$650,000 for Rally-Funded Young Investigator Grants

We’re delighted to announce the $650,000 awarded for this year’s Young Investigator Grants — supporting the next generation of childhood cancer researchers!

But who exactly are these young investigators? In short, they’re bright, passionate scientists and doctors working tirelessly to find better treatments — and eventually, cures — for childhood cancer.

Young investigators are typically within five years of completing their fellowship. At this crucial stage in their careers, they’re focused on establishing themselves through research, publications and grant funding.

These passionate, early-career researchers bring fresh ideas, innovative approaches and the dedication to make a lasting impact in the fight against pediatric cancer. By funding these rising stars, Rally ensures that groundbreaking research keeps moving forward and that children battling cancer have the best chance at a brighter future.

Meet this year’s Young Investigator Grant recipients:

Brain and Central Nervous System Cancers

Funded by Rally Foundation

• Albert Einstein College of Medicine: George Karagiannis, D.V.M., Ph.D., for Promoting Thymocyte Egress to Prevent Chemotherapy-Related Immunotoxicity
• Leland Stanford Junior University: Thien Nguyen, M.D., for Macropinocytosis as a Novel Target for Pediatric Brain Cancer Therapy
• University of Colorado Denver: Dong Wang, Ph.D., for Mediator Kinase CDK8 is a Therapeutic Target in MYC-driven Medulloblastoma

Co-funded by Rally Foundation and a Collaborative Partner

• Baylor College of Medicine: Mohamad Abu Arja, M.D., for Targeting the Neurovascular Niche in Group 3 Medulloblastoma, co-funded by Rally Foundation and Kids Join the Fight
• Seattle Children’s Hospital: Myron Evans, Ph.D., for Targeting the CDK8 Kinase Module in MYC-amplified Medulloblastoma, co-funded by Rally Foundation and Kids Join the Fight
• The Hospital for Sick Children: Anthony Pak Yin Liu, FHKCPaed, for Clinical Utility of Liquid Biopsy for CNS Germ Cell Tumors, co-funded by Rally Foundation and Kids Join the Fight

Solid Tumors

Funded by Rally Foundation

• The University of California, San Francisco: Amanda Marinoff, M.D., for Advancing Precision Oncology in Osteosarcoma
• University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center: Danh Truong, Ph.D., for Investigating the Spatial Heterogeneity and Cellular Taxonomy of DSRCTs
• Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine: Lindy Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., for Evaluating the Combination of Targeted Therapies and Immunotherapy in MPNST

Funded by a Collaborative Partner

• Purdue University: Nathaniel Mabe, Ph.D., Pharm.D., for Targeting the TRIM28-SETDB1 Axis to Enhance Anti-GD2 Therapy in EWS, funded by Infinite Love for Kids Fighting Cancer

Mixed Brain / CNS, Solid Tumor and Blood Cancers

Co-funded by Rally Foundation and a Collaborative Partner

• University of California, San Francisco: Geoffrey Cheng, M.D., for Biology of Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage in Stem Cell Transplant Recipients, co-funded by Rally Foundation and Infinite Love for Kids Fighting Cancer
• BC Cancer, part of the Provincial Health Services Authority: Haifeng Zhang, Ph.D., for Immunotherapeutic Targeting of IL1RAP in Rare Pediatric Cancers, co-funded by Rally Foundation and Infinite Love for Kids Fighting Cancer

Survivorship / Quality of Life / Psychosocial

Funded by Rally Foundation

• Seattle Children’s Hospital: Melissa Martos, M.D., for Diagnostic Communication and Outcomes by Language in Pediatric Oncology