tumor Network infrastructure grant ($125,000). Of that ($75,000) was deployed to support Johns Hopkins’ participation in CBTN. ($50,000) was split to support both Seattle Children’s Hospital and Children’s National Hospital.
2018/2019
Children’s Brain Tumor Tissue Consortium ($225,000) awarded to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for operational expenses of the CBTTC. There are currently 18 collaborating national and international member institutions.
Boston Children’s Hospital ($75,000) for Christopher Walsh, MD, PhD and Jessica Tsai, MD, PhD for project, “Understanding Developmental Cell Lineage in Childhood Medulloblastoma Using Single Cell DNA Sequencing Technology.”
Children’s National Health System ($75,000) for Brian Rood, MD project “Proteogenomic Identification of Novel Tumor Proteins as Neoantigens in Ependymoma.”
Seattle Children’s Hospital ($75,000) for Sarah Leary, MD, project “Genomic Evaluation of Malignant Pediatric Tumors.”
2017
Children’s Brain Tumor Tissue Consortium ($250,000) awarded to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for operational expenses of CBTTC.
2016
Children’s Brain Tumor Tissue Consortium ($325,000) awarded to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Seattle Children’s Hospital and the University of California San Francisco Benioff Children’s Hospital.
2015
Children’s Brain Tumor Tissue Consortium ($575,000) awarded to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and Seattle Children’s Hospital.
2014
Children’s Brain Tumor Tissue Consortium ($575,000) awarded to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and Seattle Children’s Hospital.
Seattle Children’s Hospital, ($75,000) awarded to Sarah Leary, M.D., “Genomic Evaluation of Malignant Pediatric Cortical Tumors.”
2013
Children’s Brain Tumor Tissue Consortium ($535,000) awarded to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and Seattle Children’s Hospital.
2012
Children’s Brain Tumor Tissue Consortium ($175,000) awarded to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and Seattle Children’s Hospital.
2011
Emory University ($150,000 over two years) for Tamara Caspary, Ph.D., Department of Human Genetics, “Defining the role of Arl13b in medulloblastoma oncogenesis”
Children’s Brain Tumor Tissue Consortium ($350,000) awarded to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
2010
The University of Pittsburgh ($150,000 over two years) for Ian Pollack, M.D., Department of Neurosurgery, “Genomic alterations in pediatric malignant gliomas”
Johns Hopkins University ($150,000 over two years) for Eric Hutton Raabe, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Neuropathology “Using normal human neural stem cells to model pediatric high-grade gliomas”
2009
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center ($150,000 over two years) for Dimpy Koul, Ph.D., Department of Neuro-Oncology, “Targeting the ependymoma with signaling inhibitors and rational combinations using synthetic lethality screen”
Children’s Cancer Research Institute UTHSCSA ($150,000 over two years) for Luiz Penalva, Ph.D., Department of Cellular and Structural Biology, “RNA aptamers against Musashi1, a novel strategy to treat pediatric brain tumors.
2008
Tumor Tissue Consortium Planning Grant – In a major effort to speed treatment and cures for pediatric brain tumors and cancer, the Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation sponsors the initial phase of a collaborative tissue bank consortium ($198,000) designed to jump-start meaningful analyses that could lead to treatment and cures for these types of cancer, where survival rates are unacceptably low and neurocognitive and other damage is posed by today’s treatment options. With support from the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA), CBTF is conducting a feasibility study with participation by leading pediatric institutions. Through this multi-institution research program, participating hospitals will agree to collect and analyze tissue samples and share data publicly. A standardized database will be used to collect and centrally record clinical data.
