CBTN Announces Appointment of Dr. David Kram to Strengthen Tissue Donation Leadership

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Children's Brain Tumor Network (CBTN) announces that David Kram, MD, MCR, FAAP, will serve in a new leadership capacity supporting Gift from a Child (GFAC), a CBTN partner advancing pediatric brain tumor research through patient legacy tissue donation. Dr. Kram, a respected clinician at the University of North Carolina, is a longstanding advocate for post-mortem tissue donation.

In this role, Dr. Kram helps shape clinical and research strategy, ensuring physicians and families receive clear, compassionate guidance throughout the donation process while maximizing the scientific impact of each specimen. His contributions strengthen best practices, deepen clinician engagement, and reinforce alignment between GFAC's family-facing mission and CBTN's research operations.

"Dr. Kram brings an exceptional ability to bridge science and compassion," said Jena Lilly, Executive Director of CBTN. "His leadership will help deepen our impact as we expand donation awareness and accelerate research that honors every child's legacy."

"Dr. Kram described his focus, adding, "Post-mortem tissue offers unique insights into how tumors evolve over time and enables the creation of research models not possible with other tissue types."

Kram's experience within the Children's Oncology Group (COG) creates important pathways to broaden GFAC's reach and strengthen CBTN's national clinical partnerships. His appointment marks a meaningful step forward in the shared GFAC–CBTN mission to ensure families can make informed donation decisions and that every sample is handled with scientific and ethical rigor.

About Children's Brain Tumor Network
The Children's Brain Tumor Network (CBTN) is a global research initiative dedicated to transforming the landscape of pediatric brain tumor research and care. With 35 member institutions, CBTN has collected more than 85,000 biospecimens and enrolled over 8,000 participants—creating the world's largest pediatric brain tumor and biospecimen data resource. By enabling real-time data sharing and interdisciplinary collaboration, CBTN empowers research innovation and delivers answers faster to the children and families who need them most. Learn more at cbtn.org.

About Gift from a Child
Gift from a Child (GFAC) is a national initiative dedicated to increasing post-mortem pediatric brain tumor tissue donations to advance research and accelerate cures. In partnership with the Children's Brain Tumor Network (CBTN) and driven by families who have lost children to brain cancer, GFAC ensures that every child's legacy contributes to discoveries that bring hope to others. Learn more at giftfromachild.org.

Contact:

Emily Reed
Children's Brain Tumor Network
[email protected]

SOURCE Children’s Brain Tumor Network