Career Enhancement and Developmental Research Programs
Career Enhancement Program
Maciek S. Lesniak, MD (Leader)
Amy Heimberger, MD, PhD (Co-Leader)
Daniel Brat, MD, PhD (Co-Leader)
The Career Enhancement Program is a critical component of the Northwestern Brain Tumor SPORE, in that it ensures that there will be a continuous influx of talented investigators devoted to brain cancer research.
2024-2025 Awardees
AI-based development of histopathologic features associated with molecular biomarkers and clinical outcomes in meningiomasy
Principal Investigator: Lee Cooper, PhD
Associate Professor, Pathology
Preclinical Study of Syk Inhibition as a Immunomodulator for Glioblastoma
Principal Investigator: Jiabo Li, MD, PhD
Postdoctoral Scholar, Department of Pathology
2023-2024 Awardees
TIM3 Targeting in BRAF-altered Pediatric Pilocytic Astrocytoma: Preclinical Analysis of Immune Activation and Immune-mediated Cytotoxicity
Principal Investigator: Michael DeCuypere, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Pediatric Neurosurgery
Tumor cell intrinsic checkpoint kinase 2 influences the expression of STING in gliomas
Principal Investigator: Crismita Dmello, PhD
Research Assistant Professor, Neurological Surgery
Discovering immunogenic isoforms in primary and recurrent glioblastoma with long-read single cell RNA sequencing
Principal Investigator: Ruli Gao, PhD
Assistant Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics
Extrinsic Electrical Modulation of Anti-Tumor Immunity
Principal Investigator: Timothy Sita, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Radiology
Developmental Research Program
Maciek S. Lesniak, MD (Leader)
Amy Heimberger, MD, PhD (Co-Leader)
Daniel Brat, MD, PhD (Co-Leader)
The Developmental Research Program (DRP) of the Northwestern Brain Tumor SPORE provides yearly funding to 3-4 projects that have promising translational potential. DRP projects that experience outstanding development may replace main projects that are not progressing, or the associated project investigators will be encouraged to secure independent funding in brain cancer research.
2024-2025 Awardees
Pathogenic germline CHEK2 mutations sensitizes gliomas to immune responses
Principal Investigator: Crismita Dmello, PhD
Research Assistant Professor, Neurological Surgery
Co-Investigator: Lucy Godley, MD, PhD
Professor, Medicine
Co-Investigator: Justin Low, MD, PhD
Medical Instructor, Neurosurgery, Duke University
Therapeutic effect and blood-brain barrier modulation with an intravenously administered STING agonist
Principal Investigator: Amy Heimberger, MD, PhD
Professor, Neurological Surgery
Targeting Cholesterol Transporter in Myeloid Cells for Promoting Anti-Glioma Immunity
Principal Investigator: Peng Zhang, PhD
Assistant Professor, Neurological Surgery
2023-2024 Awardees
Enhancing Therapeutic Strategies: Targeting the RAS-ERK Pathway and De Novo Purine Synthesis to Combat Glioblastoma
Principal Investigator: Isaam Ben-Sahra, PhD
Assistant Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics
Genetic Modulation of Glioma-Associated Myeloid Cells for Promoting Antitumor Immunity
Principal Investigator: Peng Zhang, PhD
Assistant Professor, Neurological Surgery