Meet the researchers!

Take a look at who St. Baldrick’s is funding right now, and read a little about their work.

Fellows First Year Second Year Third Year Summer Fellows
Scholars First Year Second Year Third Year
Cooperative Research
Research Grants
Supportive Care Research Grants
Infrastructure Grants

What is a fellowship? To specialize in pediatric oncology research in the U.S., one must first graduate from medical school, then complete a pediatric residency, and finally be accepted into one of approximately 60 pediatric hematology-oncology fellowship training programs, lasting three years.

The first year of a fellowship is devoted to training and patient care. In years two and three - the years funded by St. Baldrick's Fellowship grants - the fellow conducts his or her own childhood cancer research project, under the mentorship of an expert. Funding may also be requested for a fourth year for projects needing that extra time.

St. Baldrick's Fellows – First Year of Funding

Ilanit Brook, M.D. Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2012
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
With every new pediatric cancer diagnoses, a family is given the most unexpected and stressful news of their lives. This kind of stress makes people more susceptible to post-traumatic stress and depression, and also diminishes the immune system, allowing the body to become sick more often. This project examines the level of chronic stress felt by the parents of children and the factors involved. It is vital that we work to improve the outcomes for both patients and their families.

Stuart Cramer, D.O. Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2011
The University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, AL
Neuroblastoma is a cancer that develops in the nervous tissue and most cases occur in children younger than two years old. For patients with high-risk disease overall survival remains poor, thus there is a tremendous need to develop new treatments. This research will allow us to improve the clinical development of a new drug, MLN 8237, which has shown promise in early pediatric clinical trials, and could improve survival in this devastating disease and provide additional targets for therapeutic intervention.

Suzanne McGoldrick, M.D. Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2012
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Seattle, WA
Bone marrow transplantation is a treatment option for children with leukemia. When no bone marrow donor is available, cord blood transplantation is an alternative. This research focuses on two poorly understood aspects of the results of bone marrow transplants: First, the prolonged recovery of the recipient’s new immune system. Second, the dominant cord in double cord blood transplantation, in which a patient receives cells from two cords instead of one. Understanding both of these immune processes is key to improving the care and survival of these patients.

Agne Petrosiute, M.D. Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2012
Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital (University Hospitals of Cleveland)
Cleveland, OH
Medulloblastoma, the most common malignant brain tumor of childhood, often exhibits an aggressive growth pattern and causes high morbidity and mortality despite aggressive therapy. This project will study the role of a target protein, CDK5, and related molecules in controlling the invasion and spread of medulloblastoma. These potentially paradigm-shifting investigations promise the development of new biological agents or immune-mediated therapies against medulloblastoma and other devastating brain tumors of childhood.

Navin Pinto, M.D. Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2012
The University of Chicago
Chicago, IL
African-American children with neuroblastoma treated with chemotherapy die or relapse more often than Caucasian children. This research aims to find the genetic factors that may be involved. Our lab gives chemotherapy to white blood cells from healthy volunteers from all over the world. The entire genome for each of these cells is known. By comparing how sensitive or resistant these cells are to chemo against their genetic code, we can find genetic changes that are associated with chemotherapy resistance. This information will help us to personalize therapy and eventually improve cure rates.

Jennifer Pope, M.D. Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2012
Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH
Normal genetic variations are responsible for differences in ability to fight infection, metabolize medications, and repair damage to our DNA. One cause of DNA damage is exposure to oxidants and free radicals, which may increase with exposure to radiation, food, and chemicals. This research is to determine some of the genes that make children with Down syndrome 10-20 times more likely to develop leukemia than other children. This could help identify children at risk and help develop new treatments. It may also determine if these genetic changes are present in children without Down syndrome who develop leukemia.

Rachel Rau, M.D. Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2012
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Baltimore, MD
Despite intense treatment, only approximately 50% of children with AML (acute myeloid leukemia) will survive. Many cases of AML have genetic abnormalities that likely contribute to the development of leukemia and impact the outcome of the patient. Two such mutations happen to occur together frequently in AML, mutations in a gene called nucleophosmin and a gene called Flt3. This research will study the relationship between these two gene mutations, to gain insight into the cause of leukemia and how best to treat patients who have these two common genetic mutations.

David Shyr, M.D. Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2011
Children's Hospital of Orange County
Orange, CA
To continue improving the treatment of childhood leukemia, we must broaden our understanding of cancer biology at the molecular level so we can better exploit the vulnerabilities of cancer cells. Cancer occurs when mutations disrupt the normal cellular machinery that controls cell growth. For example, the production of a protein called TCF-1 is dramatically increased during the critical phase of leukemia development. A better understanding of specific growth regulating proteins such as TCF-1 may allow development of more targeted therapies in the future.

Keita Terashima, M.D. Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2012
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, TX
Intracranial Germ Cell Tumors (GCT) are rare brain tumors found mostly in teenagers, and their biology is poorly understood. We are generating the largest comprehensive genetic profiles of these tumors in collaboration with multiple institutions, to help us understand how these tumors arise and what determines their biological and clinical behavior. This may lead to new therapeutic targets. We will also develop a test that requires only small amount of tumor tissue to correctly sub-classify intracranial GCTs, and initiate the first-ever cell lines of these tumors for determining the impact of these genetic abnormalities and for preclinical drug screening.

