CERN Foundation Partners with the

National Institutes of Health

The CERN Foundation is excited to announce it has partnered with NCI-CONNECT to facilitate engagement with patients with rare CNS tumors, including ependymoma.

[Pictured left to right: Kristin Odom, Catharine Young, Kathy Oliver, Nicole Willmarth, Ralph DeVitto, Kimberly Wallgren, Kristina Knight, Michael Antonellis and Brittany Cordeiro]

The CERN Foundation was honored to attend the inaugural 2018 NCI-CONNECT Meeting that was held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting of the Brain Tumor Trials Collaborative (BTTC) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The meeting on June 11-12, 2018 was hosted by the Neuro-Oncology Branch at the Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, and was the largest to date with over 100 attendees. It included clinicians and investigators from 32 BTTC institutions and NIH, research collaborators and advocates from five non-profit organizations – the American Brain Tumor Association, Biden Cancer Initiative, CERN Foundation, International Brain Tumour Alliance and National Brain Tumor Society.

CERN Supported Research Profiles Posterior Fossa Ependymomas

Of nine ependymoma molecular groups detected by DNA methylation profiling, the posterior fossa type A (PFA) is most prevalent. Researchers used DNA methylation profiling to look for further molecular heterogeneity among 675 PFA ependymomas.

Two major subgroups, posterior fossa PFA-1 and PFA-2, and nine minor subtypes were discovered.

This was a multicenter collaboration between the 2018 CERN Foundation Scientific Ependymoma Fellowship recipient, Dr. Kristian Pajtler, the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, and the University of Nottingham, England.

To read the Acta Neuropathologica Article, CLICK HERE.

The Southern Sassenachs Provide Support and Love

The non-profit organization, The Southern Sassenachs, has raised over $74,000 for various organizations over the past three years. This year, they have decided to raise funds for the CERN Foundation to improve the care and outcome for people with ependymoma.

In 2014, the television drama series, Outlander, based on the historical time travel Outlander series of novels premiered. The following year, a group of 60 fans of the series decided to meet each other, led by Chair, Melissa, a full-time clinical research scientist in biomedical research and mother of two. “The main actor was in support of Bloodwise, and we decided to do something with our time while we met up. By the end of the event, we raised $11,000 in three months,” shares Melissa.

The group created a Facebook and Twitter page and became so large so quickly, they decided to become a certified, non-profit organization. They wanted to make an impact, even if a small one. “Everything took off and we went along for the ride. As we were growing, we were all aware that our Treasurer, Sarah, had an ependymoma. Last year, she had surgery to remove more tumor and we decided to learn more and then found the CERN Foundation,” shares Melissa.

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