Pediatric Brain Tumor Research
Our pediatric brain tumor research spans multiple research specialties, with a particular focus on understanding how the brain develops and finding new treatments for pediatric brain tumors.
Current projects, ranging from basic science to translational research, include the following:
- Developmental biology of the mammalian brain
- Developmental cues in the early embryo regulating medulloblastoma migration
- Developmental biology of the cerebellum and mouse models of medulloblastoma
- Mouse models of medulloblastoma and neuroblastoma, and small molecule inhibitors for cancer therapeutics
- Evaluation of novel therapeutics in a rodent model of brainstem glioma
- Multi-laboratory research program focusing on pediatric medulloblastoma and brainstem glioma
- Novel immunotherapies for pediatric brain tumors
We are also involved in several national consortia, and have been awarded major grants to support multi-laboratory research efforts:
- Pacific Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Consortium (PNOC): UCSF is the lead institution for PNOC, a network of 11 children's hospitals that perform clinical trials of therapies that are specific to the molecular profiles of a patient's tumor. By testing therapies that interfere with specific cellular pathways or mutations after confirming that a patient’s tumor has those characteristics, PNOC trials aim to provide patients with therapies optimized for their tumor type.
- Children's Oncology Group (COG): This is a cooperative group combining the efforts of the major pediatric clinical trials groups based in North America to accelerate the search for a cure and prevention of cancer in children and adolescents.
The Labs
neurogenesis, stem cell biology
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radiation planning and treatment
computational biology
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tumor progression
novel immunotherapies for pediatric brain tumors
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statistical genetics, computational biology, clinical trials
novel therapies for pediatric brain tumors
cancer vaccines, T-cell therapy
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glioma development
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models of human gliomagenesis
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developmental signaling pathways in cancer
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DNA repair, genomics
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Translational research
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models of human brain tumors
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