Hass-Kogan receives funding for new DIPG-specific research project from Defeat DIPG and ChadTough
January 29, 2020
Daphne Haas-Kogan, of Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer
and Blood Disorders Center, will receive a research grant totaling $600,000
over three years for “Dependence of DIPGs on DNA polymerase q for DNA repair
defines a new therapeutic target.”
Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Eshini Panditharatna --
“Targeting epigenetically induced vulnerabilities in DIPG” -- and Boston
Children’s Hospital’s Alan Jiao -- “Dissecting mechanisms of H3K27M oncohistone
function in DIPG” -- will also each receive fellowship grants worth $150,000 over
two years.
Michael Mosier Defeat DIPG Foundation and The ChadTough
Foundation are funding 10 new diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG)-specific
research projects totaling more than $2.8 million over the next three years
(2020-22). Two of the new grants will be made in partnership with SoSo Strong
Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation.
“By working together, we are amplifying our capacity to make
significant investments in DIPG-specific research,” says Defeat DIPG Executive
Director Jenny Mosier. “It is the generosity, passion, and commitment of the
Defeat DIPG and ChadTough supporter networks that propel our shared mission of
finding a cure for this devastating disease.”
To date, the Defeat DIPG ChadTough grant program has
committed $6.1 million to 23 DIPG research projects.
Jason Carr, President of The ChadTough Foundation, explains,
“Our grant program is designed to push the field forward by investing in
research that is likely to fuel progress and add to our understanding of this
disease, while also ensuring we empower the next generation of researchers to
bring this over the finish line for our children. We hope for a cure in the near
term, but we realize we need a pipeline of researchers who have the expertise
and drive to follow through with this work as long as needed.”
All projects for the Defeat DIPG ChadTough grant program are
reviewed by the Defeat DIPG Scientific Advisory Council, an unparalleled group
of experts in pediatric brain cancer who evaluate each application for
scientific merit. “Our Scientific
Advisory Council brings a breadth of experience and expertise that sets our
grant program apart,” says Mark Mosier, Chair of the Defeat DIPG Board of
Directors. “Their rigorous review of the many applications we receive ensures
we are using donor funds as efficiently and effectively as possible.”
The Defeat DIPG Scientific Advisory Council is chaired by
Suzanne Baker (St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital) and includes David Ashley
(Duke University School of Medicine), Oren Becher (Northwestern University’s
Feinberg School of Medicine), Cynthia Hawkins (Hospital for Sick Children),
Duane Mitchell (University of Florida College of Medicine), Michelle Monje
(Stanford University), and Javad Nazarian (University Children’s Hospital
Zurich, Children’s National Medical Center).
The Defeat DIPG ChadTough grant program was structured with
guidance from the Defeat DIPG Scientific Advisory Council to ensure the grant
amount, duration, and criteria were shaped to achieve the most meaningful
results to push the field forward. All of the Defeat DIPG ChadTough grants are
multi-year grants, allowing researchers to spend more of their time in the lab
and less seeking additional funding for future years. Researchers submit
progress reports to ensure the studies are proceeding as anticipated.