The field of neurofibromatosis and schwannomatosis research and clinical care offers a rich tapestry of opportunities and areas of impact for young researchers and clinicians. Please view the video below to hear from an esteemed group of top NF professionals about why you should join the NF Field.
Video Transcript
“If you’re interested in being on the cutting edge of medicine, there’s no question in my mind that the best place you could be is working with NF1 and schwannomatosis.” – Scott Plotkin, MD, PhD, Neuro-Oncologist and Neurologist, Massachusetts General Hospital
“If you’re interested in tumors, you know, come study NF. If you’re interested in skeletal issues, come study NF. If you’re interested in neurodevelopment and cognition and social skills, come study NF. It truly affects all body systems.” – Michael J. Fisher, MD, Pediatric Hematologist Oncologist, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
“Because NF covers everything from oncology, neurology, genetics, ophthalmology, ENT. So it’s really a field that has so many different manifestations that it is an interesting field for people to come into.” – Annette Bakker, PhD, President, Children’s Tumor Foundation; Chair, Children’s Tumor Foundation Europe
“One of the amazing programs that Children’s Tumor Foundation has had for over two decades is their Young Investigator Award program. I was a Young Investigator Awardee, and now I’m in the field. There are many others who have come into the field that way, and the number of young investigators who stay in the field and do great things is amazing.” – Michael J. Fisher, MD, Pediatric Hematologist Oncologist, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
“It’s a very welcoming community with people that are extremely committed to the patients.” – Annette Bakker, PhD, President, Children’s Tumor Foundation; Chair, Children’s Tumor Foundation Europe
“You will get a tremendous amount of support from mid-level and senior level faculty who would be very invested in your career. We’re a very tight-knit group and would love to have more junior people enter the field.” – Scott Plotkin, MD, PhD, Neuro-Oncologist and Neurologist, Massachusetts General Hospital
“The reason that I entered the field is the joy of working with the patients and families and helping to provide holistic care, as one member of an interdisciplinary team in NF.” – Heather Thompson, PhD, CCC-SLP, Speech-Language Pathologist, Department Chair, California State University-Sacramento
“You’ll find a very welcoming community that opens their doors and wants to train you and wants to interact with you and wants to share resources and wants you to be successful.” – Cristina Fernandez-Valle, PhD, Professor, Neuroscience, University of Central Florida
“Whether you’re an advocate or an investigator or a clinician looking for work in a field that’s interesting and rewarding, I think there’s a lot of opportunities.” – Carlos Romo, MD, Physician, Neuro-Oncologist, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
“It’s an extraordinary time to be in this field because we’re in the midst of discovery and we know there’s so much more to learn.” – Christopher Moertel, MD, Pediatric Hematologist and Oncologist, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota
“The synergy that’s happening between the investigative science specific to the neurofibromatoses and the investigative science in genetic medicine and cancer medicine in gene therapies. So there’s a tremendous opportunity to again, take whatever you’re interested in, in any direction and have really rich and meaningful collaborations.” – Jaishri Blakeley, MD, Neurologist, Neuro-Oncologist, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
“The energy, the support, the organizers of the CTF is simply the best.” – Wangcun Jia, PhD, Researcher and Professor, UCI Beckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic
“The great thing that we have going on now is that we have organizations like the Children’s Tumor Foundation and the family of scientists and clinicians they’ve built who all concentrate on making lives better.” – Christopher Moertel, MD, Pediatric Hematologist and Oncologist, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota
“The reason why I want to advertise NF as a career path, there is money, there is mentors, and it’s an extremely interesting topic because it’s complex, so we need courageous clinicians and researchers that are willing to put their teeth into this very difficult problem, but I tell you, rewarding it is.” – Annette Bakker, PhD, President, Children’s Tumor Foundation; Chair, Children’s Tumor Foundation Europe