Wafik Zaky, M.D. Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2012
New York University School of Medicine
New York, NY
While acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is curable in approximately 80% of children, those who relapse have a dismal outcome. We are researching the evolution of relapsed leukemia to discover the underlying biological events that lead to disease recurrence, focusing on the loss of the IKZF1 gene as a frequent genetic alteration in patients who relapse. We hypothesize that IKZF1 loss is linked to chemotherapy resistance. We will look at the effect of IKFZ1 loss on sensitivity to chemotherapy drugs, and the biological pathways controlled by IKZF1 that leads to drug resistance. Such pathways are targets for novel therapeutic approaches.

Andrew Wood, MBChB Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2012
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA
A drug called an ALK inhibitor can successfully attack the most common ALK mutation, which is harbored in 10% of neuroblastomas. To maximize cure rates we must learn how to inhibit every mutation. This project aims to discover how ALK mutations cause neuroblastoma by working out what incorrect messages different mutations send to the cell. Identifying the molecules carrying these messages could provide additional cancer targets to attack. We are especially interested in drugs called kinase inhibitors. This approach could lead to novel targeted therapies which can attack the tumor while sparing healthy cells, leading to higher cure rates.

St. Baldrick's Fellows - Second Year of Funding

Constadina Arvanitis, Ph.D. Funded: 7/1/2009 - 6/30/2011
Northwestern University
Chicago, IL
Osteosarcoma is the most common pediatric bone cancer, which frequently spreads (or metastasizes) to the lung and is then often fatal. Dr. Arvanitis is studying CIP4, which plays a critical role in regulating osteosarcoma behavior, with the ultimate goal of developing therapies against metastases in pediatric cancers.

Filemon Dela Cruz, M.D. Funded: 7/1/2009 - 6/30/2011
Columbia University Medical Center
New York, NY
The Ewings sarcoma family of tumors (ESFTs) is the second most common cancer of bone and soft tissue in children, and has a 20-30% overall survival rate in those children with widespread disease. Dr. Dela Cruz is working to understand the pathways involved in the development of ESFTs, which will be essential to discovering new molecular targets to treat and cure these patients.

Jean Mulcahy Levy, M.D. Funded: 7/1/2009 - 6/30/2011
University of Colorado
Denver, CO
Understanding how cancer cells die is important in designing new therapies and improving the effectiveness of currently used therapies to cure childhood cancers. One element of cell death is called autophagy, a system the cell uses to break down as it dies, the focus of Dr. Mulcahy-Levy’s project.

Chintan Parekh, M.B.B.S. Funded: 7/1/2009 - 6/30/2011
Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
This research focuses on hematopoietic progenitor/stem cell (HPC) transplantation. (These stem cells are not embryonic; they are present in everyone’s bone marrow and can be harvested from donors.) Dr. Parekh is working on methods to expand HPC to facilitate the use of cord blood and the use of gene therapy to treat leukemia, an important step toward a cure.

St. Baldrick's Fellows - Third Year of Funding

Simone Hettmer, M.D. Funded: 7/1/2008 - 6/30/2010
Continued: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2011
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Boston, MA
Dr. Hettmer is looking to better understand the development of rhabdomyosarcoma (a cancer of the muscle or soft tissue), its aggressive behavior and poor response to current therapies, by analyzing the differences between genetically altered muscle-associated cells and their normal counterparts. Her findings aim to clarify the cancer's early development and progression, and facilitate in the development of new, more effective treatments. Dr. Hettmer is funded by P.A.L.S. Bermuda with funds raised through the St. Baldrick's Foundation.

Sogol Mostoufi-Moab, M.D. Funded: 7/1/2008 - 6/30/2010 Continued: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2011
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA
Dr. Mostoufi-Moab is investigating how intensive chemotherapy and radiation therapy affect normal bones in young children. Bone development is affected by puberty, nutrition and mechanical loading. Chemotherapy and radiation for leukemia can affect bone development and strengthening, resulting in osteoporosis and bone fractures as early as young adulthood. The goal of this study is to determine bone structure and strength in 50 survivors of childhood leukemia 4-6 years after bone marrow transplantation. The results will guide future intervention studies to help develop appropriate therapies to reduce and/or treat bone disorders in survivors of childhood leukemia after bone marrow transplantation.

Eric Raabe, Ph.D., M.D. Funded: 7/1/2008 - 6/30/2010
Continued: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2011
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Baltimore, MD
Pediatric brain tumors form when the signals controlling normal brain development fail, and these remain one of the most difficult types of cancers to cure. Dr. Raabe is studying the process of how a neural stem cell turns into a normal brain cell, and investigating how to reprogram the out-of-control tumor cells into mature cells, to help to prevent and eradicate pediatric brain tumors.

Issai Vanan, M.D., M.P.H. Funded: 7/1/2008 - 6/30/2010 Continued: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2011
Steven and Alexandra Cohen Medical Center
New Hyde Park, NY
High grade gliomas, an aggressive type of brain tumor, have a survival rate of 1 to 3 years and are typically treated with radiation, surgery and chemotherapy. Dr. Vanan hypothesizes that the ionizing radiation (IR) used to treat the cancer activates a MRK protein that increases the invasiveness of the tumor cells, causing a high probability of relapse. By studying and understanding the causes of IR stimulated invasion and the recurrence of high grade brain tumors, he hopes to identify new drug targets to better treat and cure these aggressive tumors.

