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Annual SNO Meeting Fosters Unprecedented Collaboration

The American Brain Tumor Association team at SNO 2023.

ABTA President & CEO Ralph DeVitto with long-time ABTA Volunteer Mary Ann Laubacher.

ABTA Patient Services Director Mindy Freund, MSN, RN, CCRC and Ashlee Loughan, M.Ed, Ph.D., Clinical Neuropsychologist, Virginia Commonwealth University - Massey Cancer Center.

Minh Nguyen, a 2023 ABTA Medical Student Summer Fellow from UCSF.

ABTA Research Manager Jennifer Chang joins Jorg Dietrich, MD Ph.D, Director of the Cancer & Neurotoxicity Clinic and Brain Repair Research Program at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center, in presenting Michel Friedrich, PhD student at the University of Cologne in Germany, with the SNO Abstract Award for Excellence in Neurology of Cancer.

Dr. Terry C. Burns, M.D., Ph.D., Mayo Clinic Rochester, a 2021 ABTA Discovery Grant recipient, presents “Sonodynamic Therapy – First Experience” during SNO.

The ABTA invited all SNO attendees to its 50th Anniversary reception to celebrate our shared commitment to advancing brain tumor research.

What a great crowd! The ABTA is grateful to everyone who attended our 50th Anniversary reception during SNO.

ABTA President & CEO Ralph DeVitto shares why our commitment to you has never been stronger.

Mitchel Berger, MD, Director, Brain Tumor Center, UCSF and ABTA Board of Directors, shares why he’s committed to our shared mission.

ABTA Chief Mission Officer Nicole Willmarth, Ph.D, accepts an award on behalf of the ABTA for its Platinum Level support of the SNO Annual Meeting.

Craig Horbinski, MD, PhD, Director, Neuropathology Division, Northwestern and Director, Northwestern Nervous System Tumor Bank joins the ABTA team in a photo opp during the SNO conference.

Every year, the American Brain Tumor Association attends the Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO) Annual Meeting to network and collaborate with leaders in the dynamic field of neuro-oncology.

Together, our team takes everything it’s learned during the five-day meeting to bolster upcoming ABTA patient services and research programs. Our goal: to empower you with the latest information on neuro-oncology treatments, clinical trials and advancements and further support both upcoming and established brain tumor researchers.

Key Takeaways

There were many presentations during SNO that focused on the results of the INDIGO study, a global, randomized, double-blinded phase 3 trial studying a novel targeted drug called vorasidenib, which MindMatters first reported on in Summer 2023.

Why it matters: Vorasidenib is a promising new treatment slated for potential FDA approval this Spring and may be a game-changing treatment for patients with low-grade gliomas.

2. Sessions like The Neuroscience of Glioma—featuring innovative new research on neuronal activity in glioma initiation, the malignant networks of brain tumors and how neuron-tumor networks contribute to glioma progression—are proof that the field of neuroscience continues to evolve rapidly.

Why it matters: the emerging field of Cancer Neuroscience—which connects the principles of neuroscience and cancer biology—may further our understanding of brain tumors and lead to innovative and effective new treatments for patients.

3. A significant number of researchers attending the 2023 SNO Annual Meeting attendees were funded by the ABTA at some point in their career. We acknowledged many of them during our 50th Anniversary SNO reception (see slideshow for highlights).

Why it matters: Both up-and-coming and veteran brain tumor researchers continue to accelerate brain tumor research thanks to your support of the ABTA mission.

The 2024 SNO Annual Meeting is November 21-24 in Houston.

Learn more about SNO.

“SNO is an opportunity to not only learn about the latest science in brain tumors but also to network with many researchers, health care professionals, and other brain tumor advocacy groups. In our meetings with other brain tumor organizations, we focused on clinical trials and reaching patients in the community setting where most patients receive care.”

– Nicole Willmarth, Ph.D.Chief Mission Officer

“SNO is a meeting where the community comes together. This year, we met with over 20 companies—all working to find better treatment options for brain tumor patients. There was so much passion and camaraderie around our work, more so than I’ve ever seen, really. I’m really hopeful.”

– Debbie RobinsDirector, Corporate & Foundation Relations

“There have been many important developments in new therapeutics for brain tumor patients and although we have a long way to go, the research coming down the pipeline offers great promise for the future.”

– Jennifer Chang, Ph.D.Science Manager

Jessie Schlacks

Jessie is Managing Editor of the bi-monthly e-newsletter MindMatters. Submit story ideas or questions to jschlacks@abta.org.

Advancing Brain Tumor Research and Support

Thanks to the generous support of donors like you, the American Brain Tumor Association has invested over $35 million in life-changing brain tumor research, helping pave the way for breakthroughs like the FDA approval of vorasidenib, a groundbreaking treatment for low-grade glioma. Through our Meet Hope Head On campaign, we continue funding critical research and providing free resources for patients and caregivers—bringing hope and advancing care for the brain tumor community.

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