2007
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital ($150,000 over two years) for Suzanne Baker, Ph.D., Department of Developmental Neurobiology, “Molecular Genetics of Pediatric High-grade Glioma”
The University of Louisiana at Monroe ($150,000 over two years) for Karen Briski, Ph.D., Department of Pharmacology and Neuroanatomy, “Novel Delivery Modes for Small Molecule Inhibitors of Medulloblastoma”
UCSF Pediatrics ($150,000 over two years) for Louis Chesler, M.D., Ph.D., Hematology-Oncology, “The Role of MYCN in Medulloblastoma Tumor Progression and Efficacy of P13K Inhibitors”
University of Pittsburgh ($150,000 over two years) for Ian Pollack, M.D., Dept. of Neurosurgery, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, “Molecular Predictors of Prognosis for Childhood Oligodendrogliomas”
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital ($150,000 over two years) for Martine Roussel, Ph.D., Department of Genetics and Tumor Cell Biology, “Micro-RNAs in Cerebellar Development and Medulloblastoma”
2006
Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles (2006 LIMA International Award, $150,000 over two years) for Anat Erdreich-Epstein, M.D., Ph.D., Dept. of Pediatrics, Div. of Hematology/Oncology, “Molecular Role of Integrins in Bone-Marrow Derived Angiogenesis of Pediatric Brain Tumors”
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (2006 Brain Tumor Foundation for Children Collaborative Grant, $150,000 over two years) for Anna Marie Kenney, Ph.D., Cancer Biology & Genetics, “mRNA Translation Machinery in Medulloblastoma”
Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine (2006 Integra LifeSciences Award For Excellence in Pediatric Brain Tumor Research) for John Glod, M.D., Ph. D., Department of Hematology/Oncology, “The Role of Monocytes in Brain Tumor Angiogenesis”
2005
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (2005 Andrew Hennessy Memorial Grant for Scientific Research, $150,000 over two years) for Neil Watkins, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Oncology at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, “A mouse model of HIC1gene silencing in medulloblastoma”
Hospital for Sick Children (2005 LIMA International Award for Excellence in Pediatric Brain Tumor Research, $150,000 over two years) for Annie Huang, M.D., Ph.D., Neuro-oncologist, Assistant Professor, “Genomic analyses of pediatric supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumors”
Washington University School of Medicine (2005 House of Hope Grant$150,000 over two years) for Joshua Rubin, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatrics, “Molecular Mechanisms of CXCR4 Dependant Brain Tumor Growth”
2004
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (2004 LIMA International Award for Excellence in Pediatric Brain Tumor Research, $150,000 over two years) for Tom Curran, Ph.D., Member, St. Jude Faculty; Chair, Developmental Neurobiology; Co-Leader, Neurobiology & Brain Tumor Program, “Molecular Analyses of Atypical Teratoid/Rhabdoid CNS Tumors”
Baylor College of Medicine (2004 Nicholas Leone Memorial Grant for Scientific Research, $150,000 over two years) for Ching Lau, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor, “Genomic Profiling of Intracranial Germ Cell Tumors”
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center ($150,000 over two years) for Jim Olson, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Member, “Necessity and Sufficiency of Nmyc in Sonic Hedgehog-Mediated Medulloblastoma Genesis”
University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center ($150,000 over two years) for Vidya Gopalakrishnan, Ph.D., Instructor, Molecular Genetics, “Mechanism of REST/NRSF—Mediated Medulloblastoma Tumorigenesis”
2003
Princeton University (Nicholas Leone Memorial Grant for Scientific Research, $150,000 over two years) for Jonathan Eggenschwiler, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, “The Role of Novel Hedgehog signaling antagonists in Medulloblastoma Tumorigenesis”
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute ($150,000 over two years) for Mark W Kieran, M.D., Ph.D., Director of Pediatric Neuro-Oncology, “vb3-receptor-based novel imaging in orthotopic models of CNS malignancy after biologic and anti-angiogenic therapy”
University of California ($150,000 over two years) for Daphne Haas-Kogan, M.D., Assistant Professor, “Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors as Potential Therapeutic Agents for Pediatric Gliomas”