St. Baldrick's Summer Fellows

St. Baldrick's Summer Fellowships are three-month projects which will inspire young medical students to pursue pediatric cancer research as a field of study. Because pediatric cancer research has been under funded for so long, few young doctors are entering this field. The Foundation is helping change that by introducing students to this specialty at an early point in their education.

2011 Summer Fellow Institutions (granted March 2011):

Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA

University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA

Emory University, Atlanta, GA

University of Illinois - Chicago, Chicago, IL

University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS

University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC

Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY

Cornell University, New York, NY

UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, Cleveland, OH

Oregon Health Science University, Portland, OR

Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital, Hershey, PA

University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX

Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI

St. Baldrick's Scholars

St. Baldrick's Scholars are pursuing exciting research, funded for 3 years or more. Because grant funds are so scarce, it is difficult for those early in their careers to compete with more established researchers. These grants keep new researchers focused on childhood cancer.

Scholars - First Year of Funding

Benjamin Braun, M.D., Ph.D. Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2013
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
Approximately one-third of human cancers harbor mutations in RAS genes, causing malignant cells to proliferate inappropriately. In pediatric oncology, RAS mutations are particularly common in leukemias. Unfortunately, the RAS protein is a difficult molecule to attack with drugs. An alternate approach is to target other proteins that are required partners for RAS to exert its control. Some types of cancer are dependent on rare "cancer stem cell" populations with unique properties. This research is to discover how cancer stem cells are affected by mutations that activate RAS, and to use this information to devise novel therapies.

Mari Dallas, M.D. Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2013
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Memphis, TN
Hematopoietic cell transplantation is a potential cure for various pediatric cancers. Approximately one-third of patients who require a transplant do not have a suitable matched donor, and umbilical cord blood transplants are an increasingly utilized alternative, with over 20,000 performed since 1988. One of the major complications is the increased risk for serious infection due to the prolonged period of time the patient's immune system is suppressed after transplantation. We have developed a novel method to generate cells that will hasten the time to recovery. Our goal is to translate these findings to pediatric patients and improve their survival.

Satiro De Oliveira, M.D. Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2013
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
New therapeutic approaches are needed for pediatric leukemia and lymphoma, because patients with refractory or relapsed disease still have a survival rate of less than 50% with current therapies. This research involves a novel cancer immunotherapy protocol, transferring a gene into the patient's own blood stem cells, giving rise to immune cells able to directly and specifically target a surface molecule that is present in more than 95% of leukemias and lymphomas. We will evaluate the cancer cell destruction by the modified immune cells, setting a basis for future clinical trials.

Scott Diede, M.D., Ph.D Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2013
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Seattle, WA
DNA methylation is a normal process used by cells to allow information to be passed on to successive generations of cells. Cancer cells can exploit this to silence genes that help prevent tumor formation. This has been extensively studied in adult cancers, but not in pediatrics. Given the relatively short time frame in which pediatric cancers develop, aberrant DNA methylation may play a very important role. This research is to better understand how it promotes the formation of pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma, and may open an exciting new area for treatment and provide valuable biomarkers for cancer detection, diagnosis, and risk assessment.

Christopher Gamper, M.D., Ph.D. Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2013
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Baltimore, MD
Chemotherapy and radiation destroy both cancer cells and normal cells, with toxic effects on growing children during treatment and afterwards. Immunotherapy has the potential to destroy only cancer cells, but it has not lived up to its full potential because cancer cells can promote inappropriate immune responses or simply turn immune cells off. This research will examine the function of T cells that lack the ability to methylate DNA; such cells may be better at killing tumors. This may help more patients with high-risk pediatric tumors, and decrease the risk of late-effects by reducing the need for more chemotherapy and radiation.

Robin Perry, M.D. Funded: 7/1/2011 - 6/30/2014
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA
Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is fatal for over 50% of children and 70% of adults. Because chemotherapy is highly toxic, we need targeted therapies that kill only AML cells. This research involves a class of proteins that are abnormally activated in AML cells but not in normal blood stem cells and a drug that can lead to cell death in AML. We need to understand why these proteins are critical in some cells and not others, and determine how to best use this drug in patients, rapidly bringing new therapies to patients and identifying further targets for treatment of AML.

Karen Rabin, M.D. Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2013
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, TX
Children with Down Syndrome have a 20-fold increased risk of developing acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and suffer significantly more frequent and severe complications associated with chemotherapy, including life-threatening infections. This research involves abnormal activity of genes called JAK2 and CRLF2 and new drugs. It will also investigate whether gene variants that are associated with severe infection in the general population occur more frequently in those with Down Syndrome and ALL who suffer severe infectious complications. If so, patients identified as high-risk for infection could be identified ahead of time, to receive enhanced supportive care to prevent severe toxicity.

