Each spring, a group of hand-selected researchers pitch next generation, budding research concepts to members of the Children’s Trust for a chance at winning seed funding to help kickstart their research. Trust members collectively vote to award grants to projects that aim to improve pediatric health, giving them direct influence on the future of medicine. Members receive quarterly research updates, providing them a behind the scenes look at their philanthropic contributions in action.
A New Alternative to Chemotherapy: Immune Cell Therapy
Announced in June, this year’s first-place grant recipient is Erica Braverman, MD, who is working to improve the quality of immune cells by altering how they use nutrients to generate energy. Immune cell therapies are a new and promising treatment for pediatric cancer, providing a potential alternative to chemotherapy treatments, which often carry long-term health consequences. Through this work, Dr. Braverman hopes to both make cellular therapy available to more patients and increase the overall efficacy of this treatment.
“Thank you so much to the members of the Children’s Trust for supporting my research,” says Dr. Braverman. “With your help, I am excited to finally bring our work one step closer to the clinic by analyzing the effect of our metabolic interventions on patient-derived T cells. I look forward to sharing our progress as we move into this next phase!”
Dr. Braverman was awarded a $40,000 grant for her research at last month’s Grantmakers’ Meeting.
Understanding and Preventing Acute Kidney Injury
The second-place grant recipient is Cassandra Formeck, MD, MS, who studies the impact of acute kidney injury (AKI) associated infection among hospitalized children. AKI occurs in 1 in 12 children who are admitted to pediatric hospitals in the United States. Unfortunately, AKI in hospitalized children is associated with up to a tenfold increase in the risk of death, although the reasons for this high death rate remain unclear. AKI in hospitalized children is often a result of medically necessary therapies including medications and surgery. Dr. Formeck’s research specifically studies children that have developed drug-induced AKI. Through her work, she hopes to prevent the occurrence of AKI among these children.
Dr. Formeck was awarded a $30,000 grant to support her research.
How You Can Impact the Future of Medicine
These grants, and the impact made through the work of their recipients, are made possible by the generosity of Children’s Trust members.
The Children’s Trust is an exclusive group of rising philanthropists who are interested in supporting UPMC Children’s most promising researchers. By pooling charitable resources, members directly impact the lives of children here in Pittsburgh and beyond through advancing pediatric research.
Ready to get involved and invest in the future of pediatric research? Learn how to join the Children’s Trust today.