BrainUp’s Impact on Research and Clinical Trial Funding
The BrainUp Mission, to create awareness on the importance of research along with the ability to raise money and fund Brain Cancer Research and Clinical Trials in the Chicago Region
2023- $200,000 granted to Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
- Principal Investigator: Karan Dixit MD and Antique Ahmed PhD both of Northwestern University
- Project: A Phase 1 adaptive dose escalation study of 3-AP(Triapine) in combination with temozolomide (TMZ) for patients with recurrent Glioblastomas
2023- $100,000 granted by BrainUp to Loyola University of Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, in Partnership with American Brain Tumor Association
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Principal Investigator: Derek Wainwright PhD
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Project: Maladaptive Effects of the Aged Brain in older Adults with Glioblastoma
2022-$200,000 granted to the Malnati Brain Institute at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
- Principal Investigator: Amy Heimberger MD and Priya Kumthekar MD with Sean Sachdev MD, Virginia Hill MD, Craig Horbinski MD, Marsha Kocerginski
- Project: A Phase II Clinical Trial in newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma Patients Treated with WP1066 and Radiation
- This trial has been favorably reviewed by the National Cancer Institute and is awaiting notification on funding and in the interim BrainUp funding is allowing immediate patient accrual and may be used to conduct correlative biomarker analysis.
2021-$160,000 granted to the Malnati Brain Tumor Institute at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine to support a Transitional and Phase 1 Clinical Trial, integrated with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Brain Tumor SPORE P50CA221747 that Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine is participating in on a national level
- Principal Investigator: Rimas Lukas MD with Sean Sachdev MD Including: Priya Kumthekar MD, Karan Dixit MD, Vinai Gondi MD, Laura Sharp MD, C. David James, Maciej S. Lesniak MD, Roger Stupp MD, Derek Wainwright PhD
- Project: An Age Specific Biomarker in newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients treated with radiation, nivolumab and BMS-986205
- Inclusive of Loyola University Medical Center and Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital
- The progress of this research was presented (platform presentation) at the 2021 Society of Neuro-Oncology’s (SNO) 26th Annual Meeting of Education in Boston, MA Manuscript is in preparation
2020- $160,000 granted to University of Chicago
- Principal Investigator: Bakhtiar Yamini MD Professor of Surgery
- Project: Continuation of A Phase 1 Clinical Trial of Tolerability of Acetazolamide with Temozolomide in newly diagnosed MGMT Promoter-Methylated Malignant Glioma
2019-$170,000 granted to Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
- Principal Investigators: Derek Wainwright PhD, Rimas Lukas MD
- Project: Relationship between Psychological Distress and the Efficacy of Immunotherapy in Patients with Glioblastoma (GBM)
- This research was completed and published in December 2020 in Brain Behavior Immunity-Health Medicine
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- Additional Manuscript is in preparation
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2018-$50,000 granted to RUSH University Medical Center
- Principal Investigators: Clement Pillainayagam MD and Jooyeon Nam MD
- Project: The RUSH Adolescent and Young Adult Brain Tumor Clinic to support 1) Clinical research Assistance Fund 2) Social work support for the Adolescent and Young Adult and; 3) Bridge Funding for medication
2018-$175,000 granted to University of Chicago
- Principal Investigator: Bakhtiar Yamini MD Professor of Surgery
- Project Title: A Phase 1 Clinical Trial of Tolerability of Acetazolamide with Temozolomide in newly diagnosed MGMT Promoter-Methylated Malignant Glioma
- this is a multi-institutional trial including Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, NorthShore Hospital, and the University Illinois Chicago The progress of this research was presented (poster presentation) at the 2021 Society of Neuro-Oncology’s (SNO) 26th Annual Meeting of Education in Boston, MA
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- Manuscript is in preparation
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2017-$2000 granted to Lurie’s Children Hospital
- Principal Investigator: Simone Treiger Sredni MD PhD
- Project: Finding new treatments for atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors (AT/RT) and exploring the phenomenon of spontaneous tumor involution in pediatric LowGrade Gliomas(LGG)
BrainUp donations made to American Brain Tumor Association
Donations to the American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA) for the recipients of the
“Jack and Fay Medical Student Summer Fellowship”
Which provides a mentor-guided summer research experience, intended to motivate talented medical students to pursue a career in neuro-oncology research
2021-$3000 Awardee: Nicholas Cho, University of California Los Angeles
Project: Metabolic changes in Human IDH Mutant Gliomas after IDH Inhibition using MRI
2022-$3000
Awardee: Shreya Budhiraja, Northwestern University
Project: Elucidating the Role of R-Loops as Modulators of Glioblastoma Aggression
2023-$3000
Awardee: Jenna Koenig of Indiana University
Project: Targeting Temozolmide Resistance in GBM via AKT and MDM2 Inhibition
BrainUp Other Donations
2020 Covid Patient Assistance-$2000 to assist in paying for patient transportation for hospital visits to continue treatment during the Covid pandemic as needed.
$1000-Northwesten Memorial Hospital
$1000-RUSH University Medical Center