Sharon Singh, M.D. Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2013
Steven and Alexandra Cohen Medical Center
Manhasset, NY
Diamond Blackfan anemia (DBA) is an inherited condition that leads to anemia, birth defects and cancer. Over-expression of the p53 protein, which protects against tumor formation, may actually lead to DBA. One of p53's functions is to cause cell death in damaged or stressed cells. Chronic over-expression of p53 may lead to an environment that leads to cancer transformation and survival. Understanding the conditions that promote the formation and survival of cancer cells is vital to improve early diagnosis and treatment of childhood cancer.

Shan Zha, M.D., Ph.D. Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2013
Columbia University Medical Center
New York, NY
Leukemia is cancer of white blood cells and accounts for about 25% of all childhood cancers. Human chromosomes are normally subjected to various environmental and developmental challenges that might cause breaks, called translocations. While almost all of those breaks are efficiently repaired by the DNA repair machinery, translocations do arise from very rare events when mistakes occur during the repair, increasing the risk for leukemia in children. This study involves basic questions about the cause and process of translocation to better understand the underlying causes of leukemia, potentially leading to the discovery of targets for new therapeutic strategies.

Scholars - Second Year of Funding

Oren Becher, M.D. Funded: 7/1/2009 - 6/30/2012
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
New York, NY
Brainstem glioma is a rare subtype of brain tumor found mostly in children which cannot be cured with today's treatments. Dr. Becher is working on genetic models to screen new drugs being developed to treat this type of cancer and to unravel the complex biology of this tumor.

Bill Chang, M.D., Ph.D. Funded: 7/1/2009 - 6/30/2012
Oregon Health and Science University
Portland, OR
One subtype of pediatric leukemia that continues to have a poor prognosis is Philadelphia chromosome positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (Ph+ALL). Dr. Chang is researching a unique protein called survivin, in hopes of developing it as a new target for future therapy for Ph+ALL patients.

Michael Engel, M.D., Ph.D. Funded: 1/10/2010 - 1/9/2013
Huntsman Cancer Institute
Salt Lake City, UT
Approximately one thousand children are diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) each year in the United States, and only about 50% survive. Dr. Engel’s research is to gain a better understanding of how normal blood cell development is altered in AML and how we can overcome these alterations to regain control over blood cell growth and development. Dr. Engel began his research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and moved to the Huntsman Cancer Institute in 2010.

Noah Federman, M.D. Funded: 7/1/2009 - 6/30/2012
The Regents of the University of California – Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
We already have many powerful drugs to treat cancer but lack the means to deliver them directly to the intended targets (cancer cells), and as a result, cancer patients suffer significant side effects. Dr. Federman will test new ways of delivering anti-cancer treatments more directly using nanoparticles programmed to recognize particular cancer cells.

Dean Lee, M.D., Ph.D. Funded: 7/1/2009 - 6/30/2012
University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, TX
Natural killer cells (NK cells), one of the white blood cells of our immune system, have the ability to kill several types of cancers in children, including AML, neuroblastoma, osteosarcoma, and Ewing’s sarcoma. Dr. Lee’s research involves more effective ways to use NK cells to fight childhood cancers.

Sarah Vaiselbuh, M.D. Funded: 7/1/2009 - 6/30/2012
Steven and Alexandra Cohen Medical Center
New Hyde Park, NY
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a potentially deadly form of childhood leukemia. Dr. Vaiselbuh is studying how AML cancer cells resist chemotherapy with the goal of finding a new strategy for treatment of childhood myeloid leukemia.

Samuel Volchenboum, M.D., Ph.D., M.S. Funded: 7/1/2009 - 6/30/2012
The University of Chicago
Chicago, IL
Neuroblastoma strikes in many forms, some requiring little or no therapy, others deadly despite very aggressive treatment. Current tests that differentiate among these types can take weeks. Dr. Volchenboum is developing software to make real-time diagnosis possible, allowing therapy to be better tailored to the specific child. Once validated, these new technologies can be extended to other pediatric cancers.

Jason Yustein, M.D., Ph.D. Funded: 7/1/2009 - 6/30/2012
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, TX
Many human malignancies have abnormal expression or activity of a protein called c-Myc, leading to genetic changes critical to tumor survival and growth. Dr. Yustein’s research is on the role c-Myc plays in Ewings sarcomas, osteosarcomas and rhabdomyosarcomas.

Scholars - Third Year of Funding

Shahab Asgharzadeh, M.D. Funded: 7/1/2008 - 6/30/2011
Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
Brain tumors are the most common solid tumor of pediatrics and are a leading cause of cancer related deaths. Dr. Asgharzadeh's research is to use gene expression profiling to try to identify which medulloblastoma (a type of brain tumor) patients can be cured without the need for radiation, thus avoiding long-term effects like mental retardation.

Craig Castellino, M.D. Funded: 1/1/2009 - 12/31/2011
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Medulloblastoma is the most common invasive brain tumor in children. Current treatments do not cure a lot of children and cause significant side effects. A better understanding of what causes this tumor to develop and to spread is needed in order to develop more effective therapies. A specific genetic alteration is frequently found in human medulloblastoma tumor samples which involves overexpression of a protein called WIP1, which is a negative regulator of cell death. Dr. Castellino's research on the inhibition of WIP1 may find a potential therapeutic approach to increase response to chemotherapy in medulloblastoma patients.

