Children's Brain Tumor Project
The Childhood Brain Tumor Project was founded in 2011 by the Weill Cornell Pediatric Brain and Spine Center, under the direction of neurosurgeon and researcher Dr. Jeffrey Greenfield. The project owes its inspiration and launch to Elizabeth Minter, whose battle with the rare and inoperable gliomatosis cerebri inspired Dr. Greenfield to undertake his vision for this groundbreaking research initiative. Dr. Greenfield joins forces with Dr. Mark Souweidane, who has already been researching and testing alternative therapeutic delivery systems for other inoperable brain cancers, such as DIPG.
The Childhood Brain Tumor Project has a single goal: to bring hope to the hundreds of patients and families each year who confront these heartbreaking diagnoses. Gliomatosis cerebri and DIPG are just two examples of the devastating brain tumors that typically strike children, adolescents, and young adults. Because they are so rare, these inoperable tumors simply do not get the funding or attention that research scientists need to find a cure.
The Weill Cornell Childhood Brain Tumor Project will offer physicians the unprecedented ability to quickly identify a brain tumor's "fingerprints" at the molecular level. The genomic data allows for personalized tumor therapy and affords new hope to patients - because that information has previously been prohibitively expensive and time-consuming to obtain.
The Childhood Brain Tumor Project will be made possible thanks to a state-of-the-art gene sequencer, which can identify each tumor's unique genomic profile, along with the laboratory staff and research scientists to interpret the data.
Donations will also support other ongoing childhood tumor research into innovative therapies. This critical effort addresses rare, inoperable brain tumors that strike children, including:
- Gliomatosis cerebri
- Diffuse infiltrative pontine glioma (DIPG)
- Medulloblastoma
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