Children’s Hospital Boston ($150,000 over two years) for Scott L. Pomeroy, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Neurology, “Wnt and TGFß in medulloblastoma oncogenesis”
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (2003 CBTF Inspiration Award for Pediatric Brain Tumor Research Grant, $150,000 over two years) for Martine F. Roussel, Ph.D., Genetics and Tumor Cell Biology, “Role of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitory proteins in cerebellar development and tumorigenesis”
University of Chicago ($150,000 over two years) for Manuel Utset, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, “A Transgenic Mouse Model of Interferon-Gamma Induced Medulloblastoma
2002
Columbia University (2002 Inspiration Award for Pediatric Brain Tumor Research Grant, $100,000 over two years) for Peter Canoll, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, “The Role of Eph-Ephrin Interactions in Glioma Migration”
Duke University Medical Center ($100,000 over two years) for Robert Wechsler-Reya, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, “Molecular Evolution of a Brain Tumor: Analysis of Pre-Tumor Cells in Murine Medulloblastoma”
Texas Children’s Cancer Center ($100,000 over two years) for Michael Sheldon, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, “Detection of Chromosomal Imbalances in Pediatric Ependymoma”
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine ($100,000 over two years) for Charles Eberhart, M.D., Ph.D., Instructor in Pathology, “Analysis of Notch Signaling in Medulloblastomas”
2001
Temple University Center for Neurovirology and Cancer Biology (2001 Jean & Nicholas Leone Research Grant, $50,000 over one year) for Krzysztof Reiss, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, “Targeting Insulin-like Growth Factor I Receptor (IGF-IR) – JCV T-Antigen Functional Interaction in Cerebellar Medulloblastoma”
Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, Department of Molecular Genetics (2001 Sascha Feher Memorial Research Grant $100,000 over two years) for Ganjam V. Kalpana, Ph.D., Associate Professor, “Gene Expression Profile Analysis to Study the Tumor Suppressor Function of INI1/hSNF5 in Atypical Teratoid and Rhabdoid Tumors”
Mayo Clinic and Foundation ($100,000 over two years) for Corey Raffel, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Neurological Surgery, “Murine Modeling of Human Medulloblastoma”
2000
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, (2000 Jean & Nicholas Leone Research Grant, $100,000 over two years), for C. Damodara Reddy, Ph.D., “IGF-I Receptor Targeted Therapy of Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumors”
New York University School of Medicine, Skirball Institute, (2000 Anthony Corso Memorial Grant, $100,000 over two years) for Gordon J. Fishell, Ph.D., “The Role of Notch Signaling during Mammalian Neural Stem Cell Proliferation and Differentiation”
1999
UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School ($90, 000 over two years) for Peter W. Carmel M.D., “Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor (VEGF-R), Somatostatin Receptor (SSTR) and Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) Regulation in Neovascularization and Malignant Degeneration in Pediatric Brain Tumors”
New York University Medical Center ($ 90,000 over two years) for Elizabeth W. Newcomb, Ph.D., “Role of MDM2 in TGF-B Growth Inhibition: Clinical Implications for Pediatric Astrocytomas”
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, ($ 90,000 over two years) for Gregg L. Semenza, M.D., Ph.D., “Role of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1 in Brain Tumor Progression”
State University of NY at Stony Brook, ($ 90,000 over two years), Marian J. Evinger, Ph.D. / Robert I. Parker, M.D., “Establishing the Molecular Phenotype of Medulloblastomas”
Children’s National Medical Center, ($77,000 over two years), Tobey John MacDonald, M.D., “Role of Integrin Subunit Alpha (V) in Brain Invasion and Angiogenesis”
1998
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia ($70,000 over two years) for Greta R. Bunin, Ph.D., “Pesticides, Glutathione-S-Transferase, and Astrocytoma in Children”
UMDNJ/Robert Wood Johnson Medical School ($90,000 over two years) for Emanuel DiCicco-Bloom, M.D. “Negative Regulation of Neural Precursor Proliferation”
