St. Baldrick’s Foundation Grants a Total of $354,649 to The University of Chicago

Press Release
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Media Contact:
Traci Shirk
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Traci@stbaldricks.org

St. Baldrick’s Foundation Grants a Total of $354,649 to The University of Chicago 

CHICAGO (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 two research grants to The University of Chicago. Andres Morales, M.D., received a $152,191 Fellow award and Susan Cohn, M.D., will lead a study funded by a $202,458 Consortium Research Grant.

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. Morales is one of 13 new St. Baldrick’s Fellows in 2011. His research will focus on neuroblastoma. Clinical and biological prognostic factors are used to classify patients as low, intermediate or high-risk of relapse, to determine the intensity of treatment necessary. Recently, several investigators have published “genetic signatures” that correlate with outcomes in children with high-risk neuroblastoma in retrospective studies, but due to expense, timing and availability, these signatures are not currently used in determining treatment regimens. This project aims to circumvent these limitations, improving the care of the 40 percent of high-risk patients who are destined to fail current therapies.  

The Consortium Research Grant will support The International Neuroblastoma Risk Group (INRG) Task Force. INRG has collected data on more than 11,500 children with neuroblastoma. These data are available to researchers from around the world, and seminal discoveries have already been made using this unique collection of patient data. However, the current application housing the INRG data has significant limitations, and this project will help develop tools to overcome those.

“This grant will help advance the progress in neuroblastoma research by building a web-based database that contains information on children diagnosed with this deadly cancer throughout the world that can be used to learn about optimal treatments,” Dr. Cohn said.

These grants are part of more than $19.6 million in new grants awarded 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, more than 50 St. Baldrick’s events were held in the city of Chicago, where more than 2,100 volunteers shaved their heads to help Conquer Kids’ Cancer!

“It certainly is great to know that my involvement may be helping, in some way, someone who could be my neighbor,” said James Kearney, volunteer event organizer of the Claddagh Ring Chicago St. Baldrick’s event. “I have already shared the news of the funding with my event participants and we all share the excitement that by shaving our heads and raising some money, the kids in our community who may be affected by cancer receive the benefits of our efforts.”

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.