American Brain Tumor Association Awards 20 Research Grants to Advance Brain Tumor Science and Discoveries

CHICAGO, Nov. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA) today announced the funding of $821,000 towards 20 new research grants to advance brain tumor science and treatments. With more than $34 million invested in research to date, across all brain tumor types and ages, the ABTA research program plays a critical role in advancing the understanding of brain tumors and building the next generation of brain tumor researchers.

"With more than $34 million invested to support 780 research projects, the ABTA continues to drive brain tumor research forward to discover new treatments for a ruthless and often deadly disease," said Nicole Willmarth, Ph.D., ABTA's chief mission officer. "Thanks to the generous support from donors and partners, including our newest partners StacheStrong and Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada, the ABTA is able to expand its research investment."

This year's slate of research projects investigates the use of biomarkers, genetics, epigenetics, imaging, and immunotherapy for adult and pediatric brain tumors.

The ABTA congratulates the 2022 grant recipients listed below. To learn more about the grant recipients and their research projects, visit www.abta.org/research/research-funding-impact/.

Basic Research Fellowships are two-year, $100,000 grants awarded to post-doctoral fellows who are mentored by established and nationally recognized experts in the neuro-oncology field. 

• Kristen Huntoon, DO, PhD, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
• Aram Modrek, MD, PhD, New York University School of Medicine

Discovery Grants are one-year, $50,000 grants supporting high risk, innovative approaches that hold potential to change current diagnostic or treatment standards of care.

• Floris Barthel, MD, The Translational Genomics Research Institute, Arizona
• Andrew Beharry, PhD, University of Toronto, Canada
• Aashim Bhatia, MD, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
• Henk De Feyter, PhD, Yale University, Connecticut
• Edjah Nduom, MD, Emory University, Georgia
• An-Chi Tien, PhD, Barrow Neurological Institute–St. Joseph Medical Center, Arizona
• Pavithra Viswanath, PhD, University of California, San Francisco
• Jacky Yeung, MD, Yale University, Connecticut
• Fan Zhang, PhD, University of Florida

Medical Student Summer Fellowships are three-month, $3,000 grants awarded to medical students to conduct brain tumor research projects under the guidance of neuro-oncology experts. Through these grants, the ABTA seeks to encourage physician-scientists to enter and remain in the brain tumor field.

• Shreya Budhiraja, BA, Northwestern University, Illinois
• Eric Chalif, BA, University of California, San Francisco
• Stephen Frederico, MS, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh
• David Hou, BA, Northwestern University, Illinois
• Kyle McGrath, BS, University of Florida
• Kashayar Mozaffari, BS, University of California, Los Angeles
• Janet Wu, BA, BM, Stanford University, California

The ABTA is now accepting applications for its 2023 Research Collaboration Grants, Discovery Grants, Basic Research Fellowships, and Jack and Fay Netchin Medical Student Summer Fellowships. For more information on grant opportunities and deadlines, visit https://www.abta.org/grants/.

Founded in 1973, the American Brain Tumor Association provides comprehensive resources to support the complex needs of brain tumor patients and caregivers, across all ages and tumor types, as well as the critical funding of research in pursuit of breakthroughs in brain tumor diagnoses, treatments, and care. To learn more, visit ABTA.org or call 1-800-886-ABTA (2282).

SOURCE American Brain Tumor Association