We are overjoyed to congratulate Dr. Brigitte Widemann, the Foundation’s 2016 Children’s Medical Humanitarian Award recipient, on her well-deserved promotion to Chief, Pediatric Oncology Branch at the National Cancer Institute’s Center for Cancer Research. In her new role, Dr. Widemann will lead a team dedicated to improving outcomes for children and young adults with cancer and genetic tumor predisposition syndromes. This includes conducting translational research that spans basic science to clinical trials.
“This is an incredible achievement, and a testament to Dr. Widemann’s exceptional career as an oncologist and researcher striving towards the drug discovery and development of treatments for cancer and NF1,” said Annette Bakker, PhD, President and Chief Scientific Officer of the Children’s Tumor Foundation. “We’re proud of the work we’ve done with Dr. Widemann and look forward to many more successful engagements in the coming years as we all work toward our shared goal of finding treatments and a cure for NF.”
This past fall, the Children’s Tumor Foundation presented Dr. Widemann with the Children’s Humanitarian Award at its annual New York Gala. This award, the Foundation’s highest honor, acknowledges individuals who demonstrate a commitment to positively impacting the lives of those who live with NF, and who share the Foundation’s mission of driving research, expanding knowledge, and advancing care for the NF community.
A recent highlight of the longstanding partnership between the Children’s Tumor Foundation and Dr. Widemann is illustrated in a promising MEK inhibitor trial, of which she is principal investigator, and in which more than half the participants have seen a decrease in the volume of their tumors. The Children’s Tumor Foundation was a key funder of the work leading to the trial, through its NF Preclinical Consortium.
Today, the MEK Inhibitor study continues to give NF1 patients tremendous hope in the development of effective medical therapies for NF1-related plexiform neurofibromas. To learn more about the impact of Dr. Widemann and her team’s work on one of the study participants, please visit ctf.org/believe.