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center ($85,000) for David Lyden, M.D., Ph.D. “Determining the Function of Specific Id Genes in Pediatric CNS Tumorigenesis and Angiogenesis”
1997
Brookhaven National Laboratory ($42,500) for F. Avraham Dilmanian, Ph.D. “Unidirectional Microbeam Radiation Therapy of Children’s Brain Tumors Using Synchrotron X Rays”
New York University Medical Center ($81,000 over two years) for Douglas C. Miller, M.D., Ph.D. “Differentiation, Proliferative Activity and Prognosis in Pediatric Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumors of the Central Nervous System”
New York University Medical Center ($85,000 over 2 years) for Howard Weiner, M.D. “The Role of DDR/Cak, a Novel Cell Adhesion Receptor Tyrosine Kinase, in Pediatric Brain Tumors and Brain Development”
Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center ($85,000 over two years) for Darrell Yamashiro, M.D., Ph.D. “The Role of TRK Receptors in the Pathogenesis of Medulloblastoma”
1996
Montefiore Medical Center ($100,000 over 2 years) for Katherine Freeman, Ph.D. “The Epidemiology of Family Centered Stress: Deriving a Model to Treat Families of Children with Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors”
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia ($99,000 over 2 years) for Patricia Molloy, M.D. “Pilot Study of Evaluation and Treatment of Tumor-related Obesity in Pediatric Patients with Hypothalamic/Chiasmatic Gliomas and Craniopharyngiomas”
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center ($54,117) for Jamie Ostroff, Ph.D. “The Use of Multiple Family Discussion Groups to Promote the Psychosocial Adaptation of Adolescent Brain Tumor Patients”
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center ($42,000 over 2 years) for Charles Sklar, M.D. “Gonadal Function and Reproductive Potential in Young Adult Survivors of Childhood Brain Tumors”
1995
University of Medicine & Dentistry of NJ ($92,200) for Cory Abate-Shen, Ph.D. “Role of Hox Transcriptional Regulatory Proteins in Pediatric Brain Tumors”
New York University Medical Center ($100,000 over 2 years) for Yang Liu, Ph.D. “T Cell Recruitment, Costimulation, and Immunity to Brain Tumors”
New York University Medical Center ($70,000 over 2 years) for Sharon Oberfield, M.D. “Suppression of Puberty and Height S/P CNS RT for Childhood Cancer”
Long Island Jewish Medical Center ($96,800 over 2 years) for Eliot Rosen, M.D. “The Role of Scatter Factor as a Brain Tumor Angiogen”
New York University Medical Center ($97,500 over 2 years) for David Zagzag, M.D. “Function of Tenascin in Pediatric Brain Tumor Angiogenesis: Clinical Implications”
1994
New York University Medical Center ($50,000) for Martin Grumet, M.D. “Analysis of RPTPB in Human Brain Tumors”
New York University Medical Center ($50,000) for Daniel Meruelo, M.D. “Safer Targeted Gene Therapy Vectors for Brain Tumors”
1993
Montefiore Medical Center ($25,000) Margaret Bradley, M.D. for “An Investigation of Medulloblastoma in Vitro”
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center ($20,000) for Jonathan Finlay, M.B., Ch.B. “An International Collaborative Study of Primary Central Nervous System Germ Cell Tumors of Childhood and Adolescence”
New York University Medical Center, Thomas Finlay, Ph.D. ($77,500 over 2 years) and Rider University, Jonathan Yavelow, M.D. ($77,500 over 2 years) for the collaborative study on “Relationships Between Proteases and their Inhibitors, Growth Factors and their Receptors and Tumorigenic Potential”
Kaplan Comprehensive Cancer Center, NYU Medical Center ($50,000 over two years) for Angel Pellicer, Ph.D. Study of P53 Cell Relating to Pediatric Brain Tumors
1991
New York University Medical Center ($30,000) for Roberta Hayes, Ph.D. “Study of Pediatric Interleukin-II/LAK Therapy”
1990-1994
General support of the Pediatric Neuro-oncology Program at New York University Medical Center.
Total support upwards of $345,000.
Clinical Fellowships
Sam Lassoff, M.D. (1990-1991), $117,000, New York University Medical Center
Liza Squires, M.D. (1992), $50,000, New York University Medical Center
Joao Siffert, M.D. (1994), $60,000, New York University Medical Center
Gesina Keating, M.D. (1996), $60,000, New York University Medical Center/Beth Israel Medical Center, North Division
Juliette Hukin, M.D. (1997), $60,000, Beth Israel Medical Center, North Division
Eduardo T. Gallegos, M.D. (1998), $45,000, Beth Israel Medical Center, North Division
Barkat Hooda, M.D. (1998), $60,000, New York University Medical Center