Press Releases
Please direct all Media Inquiries to:
Leah Bobal
Sr. Manager, Marketing & Communications,
773-577-8793 or
lbobal@abta.org
ABTA Press Releases
American Brain Tumor Association Names New President & Chief Executive Officer
American Brain Tumor Association Names New President & Chief Executive Officer Proven Leader Spearheaded Organization’s Dynamic Development Team, Volunteer Network CHICAGO – (November 18, 2024). The American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA) today announced that the organization’s board of directors has appointed Kelly Sitkin as the organization’s next President & Chief Executive Officer, effective February 1, 2025. Sitkin will replace longtime ABTA President & CEO Ralph DeVitto who will retire from the position after seven years at the helm. During her tenure as the ABTA’s Chief Development Officer (CDO), total revenue increased by 45%, from $6.3 million in 2017 to $9.1 million in 2023. As CDO, Sitkin was responsible for the overall execution of an integrated development and volunteer network strategy for the ABTA – a national voluntary health organization providing comprehensive resources to support the complex needs of brain tumor patients and caregivers, across all ages and tumor types, as
Brain Tumor Funders’ Collaborative Announces New Grant Opportunity to Support Studies on Liquid Biopsy in Primary Brain Tumors
Brain Tumor Funders’ Collaborative Announces New Grant Opportunity to Support Studies on Liquid Biopsy in Primary Brain Tumors The Brain Tumor Funders’ Collaborative (BTFC) announced a request for proposals for two-year, $500,000 research grants for multi-institutional, multi-disciplinary research projects focusing on liquid biopsy for primary brain tumors. The BTFC plans to award two grants in total. These grants are intended to fund practice-changing research with the hope of advancing the technology to make liquid biopsy a viable option for brain tumor patient care. Through the collection and testing of blood, cerebral spinal fluid (CSF), or other bodily fluids, liquid biopsy can detect signs of a tumor via fragments of tumor DNA, proteins, or tumor cells circulating in these biofluids. Open to a team of two or more faculty-level researchers at distinct institutions, the grant opportunity focuses on supporting studies on liquid biopsy in primary brain tumors in pediatric, adolescent and
American Brain Tumor Association Awards Over $1 Million in New Grants to Advance Brain Cancer Research
American Brain Tumor Association Awards Over $1 Million in New Grants to Advance Brain Cancer Research Chicago, IL (October 17, 2024)— The American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA) is proud to announce their continued investment in brain tumor research that spans $36 million dollars and over 800 research projects. For more than 50 years, the ABTA has remained committed to funding brain tumor research, especially for early-stage investigators. This investment, that starts with the earliest phase of medical training, seeks to not only drive brain tumor research forward, but empower the next generation of physicians and scientists to propel the neuro-oncology field forward. “Through the funding of brain tumor research, the ABTA empowers talented researchers to pursue challenging questions in neuro-oncology,” says Ralph DeVitto, ABTA President and Chief Executive Officer. “We are proud to continue our legacy of funding critical brain tumor research and bringing hope to patients.” This year’s slate
New Statistical Report Reveals Primary Brain and Central Nervous System Tumors as Second Most Common Cancer Type in Adolescents and Young Adults
CHICAGO (May 7, 2024)—Today, the American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA), in partnership with the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute (NCI) Comprehensive Oncology Network Evaluating Rare CNS Tumors (NCI-CONNECT) program and the Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States (CBTRUS), unveiled a new report shedding light on the prevalence of primary brain and other central nervous system (CNS) tumors among adolescents and young adults (AYAs) between the ages of 15 and 39.
ABTA President and CEO Ralph A. DeVitto Announces Retirement
Chicago, IL (May 6, 2024)—The American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA) announced that President and CEO Ralph A. DeVitto has informed the Board of Directors of his intention to retire from ABTA in January 2025, after leading the organization for nearly seven years.
American Brain Tumor Association Announces New Board of Directors Officers and Members
Meet the ABTA’s newest Board Members, Laura Aguilar, MD, PhD, and Charles (Chad) Schafer, JD.