Sung Won Choi, M.D. Funded: 7/1/2008 - 6/30/2011
The Regents of the University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI
Stem cell transplants using bone marrow from matched donors (not embryonic stem cells) are the only hope for many childhood cancer patients. But graft-verses-host disease (GVHD) is a life-threatening complication many of these patients experience as a result of transplant. Dr. Choi's research is to find better treatment for GHVD, particularly one not using steroids which cause further complications.

Sinisa Dovat, M.D., D. SC. Funded: 7/1/2008 - 6/30/2011
Pennsylvania State University
Hershey, PA
Dr. Dovat's research focuses on learning what leads to the transformation of a normal cell to a malignant one, specifically in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) - a type of leukemia that requires severe chemotherapy and has a low cure rate compared to other childhood cancers. He is focusing on how elevated activity of a particular enzyme in a particular protein (associated with a severe type of AML) affects normal cells to make them prone to becoming malignant. Results will help in the design of more specific and less toxic drugs for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia. Dr. Dovat began his research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and moved to Pennsylvania State University in 2010.

Jonathan Fish, M.D. Funded: 7/1/2008 - 6/30/2011
Steven and Alexandra Cohen Medical Center
New Hyde Park, NY
Since over 75% of children with cancer can now be cured, the population of 250,000 survivors of childhood cancer in the USA is rapidly growing. Over 60% of survivors have a chronic medical problem, and 27% a severe or life-threatening problem as a result of their treatment. Research into problems faced by survivors is critical to improving their care. Dr. Fish will investigate whether care in a specialized center will improve: 1) patient awareness of treatments they received and risks they face because of those treatments; and 2) the ability of survivors to follow medical recommendations and referrals.

Michelle Hermiston, M.D., Ph.D. Funded: 7/1/2008 - 6/30/2011
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
Almost all patients who have relapsed leukemia or lymphoma will die. Dr. Hermiston's research is to find a way to predict which of these patients with T-cell malignancies are likely to relapse, so those children can be given the aggressive treatments they need upon diagnosis, and those not likely to relapse can avoid the long-term side effects of unnecessarily aggressive treatments.

Alex Huang, M.D., Ph.D. Funded: 12/1/2008 - 11/30/2011
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH
Pediatric patients with metastatic sarcomas (cancers of connective tissues, like bone or muscle, with cancer that has spread) have a low rate of cure. Recent evidence suggests that the immune system plays a critical role in tumor spread. Unfortunately, aggressive systemic chemotherapy used to treat pediatric sarcoma patients devastates the ability of immune system to harness the anti-tumor properties. Dr. Huang's research aims to incorporate the immunological arm of cancer therapy into standard therapeutic protocols, to provide life-saving treatments for children with osteosarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma.

Katherine Janeway, M.D. Funded: 7/1/2008 - 6/30/2011
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Boston, MA
Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone tumor in children, yet 80% of metastatic cases remain incurable. (Metastatic means it has "spread" beyond the primary site, in this case the bones.) No therapeutic advances have been made for two decades. Dr. Janeway's research is to find drugs that cause osteosarcoma to act more like normal bone than like cancer; find ways to halt the progression to metastatic osteosarcoma; and develop a useful testing ground for drugs to treat metastatic osteosarcoma.

Nina Kadan-Lottick, M.D., M.S.P.H. Funded: 7/1/2008 - 6/30/2011
Yale University
New Haven, CT
About 25-30% of survivors of childhood cancer will experience long-term impairment in cognitive abilities and emotional regulation. Dr. Kadan-Lottick's research is to identify the reasons for the considerable variation in outcomes among children who received identical therapy, possibly inherited factors that affect how chemotherapy is metabolized or that result in a general vulnerability to these outcomes.

Amy Keating, M.D. Funded: 7/1/2008 - 6/30/2011
University of Colorado Denver
Aurora, CO
Brain tumors are the most common solid tumor of pediatrics and are a leading cause of cancer related deaths. Astrocytoma is a brain tumor that has no effective chemotherapies and the survival rates for high-grade astrocytoma remain well below 10%. Identification of new potential treatment targets is the goal of Dr. Keating's project.

Ido Paz-Priel, M.D. Funded: 7/1/2008 - 6/30/2011
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD
Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is the third leading cause of cancer related mortality in children. Only about half of the children with AML are cured with current approaches. Dr. Paz-Priel will be working to identify how these cancer cells resist chemotherapy and survive, with the ultimate result of helping to find ways to cure these children.

Jessica Pollard, M.D. Funded: 10/15/2008 - 10/14/2011
Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center
Seattle, WA
Approximately 500 children are diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) each year, and 50% of these patients will not be cured. A drug has been identified as an innovative treatment for AML patients. This drug must attach to a particular protein found on the surface of most AML cancer cells, but not every patient's cells have this protein. Dr. Pollard will be studying ways to improve the cure rate for these patients.

Cooperative Research

Children's Oncology Group
This St. Baldrick's Foundation grant of $5,230,000 is shared by over 230 institutions across the country, virtually every one with the expertise to treat childhood cancers, working together to find cures. The funds are distributed to the Children's Oncology Group member institutions by its foundation, CureSearch, several times a year. Amounts given to each institution depend on the number of children enrolled on COG clinical trials.

Included in the above grant is $150,000 to the COG’s long-term follow-up center, to improve the lives of survivors of childhood cancers.

