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The AACR-St. Baldrick's Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement in Pediatric Cancer Research has been established to bring attention to major research discoveries to the pediatric cancer research community and to honor an individual in any sector who has significantly contributed to any area of pediatric cancer research, resulting in the fundamental improvement of the understanding and/or treatment of pediatric cancer. The recipient will nominate an emerging leader conducting research in the academic sector to receive a research grant. The 2021 SBF-AACR Award for Outstanding Achievement in Pediatric Cancer Research went to Dr. Crystal Mackall at Stanford University. Dr. Robbie Majzner at Stanford University received the 2021 research grant. Dr. Majzner's research interests are in immunotherapy and solid tumors.

Children with high-grade gliomas, such as glioblastoma multiforme, have few therapeutic options and usually die of their disease. CAR T cells recognize protein targets on cancer cells and kill those cells. Many brain tumors express target proteins on only some of their cells and therefore cannot be efficiently treated with a CAR T cell that recognizes only one target. Therefore, Dr. Majzner aims to make T cells that can recognize up to four targets. He is exploring the best way to achieve specificity (the narrowness of the range of substances with which an antibody or other agent acts or is effective) for four antigens including using gene editing in order to make CAR T cells that can come from a healthy donor but be used in any patient.

A portion of this grant is funded by and named for the Be Brooks Brave Fund. Despite his diagnosis at age 5 with inoperable brain and spinal tumors, Brooks taught so many people what life is truly about--love. He was BRAVE beyond his years with an inspiring “faith over fear” attitude. This Hero Fund hopes to raise money for high-grade glioma research so no other family will hear the words, “there is no cure”.

A portion of this grant was also generously co-supported by the McKenna Claire Foundation, a St. Baldrick's partner and the Living for Luker Brain Tumor Research Fund, a St. Baldrick's Hero Fund. The McKenna Claire Foundation was established by the Wetzel family in memory of their daughter, McKenna. Their mission is to cure pediatric brain cancer by raising awareness, increasing community involvement and funding research. The Living for Luker Brain Tumor Research Fund was established in memory of Luke's love for life and caring for others. He was diagnosed at age 10 with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, a rare, uncurable cancer and never gave up hope throughout treatment.