St. Baldrick’s Foundation Grants a Fellow Award to Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital Researcher

Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Traci Shirk
626-792-8247 ext. 50
Traci@stbaldricks.org

St. Baldrick’s Foundation Grants a Fellow Award to Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital Researcher

CLEVELAND (October 27, 2011) – It takes life-saving research to Conquer Kids’ Cancer! The St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a volunteer-driven charity dedicated to raising money for childhood cancer research, has awarded a $155,133 St. Baldrick’s Fellow award to Youmna Othman, M.D., at University Hospitals’ (UH) Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital.

Worldwide, more than 160,000 children are diagnosed with cancer each year and it remains the leading cause of death by disease among children in the United States. With only 4 percent of all federal cancer research funding dedicated to pediatric cancer research, St. Baldrick’s Foundation grant funds are critical to continue the battle against this devastating disease.

Dr. Othman is one of 13 new St. Baldrick’s Fellows in 2011. Her research focuses on the treatment of leukemia that has infiltrated into the central nervous system (CNS). The CNS serves as a sanctuary site for leukemic cells which can relapse and spread to other organs. In particular, T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a sub-type of ALL, has a strong propensity to infiltrate the CNS. Dr. Othman will study a recently identified target protein, CDK5, which has been implicated in the migration of immune cells. These potentially paradigm-shifting investigations promise the development of new biological agents or immune-mediated therapies against CNS leukemia and other devastating childhood tumors of the brain.

“This St. Baldrick’s Fellow award allows us to gain a better understanding of the immune system’s access to and role in the central nervous system which will make a difference in the lives of children with CNS leukemia,” Dr. Othman says. “The work of St. Baldrick’s is so important to all childhood cancer research and we are thankful to St. Baldrick’s for recognizing our program at UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital.”

These grants are part of more than $19.6 million in new grants made by the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, bringing the total to more than $21 million awarded for the fiscal year. All funding applications were peer-reviewed by leading pediatric cancer researchers who volunteer their time and expertise and make funding recommendations to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation’s board of directors. The Foundation’s next round of grants will be announced in November. In 2011, nearly 30 St. Baldrick’s events were held in Ohio, where more than 830 volunteers shaved their heads to help Conquer Kids’ Cancer!

“Nine years ago, in response to my son’s fight with a brain tumor, my wife and I decided to fight back,” said Peter Richer, volunteer event organizer of the AJ Rocco’s Cleveland St. Baldrick’s event. “As we head towards our 10-year AJ Rocco’s event anniversary in March 2012, we have now shaved hundreds of heads and raised over $1.5 million here in Northeastern Ohio towards cancer research. This has been and continues to be a grassroots effort by Northeast Ohioans of all walks of life – cancer knows no boundaries. We are honored to be able to contribute to this cause, and we will not stop until we find a cure!”

St. Baldrick’s signature head-shaving events are the fastest growing, volunteer-driven fundraising opportunity benefitting childhood cancer research. In 2011, the Foundation’s volunteers and supporters have led the way to raising a record-breaking $27.4 million by organizing more than 1,000 St. Baldrick’s events and shaving more than 44,000 heads to stand in solidarity with kids with cancer.

Everyone can do their part to support St. Baldrick’s! To locate or organize an event in your community, sign-up to shave, donate or volunteer, visit www.StBaldricks.org. You can also become a fan on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, join our letsCONQUER movement and visit the Foundation’s YouTube and Vimeo channels.

About the St. Baldrick’s Foundation
The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives. The Foundation funds more in childhood cancer research grants than any organization except the U.S. government. St. Baldrick’s funds are granted to some of the most brilliant childhood cancer research experts in the world and to younger professionals who will be the experts of tomorrow. Funds awarded also enable hundreds of local institutions to participate in national pediatric cancer clinical trials, a child’s best hope for a cure. Since the Foundation’s first grants as an independent charity in 2005, St. Baldrick’s has funded more than $76 million in childhood cancer research. For more information about the St. Baldrick’s Foundation please call 1.888.899.BALD or visit www.StBaldricks.org.

About University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital
Located on the campus of University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio, University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital is a 244-bed, full-service pediatric hospital and academic medical center, solely dedicated to the health care needs of children. A trusted leader in children’s health care for more than 125 years, UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital consistently ranks among the top children’s hospitals in the nation. As the region’s premier resource for pediatric referrals, UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital’s dedicated team of more than 1,300 pediatric specialists uses the most advanced treatments and latest innovations to deliver the complete range of pediatric specialty services to approximately 9,000 inpatients and 550,000 outpatients each year. Learn more at www.RainbowBabies.org