Research Grants

St. Baldrick's Research Grants are focused on finding new and better cures for childhood cancer.

Scott Borinstein, M.D., Ph.D
Funded: 1/1/2010 - 12/31/2011
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
The goal of this proposal is to identify tumor suppressor genes that are “turned off” by DNA methylation and contribute to the formation of Ewing Sarcoma, a type of bone cancer that affects teenagers and young adults. This study will lead to better understanding of Ewing Sarcoma and the development of better treatments.

Marlene Bouvier, Ph.D.
Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2011
University of Illinois - Chicago
Chicago, IL
Most cancer therapies have significant toxicity, thus new treatment strategies are needed. Pediatric patients with cancer are excellent candidates for immunotherapy because their immune system is more robust compared to adults. Due to our lack of understanding of how to best activate these specialized anti-cancer cells, progress in pediatric immunotherapy has lagged behind. This research focuses on how we can best activate specific T cells to defend the immune system against tumors, specifically gliomas (brain tumors) and will advance the field of immunotherapy as a promising form of treatment for these children.

Taosheng Chen, Ph.D.
Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2011
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Memphis, TN
Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common cancer that originates in the soft tissue of the body in children. There are two subtypes, embryonal (ERMS) and alveolar (ARMS), and children with ARMS have poorer response to conventional chemotherapy and radiation therapy, and much lower survival rates than those with ERMS. This research aims to discover chemical inhibitors of a gene called PAX3-FKHR and how "knocking down" that gene may help patients respond better to chemotherapy. If successful, the project will establish a new approach for developing drugs to effectively treat ARMS.

Kevin Curran, M.D.
Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2011
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
New York, NY
The human body has an ability to detect and eliminate cancer through the immune system, but cancer cells can escape detection. Dr. Curran's research attempts to overcome this tumor escape via gene therapy mediated treatments. Pediatric leukemia is the most common childhood cancer, and patients with recurrent or resistant leukemia have limited options for treatment. Redirecting the immune system to eradicate resistant leukemia cells will provide a new possibility for a cure. Also, by specifically targeting cancer cells, we eliminate the long term complications associated with the conventional treatments of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Dr. Curran was a St. Baldrick's Fellow and now has a faculty position.

Laura Hogan, M.D.
Funded: 10/15/2010 - 10/14/2011
Stony Brook Children's Services, UFPC
Stony Brook, NY
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common pediatric cancer, and relapsed ALL is the most common cause of death in children with cancer. The goal of this research is to use technical breakthroughs in human genomics to discover the underlying biological pathways involved in relapse. These discoveries will also potentially inform future treatment studies. Dr. Hogan was a St. Baldrick's Fellow and now has a faculty position.

Michael Hogarty, M.D.
Funded: 7/1/2009 - 6/30/2010 Continued: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2011
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA
Cancer is a disease caused by mistakes in the DNA of tumor cells. Identifying all these mistakes in a single type of cancer has been slow, but understanding them will revolutionize the way cancer is diagnosed and treated. This project makes use of exciting new developments in "sequencing technology" to identify all the DNA mistakes in neuroblastoma. Now in Year 2, this is the very first such effort ever undertaken for a pediatric cancer, and will leverage the support and expertise of investigators at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the Children's Oncology Group and Johns Hopkins University.

Eugene Kim, M.D.
Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2011
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, TX
Current therapies for neuroblastoma include the use of powerful chemotherapy, which weakens the immune system and can lead to life- threatening infections. As a result, these immune-compromised patients frequently require medication such as granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (GCSF), which helps the body produce white blood cells to help fight infection. In many adult cancers, GCSF has been found to increase the growth of cancer cells in a laboratory setting. Dr. Kim is studying how GCSF and GCSF-R enhance tumor growth, to clarify the appropriate use of GCSF in patients and determine whether GCSF- receptor may be a new therapeutic target in neuroblastoma.

Jacqueline Kraveka, D.O.
Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2011
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, SC
Neuroblastoma is a solid tumor cancer of very young children, originating in the nerve tissue of the neck, chest, abdomen, or pelvis, but most commonly in the adrenal gland. About 45% of children diagnosed have advanced "high risk" disease, for which the survival rate is less than 40%. This project tests the new hypothesis that specific ceramide types and/or expression of sphingolipid enzymes control the growth and invasion of neuroblastoma. The role of a particular family of enzymes called ceramide synthases will also be examined. The goal is to develop new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of neuroblastoma.

Maxwell Krem, M.D., Ph.D.
Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2011
University of Washington
Seattle, WA
Hodgkin lymphoma is a cancer of the immune system and is the most common cancer for children ages 15-19. It arises from Reed-Sternberg (RS) cells, which have two or more nuclei and often have gained or lost chromosomes. This research will explore the workings of a protein called KLHDC8B, which is expressed during cell division and is altered in cases of familial Hodgkin lymphoma. Dr. Krem will also use blood and tissue samples from patients to find changes in proteins that are related to KLHDC9B. Those other proteins may be important for preventing onset of Hodgkin lymphoma.

Mignon Loh, M.D.
Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2011
University of California, San Francisco
San Franisco, CA
Precursor B-lymphoblastic leukemia is a type of blood cancer in which too many immature white blood cells are found in the blood and bone marrow. It is the most common type of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). This project will study how specific B-precursor ALL cells are wired and how to disrupt this wiring by treating patients with specific and novel medications. The research will improve our understanding of the biochemical mechanisms critical for the development of targeted therapies.

