What Is a Lumbar Puncture? What is a Spinal Tap?
It’s scary enough to have your child diagnosed with cancer. But on top of that you hear all these new words and terms, which can be overwhelming, such as lumbar puncture or spinal tap. A lumbar procedure is the same thing as a spinal tap. It is a commonly performed procedure to diagnose and manage a variety of diseases including cancer. It is an invasive procedure used to collect the cerebral fluid that surrounds the brain and the spinal cord. A lumbar puncture/spinal tap may also be done to measure the pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid or to inject medicine, including chemotherapy, directly into the spinal cord and central nervous system. To prepare your child for a lumbar puncture/spinal tap, tell your child what to expect in the hospital and during the procedure. Ask your child’s healthcare team if you can stay with your child during the procedure, and if it’s OK to bring a...
What Is a Bone Marrow Transplant?
You just learned that your child has to have a bone marrow transplant. It sounds ominous. You have a lot of questions. Like, what exactly is bone marrow and what is a bone marrow transplant? Bone marrow is the soft, fatty tissue inside your bones. It creates red and white blood cells, as well as platelets. In addition, bone marrow contains immature blood-forming cells known as hematopoietic stem cells, or HSCs. These stem cells are unspecialized, and they can either remain stem cells or mature into different kinds of blood cells. A bone marrow transplant is a medical procedure that replaces bone marrow that has been damaged or destroyed by disease, infection, or chemotherapy. It involves transplanting healthy blood stem cells into the patient so that they can travel to the patient’s bone marrow where they start producing new blood cells and promote growth of new bone marrow. Healthy...
Rally Announces $1M in Awards to Consortium Grants
We are thrilled to share that Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research has awarded a total of $1 million in funding for Consortium Grants this year. So, what exactly is a consortium? In short, it’s teamwork at its best! A consortium brings together three or more institutions, such as hospitals and universities, to work together on a grant-supported research project. A principal investigator from the lead institution submits an application for the grant with the support of at least two other collaborating institutions. Each institution’s team brings unique strengths to the table, and together, they push the boundaries of what’s possible in childhood cancer research. Some childhood cancer treatments have not changed in 40 years. With your support, Rally funds groundbreaking research projects, including these Consortium Grants, which will lead to better treatments for kids with...
Rally Foundation Announces More Than $1M for Independent Investigator Grants
Rally is thrilled to announce that $1,250,000 has been awarded through this year’s Independent Investigator Grants, supporting innovative research in the fight against childhood cancer! But who exactly are these independent investigators? Independent investigators are generally professors or faculty members who lead their own labs and drive forward big-picture ideas. As the principal investigators, they’re the ones developing ideas, designing the studies, mentoring young scientists and securing funding to keep the work moving. Grants like these help them dig deeper, think bigger and push the science forward — taking discoveries in the lab to real-life treatments for kids battling cancer. We’re honored to support their work. Meet this year’s Independent Investigator Grant recipients: Brain and Central Nervous System Cancers Funded by Rally Foundation Icahn School of Medicine at Mount...
$600,000 for Rally-Funded Young Investigator Grants
We’re delighted to announce the $600,000 awarded for this year’s Young Investigator Grants, which support 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, ultimately, 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...
Rally Announces $850,000 for Postdoctoral and Clinical Research Fellow Grants
Rally is thrilled to announce $850,000 awarded to our 2026 Postdoctoral and Clinical Research Fellow Grants! At Rally, we know the future of pediatric cancer research lies in the hands of the next generation of researchers. Bright young minds work tirelessly to establish themselves as independent researchers in pediatric cancer. They push boundaries, seek new ideas and challenge the status quo, and Rally is here to support them. Postdoctoral and clinical research fellows are in the early stages of their research careers, conducting cutting-edge studies under the mentorship of experienced scientists and physicians. Meet the 2026 Postdoctoral and Clinical Research Fellow Grant recipients: Brain and Central Nervous System Cancers Funded By Rally Foundation Dana-Farber Cancer Institute: Narmen Azazmeh, Ph.D., for Mannosylation-Driven Myeloid Activity in KIAA-BRAF Pilocytic Astrocytomas The...
What Is a Lumbar Puncture? What is a Spinal Tap?
It’s scary enough to have your child diagnosed with cancer. But on top of that you hear all these new words and terms, which can be overwhelming, such as lumbar puncture or spinal tap. A lumbar procedure is the same thing as a spinal tap. It is a commonly performed procedure to diagnose and manage a variety of diseases including cancer. It is an invasive procedure used to collect the cerebral fluid that surrounds the brain and the spinal cord. A lumbar puncture/spinal tap may also be done to...
What Is a Bone Marrow Transplant?
You just learned that your child has to have a bone marrow transplant. It sounds ominous. You have a lot of questions. Like, what exactly is bone marrow and what is a bone marrow transplant? Bone marrow is the soft, fatty tissue inside your bones. It creates red and white blood cells, as well as platelets. In addition, bone marrow contains immature blood-forming cells known as hematopoietic stem cells, or HSCs. These stem cells are unspecialized, and they can either remain stem cells or mature...
Rally Announces $1M in Awards to Consortium Grants
We are thrilled to share that Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research has awarded a total of $1 million in funding for Consortium Grants this year. So, what exactly is a consortium? In short, it’s teamwork at its best! A consortium brings together three or more institutions, such as hospitals and universities, to work together on a grant-supported research project. A principal investigator from the lead institution submits an application for the grant with the support of at least two...
Rally Foundation Announces More Than $1M for Independent Investigator Grants
Rally is thrilled to announce that $1,250,000 has been awarded through this year’s Independent Investigator Grants, supporting innovative research in the fight against childhood cancer! But who exactly are these independent investigators? Independent investigators are generally professors or faculty members who lead their own labs and drive forward big-picture ideas. As the principal investigators, they’re the ones developing ideas, designing the studies, mentoring young scientists and...
$600,000 for Rally-Funded Young Investigator Grants
We’re delighted to announce the $600,000 awarded for this year’s Young Investigator Grants, which support 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, ultimately, 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...
Rally Announces $850,000 for Postdoctoral and Clinical Research Fellow Grants
Rally is thrilled to announce $850,000 awarded to our 2026 Postdoctoral and Clinical Research Fellow Grants! At Rally, we know the future of pediatric cancer research lies in the hands of the next generation of researchers. Bright young minds work tirelessly to establish themselves as independent researchers in pediatric cancer. They push boundaries, seek new ideas and challenge the status quo, and Rally is here to support them. Postdoctoral and clinical research fellows are in the early...