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Meet ABTA’s Eight Newest Summer Research Fellows

Michael Chang, BSJohn Hopkins University School of Medicine — **Michael Chang, BS**
John Hopkins University School of Medicine

Himanshu Dashora, BSCleveland Clinic — **Himanshu Dashora, BS**
Cleveland Clinic

Jakub Jarmula, BACleveland Clinic — **Jakub Jarmula, BA**
Cleveland Clinic

Jenna Koenig, BSIndiana University — **Jenna Koenig, BS**
Indiana University

Jayson Nelson, BSThe University of Utah — **Jayson Nelson, BS**
The University of Utah

Minh Nguyen, BSUniversity of California, San Francisco — **Minh Nguyen, BS**
University of California, San Francisco

Gabrielle Price, MScIcahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai — **Gabrielle Price, MSc**
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Sangami Pugazenthi, BAWashington University in St. Louis — **Sangami Pugazenthi, BA**
Washington University in St. Louis

This year, the ABTA funded eight new grants to medical students across the country pursuing innovative research in neuro-oncology.

Awarded annually, the Jack & Fay Netchin Medical Student Summer Fellowships are a three-month, mentor-guided summer research experience, which aims to motivate talented medical students to pursue a long-term career in neuro-oncology.

Since its inception, the ABTA Research Program has funded more than $34 million in research grants.

This year’s fellows conducted research focused on a variety of tumor types and treatments, including: photodynamic therapy in diffuse midline glioma (DMG); meningioma biomarker identification; and injectable hydrogel treatment delivery in glioblastoma.

“Our medical student summer fellows continue to bring innovative and creative ideas to the table, which help drive new advances in treatment and improved care for brain tumor patients,” said Heather Calderone, PhD, Director of Research and Grants. “We hope their summer research experience is the beginning of a rewarding career in the neuro-oncology field.”

Learn more about our  new research grant recipients.

Coming Soon: 2024 Research Grant Applications

The ABTA will soon be accepting applications for Discovery Grants, Basic Research Fellowships, and Jack & Fay Netchin Medical Student Summer Fellowships.

Discovery Grants: One-year, $50,000 grants for independent researchers who propose high-risk projects with the greatest potential to improve the standards of care for brain tumor patients.
Basic Research Fellowships: Two-year, $100,000 grants for postdoctoral fellows investigating basic and translational brain tumor science with a mentor in the field.
Jack & Fay Netchin Medical Student Summer Fellowships: Three-month, $3,000 grants for medical students to train with an established mentor in the field as they forge a career in neuro-oncology.

Researchers interested in ABTA grant opportunities can sign up to receive grant notifications.

Jessie Schlacks

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

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