Michael Pulsipher, M.D.
Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2011
Pediatric Bone & Marrow Transplant Consortium, Coordinated by the National Marrow Donor Program
Salt Lake City, UT
In 2009, the St. Baldrick’s Foundation awarded a grant to the Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Consortium (PBMTC) to construct a clinical trials infrastructure that would allow high-quality, appropriately monitored, multi-center pediatric trials. This year’s grant moves that project further towards its goals of: 1) increasing safety for pediatric patients after transplant by using a new medicine that has been shown in adults to treat leukemia with lower toxicity, 2) reducing relapse by giving immune therapy before and after transplant to leukemia patients, and 3) exploring the feasibility of new cellular therapy approaches aimed at preventing relapse.

Erin Rudzinski, M.D.
Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2011
Seattle Children's Hospital
Seattle, WA
Rhabdomyosarcoma, the most common soft tissue cancer in children, has two main forms; each behaves differently, so recognition is important for proper treatment. This research will build on previous studies that identified unique genes associated with one form. The proteins from these genes can be used to create special stains that are both affordable and accessible to hospitals that don’t perform gene studies. This will enhance our understanding of the biology of rhabdomyosarcoma, allow rapid identification of high risk patients who may benefit from specific therapies, and prevent overtreatment of patients with low risk tumors.

Heather Stefanski, M.D., Ph.D.
Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2011
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN
Pediatric patients who have bone marrow transplants have an impared immune system, and the resulting infections can cause bacterial, viral and fungal infections and even death. Unfortunately, medicines to treat these infections are not adequate in many cases; an intact immune system is needed to achieve appropriate responses to infectious agents. The goal of this research is to expedite the immune recovery after transplant. This would result in better responses to infections and improvement in the lives and survival of patients. Dr. Stefanski was a St. Baldrick's Fellow and now has a faculty position.

Mark Souweidane, M.D.
Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2011
Joan & Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University New York, NY
A type of brain tumor called diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) has no known cure. Radiation therapy offers some temporary relief, but nearly all children die from this cancer within 1 year. A promising form of drug delivery, convection-enhanced delivery (CED), offers many benefits including allowing high concentration of drugs to reach the brain tumor. This study will focus on drug distribution following this new form of drug delivery. By relating drug distribution and radiation dose to tumor response, a better treatment can be designed. Resulting clinical trials for a new therapy may eventually cure DIPG.

Eric Sweet-Cordero, M.D.
Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2011
Stanford University
Palo Alto, CA
Ewings sarcoma (ES) is one of the most common sarcomas in children, caused by a genetic abnormality called a "chromosomal translocation." This study has two goals. First, to understand the normal function of the protein EWS, to learn about what goes wrong in Ewings tumors. Second, to understand what other genetic events are required to turn normal human cells into Ewings sarcomas. Our approach is to try to combine EWS/FLI-1 expression with other genetic events in the type of human cell that we know gives rise to ES.

Judith Villablanca, M.D.
Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2011
New Approaches to Neuroblastoma Therapy (NANT Consortium), Coordinated by Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
This grant is to the New Approaches to Neuroblastoma Therapy (NANT) consortium, to develop and test new therapies with high potential for improving survival. NANT links laboratory and clinical investigators to develop therapies that are tested at 15 North American neuroblastoma centers, supported by the NANT Operations Center at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. The strategy includes accurately evaluating response with "biomarkers" for tumor cells in blood and bone marrow combined with sophisticated imaging of tumors, essential for "personalized treatment" to predict if the treatment will benefit the patient. NANT studies enable definitive testing later in larger patient numbers.

Lynda Vrooman, M.D.
Funded: 7/1/2009 - 6/30/2011
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Boston, MA
Since the majority of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) will survive, understanding how to limit the acute and long-term toxicities of treatment is increasingly important. Toxicities of the bone, including fracture and osteonecrosis, are serious complications. Dr. Vrooman's project will access how bone mineral density changes in children being treated for ALL, so future interventions may decrease skeletal morbidity in these children. She is funded by P.A.L.S. Bermuda with funds raised through the St. Baldrick's Foundation.

Daniel Wechsler, M.D., Ph.D.
Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2011
Duke University Medical Center
Durham, NC
While current therapies have greatly improved the overall survival of children with leukemia, patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) still have a poor outcome. This research focuses on determining the role played by the CALM gene in the onset of leukemias. These studies will improve our understanding of how CALM-rearranged leukemias develop and contribute to the development of novel therapeutic strategies to fight childhood leukemias.

Kathryn Wikenheiser-Brokamp, M.D., Ph.D.
Funded: 7/1/2009 - 6/30/2010 Continued: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2011
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Cincinnati, OH
Pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB) is a rare but biologically important lung cancer of young children. Recently identified inherited genetic mutations predispose children to developing PPB, leukemia and other childhood tumors arising in the muscle, brain, ovary and kidneys. To understand how these tumors form and progress, this research will use models based upon genetic discoveries in families with hereditary PPB, by identifying the cellular events responsible for PPB initiation and progression. This is an essential step toward developing ways to detect, treat and improve outcomes for children with PPB and the related tumors associated with this inherited cancer predisposition syndrome.

