October 05, 2009

Local grant is part of more than $11.5 million awarded for pediatric oncology research

New York, NY (September 30, 2009) - St. Baldrick's Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising money for childhood cancer research, awarded a total of $174,523 for a 2- year Pediatric Oncology Fellowship to Laura Hogan, MD at The Stephen D. Hassenfeld Children's Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at the NYU Cancer Institute at NYU Langone Medical Center. St. Baldrick's began as a challenge between friends, and has exploded into the world's largest volunteer-driven fundraising program for childhood cancer research. Worldwide, 160,000 children are diagnosed with cancer each year and in the United States, cancer is the leading cause of death by disease among children.
The St. Baldrick's Foundation coordinates worldwide head-shaving events, with volunteer "shavees" raising money to support childhood cancer research. Since 2000, head-shavings have taken place in 24 countries and 50 U.S. states, raising more than $66 million, and shaving more than 100,000 heads.

Dr. Laura Hogan is one of 22 doctors currently receiving funding as a St. Baldrick's Fellow. Overseeing her fellowship is mentor, Dr. William L. Carroll, the Julie and Edward J. Minskoff Professor of Pediatrics and director of the NYU Cancer Institute. All funding applications were evaluated by the foundation's Scientific Advisory Committee and other expert reviewers, who made funding recommendations to the St. Baldrick's Foundation's Board of Directors. Pediatric oncology fellowships last for three years. The first year is spent mostly in the clinic, and the next two years - those funded by the St. Baldrick's Foundation - are spent doing research under an expert mentor.

Dr. Hogan's Fellowship research project is entitled, "Biologic Mechanisms Involved in Relapsed Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia." Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common pediatric cancer, and relapsed ALL is the most common cause of death in children with cancer. The goal of Dr. Hogan's research is to use technical breakthroughs in human genomics to discover the underlying biological pathways involved in relapse.

"With this gift, the St. Baldrick's Foundation is voicing its confidence in the talents of Dr. Hogan whose research project is helping to lead the frontier of medical research for the treatment of childhood cancers and blood diseases," says Dr. Carroll. "We congratulate Dr. Hogan for this tremendous honor and look forward to her continued work on preventing and treating cancer."

About The Hassenfeld Center
Since its inception in 1990, the Stephen D. Hassenfeld Children's Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at NYU Langone Medical Center has established itself as a national leader in outpatient treatment of childhood cancers and blood diseases. The Center is named in memory of Stephen D. Hassenfeld, the former chairman of Hasbro, Inc. and founder of the Hasbro Children's Foundation. For more information about the Center, visit www.hassenfeldcenter.org.

About The St. Baldrick's Foundation
The St. Baldrick's Foundation makes grants to research institutions to find new cures for childhood cancer, and to find treatments to ensure a better quality of life for patients and survivors. The foundation funds research projects conducted by established pediatric cancer experts, as well as younger professionals who will be the experts of tomorrow. Funds also enable hundreds of local institutions to participate in national pediatric cancer clinical trials, offering the best available care for every child. The St. Baldrick's Foundation is grateful to its many volunteers (bald or not!) and donors, including Allied World, elope and PartnerRe. For more information about St. Baldrick's, please call 1-888-899-BALD or visit www.StBaldricks.org.