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.

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)
David James, 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.

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