Supportive Care Research Grants
(Funded July 10, 2010 through June 30, 2011)

Peter Cole, M.D. - Generously sponsored by Markit
Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2011
Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University
Bronx, NY
Treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia can be particularly devastating to a child's developing brain, leading to deficient short-term memory and attention or more serious events like seizures or strokes. This research focuses on how the cough medicine dextromethorphan may help reverse severe, stroke-like neurotoxicity among children treated with chemotherapy drug methotrexate and could possibly also prevent such side effects before they occur. The most promising drugs will be rapidly advanced into clinical trials for children with leukemia, designed to decrease the neurotoxic effects of chemotherapy.

Jonathan Espenschied, M.D.
Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2011
Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope
Duarte, CA
Cancer affects every part of patients and their families' lives. Self-image, thinking clearly, anxiety, depression, social isolation and fear of recurrence are all problems that teens and young adults with cancer face, while resuming normal development and being monitored for many problems caused by cancer and its treatment. This research is to create developmentally sensitive information and make it available through touch-screen technology, connecting teens and young adults with their health care team and community resources in real-time. This will help identify, communicate and maximize the benefits of clinical care while helping them reintegrate into school and work.

Kristina Hardy, Ph.D., Clinical Psychology
Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2011
Children's National Medical Center
Washington, DC
Children with brain tumors and acute lymphoblastic leukemia are at risk for developing learning and memory problems as a result of their disease and treatments. Since we currently cannot prevent this, difficulties are addressed after they appear, with only modest improvements. A computerized cognitive training program, easily used at home with little oversight from parents or professionals, has been tested in survivors of pediatric cancer with memory problems; this project will test it on children during treatment, before the problems develop. If effective, the program has considerable potential to improve the quality of life in pediatric cancer patients.

Mary Hooke, Ph.D.
Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2011
Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN
Fatigue is a pervasive, distressing symptom for children and teens with cancer. Decreasing fatigue and improving physical activity are important to provide energy for the normal activities of childhood that are important to ongoing development. A small, cost-effective device called the FitBit measures motion and provides daily feedback to the wearer. Children ages 6 to 18 in maintenance treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia will use the FitBit, and researchers will determine if it is accurate, if it helps childhood cancer patients to be more active, and if more active patients have less fatigue when getting steroids during treatment.

Jennifer Mack, MD, MPH
Funded: 7/1/2010 - 6/30/2011
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Boston, MA
Little is known about the long-term impact of communication about prognosis on children with cancer and their families. The goal of this project is to increase parents' ability to make value-driven decisions for care of their children with cancer and to adjust to this life-changing event in the best way possible. A longitudinal observational study will evaluate long-term outcomes, using questionnaire-based parent interviews to assess parental decision- making and psychological and medical outcomes of disclosure. The cohort involves 194 children diagnosed between April 2003 and May 2005, so long-term assessment of their outcomes is now possible. Dr. Mack is funded by P.A.L.S. Bermuda with funds raised through the St. Baldrick's Foundation.

Infrastructure Grants

Jonathan Jaques Children's Cancer Center - Miller Children's Hospital, Long Beach, CA
Jerry Finklestein, M.D., Funded: 1/1/2011 - 12/31/2011

This grant funds a clinical research assistant to support the Late Effects/Survivorship program.

Children's Hospital Central California, Madera, CA
Vonda Crouse, M.D., Funded: 1/1/2011 - 12/31/2011

This grant funds a staff person to manage the Long-Term Survivor Clinic, providing comprehensive care including the enrollment of patients in long-term research studies.

Children's Hospital and Research Center Oakland, Oakland, CA
Dina Hankin, Ph.D., Funded: 12/1/2010 - 11/30/2011

This grant funds the development of a comprehensive long-term follow-up program to monitor and treat secondary cancers and the many other heath issues that young cancer patients face as they enter into adulthood.

Yale University, New Haven, CT
Gary Kupfer, M.D., Funded: 1/1/2011 - 12/31/2011

This is an infrastructure grant to facilitate research involving familial Hodgkin lymphoma.

Miller School of Medicine of The University of Miami, Miami, FL
Cristina Fernandes, M.D, Funded: 1/1/2011 - 12/31/2011

This grant will be used to hire a pediatric oncology nurse practitioner to help organize and coordinate a pediatric oncology survivorship clinic.

University of Illinois - Chicago/Rush/Stroger Medical Centers, Chicago, IL
Mary Lou Schmidt, M.D., Funded: 1/1/2011 - 12/31/2011

Funding from the St. Baldrick's Foundation has taken two very small programs at UIC and Rush Medical Centers, merged them and brought Stroger Medical Center into the fold to forge a single entity for purposes of participation in Children's Oncology Group clinical trials, significantly increasing clinical trial participation. This grant provides personnel vital to this unique effort.

Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL
Nobuko Hijiya, M.D., Funded: 1/1/2011 - 12/31/2011

This grant will fund a Research Nurse to ensure that more kids can be treated on clinical trials, their best hope for a cure, at this institution.

Tulane University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA
Tamumuella Singleton, M.D., Funded: 12/1/2010 - 11/30/2011