Every head shaved or hair trimmed.
Every dollar raised.
Every fundraiser organized.
Every company that gave back.
Every volunteer who showed up.
Every donor who said “yes.”
Together, you made something extraordinary possible.
Because of the incredible St. Baldrick’s community, we’re able to award $10.3 million in new childhood cancer research grants to support 28 innovative research projects at 26 leading academic and research institutions.
These aren’t just grants—they’re possibilities. Every one represents a new question being explored, a new discovery waiting to happen, and new hope for kids with cancer and their families.
This Is What Your Support Looks Like
Childhood cancer research doesn’t happen by chance. It happens because people choose to do something.
It starts with someone willing to shave their head or trim their hair in solidarity with kids with cancer. It grows with every fundraising page shared, every event hosted, every generous donation made, every corporate partner that joins the mission, and every volunteer who gives their time.
Together, those individual acts of generosity become something much bigger.
They become research.
They become clinical trials.
They become the next breakthrough that could change—or save—a child’s life.
Every Grant Has Thousands of Heroes Behind It
Behind every research grant is a community that turns compassion into action—dreaming up creative ways to raise funds, rallying friends and family, and refusing to settle for the status quo.
It’s the first-time fundraiser who courageously clicked “Create Fundraiser.”
It’s the veteran shavee who has been showing up year after year.
It’s the person who took on our new Backpack Challenge, carrying hope one day at a time.
It’s the cyclist who pushed through one more mile, the runner who crossed another finish line, and the family who transformed their own experience with childhood cancer into hope for others.
It’s the local business that rallied customers, the corporate partner that invested in our mission, and the volunteers who make every event possible.
And it’s every donor—whether your gift was $25, $250, or more—who believed that every child deserves a future beyond cancer.
Individually, these acts may seem small. Together, they become something extraordinary. They become opportunities for researchers to ask bold questions, test new ideas, and move promising discoveries closer to the children who need them most.
Investing in Today’s Ideas and Tomorrow’s Cures
The newly awarded grants reflect St. Baldrick’s commitment to funding the most promising childhood cancer research across the entire research pipeline.
This year’s funding includes:
- International Scholar Grants – Help train researchers from low- and middle-income countries to advance childhood cancer research and care in their home countries.
- Research Grants – Support innovative projects focused on finding better treatments and cures for childhood cancers.
- St. Baldrick’s Scholar Awards – Provide multi-year funding that helps outstanding early-career researchers stay in pediatric oncology research and continue pursuing discoveries that could transform children’s lives.
Some of these projects are just beginning. Others build on years of progress. Together, they represent the next chapter in the fight to conquer kids’ cancer.
Meet the Researchers
Alabama
- Jacksonville State University, Jacksonville
Extended Scholar: Le Su, Ph.D.
California
- J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla
Research Grant: Nan Zhu, Ph.D.
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego, La Jolla
Extended International Scholar: Jehad Almaliti, Ph.D.
Colorado
- University of Colorado Anschutz and Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora
Extended Scholar: Kelly Faulk, M.D.
Connecticut
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington
St. Baldrick’s Scholar: Eric Wang, Ph.D
Georgia
- Emory University, Atlanta
Extended Scholar: Waitman Aumann, M.D.
Research Grant: Christopher Porter, M.D.
Indiana
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Bloomington
St. Baldrick’s Scholar: Jia Shen, Ph.D.
- Purdue University, West Lafayette
Research Grant: Nathaniel Mabe, Ph.D., Pharm.D.
Massachusetts
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston
Research Grant: Jared Rowe, M.D., Ph.D.
Maryland
- Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda
Research Grant: Javed Khan, MD
Minnesota
- University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis
Extended Scholar: Tianzhong Yang, Ph.D.
- Mayo Clinic, Rochester
Research Grant: Michael Ruff, M.D.
North Carolina
- Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
St. Baldrick’s Scholar: Laurie Graves, M.D.
New York
- Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca
Research Grant: Robert Weiss, Ph.D.
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York
Research Grant: Jaap Jan Boelens, MD PhD
Ohio
- Case Western Reserve University – School of Medicine, Cleveland
Research Grant: Yuan Gao, PhD
Pennsylvania
- Temple University, Philadelphia
Research Grant: Jorge Gomez Deza, PhD
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia
St. Baldrick’s Scholar: Christina Turn, M.D.
- The Children’s Oncology Group Foundation, Philadelphia
Douglas Hawkins, MD
South Carolina
- Prisma Health in the Midlands, Columbia
Extended Scholar: Anna Hoppmann, M.D.
Tennessee
- St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis
St. Baldrick’s Scholar: Ruth Wang’ondu, Ph.D.
Research Grant: Stephen Gottschalk, M.D.
- Vanderbilt University, Nashville
Research Grant: Ethan Lee, M.D., Ph.D.
- Vanderbilt Health, Nashville
St. Baldrick’s Scholar: Michael Robinson, M.D.
Washington
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle
Research Grant: Scott Furlan, M.D.
- Seattle Children’s, Seattle
St. Baldrick’s Scholar: Shireen Ganapathi, M.D.
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle
Research Grant: Eleanor Chen, M.D., Ph.D.
These researchers are tackling some of childhood cancer’s toughest challenges, and thanks to you, they have the support they need to keep moving forward.
Thank You for Fueling the Future
Every year, our community proves what’s possible when people come together around a shared purpose.
The grants announced today are more than a milestone. They’re a reminder that progress happens because thousands of people choose to take action—one head shave, one hair trim, one fundraiser, one donation, one partnership, and one act of generosity at a time.
Whether you’ve participated in a head-shaving event, organized a fundraiser, volunteered, made a donation, encouraged a friend to get involved, or partnered with St. Baldrick’s to support childhood cancer research, you are part of every grant announced today.
Thank you for believing in a future where every child with cancer has access to better treatments, fewer side effects, and ultimately, cures.
Today, we celebrate 28 new grants.
Tomorrow, we keep going.
Because kids with cancer are counting on all of us.
Help make the next round of grants possible. Donate today and continue fueling the research that brings us closer to better treatments, better outcomes, and cures for kids with cancer.
