Gary Kohanbash received a grant from the St. Baldrick’s Foundation

Gary Kohanbash, a neuro-oncology researcher and assistant professor of neurological surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, has been awarded a scholar grant of $298,000 from the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a volunteer-driven charity dedicated to raising money for childhood cancer research. These grants provide resources to institutions to conduct more research and enroll more children in ongoing clinical trials. Kohanbash and his team will look at improving immunotherapy for ependymomas, the third most common kind of brain tumor in children.

“As a scientist and a father, I am driven to help save kids from brain cancers, so I am very excited about the potential of immunotherapy. Unimaginable advances within the last 10 years are enabling us to create new, safer and more effective treatments,” said Kohanbash, who works at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. “With this funding from the St. Baldrick's Foundation, I am hopeful that we can bridge the gap between lab research and clinical care for kids with ependymomas.”