Innovation Award for Department of Pathology Pediatric Leukemia Research

Assistant Professor of Pathology Iannis Aifantis, Ph.D., has been selected as a recipient of the "Innovation Award" by the Alex's Lemon Stand Foundation to study Central Nervous System involvement in pediatric leukemia. ALSF emerged from the front yard lemonade stand of cancer patient Alexandra Scott (1996-2004), who, at the age of 4, announced that she wanted to hold a lemonade stand to raise money to help find a cure for all children with cancer. Since then, the charity established in her memory has raised more than $19 million and has awarded over 80 research grants. The proposal of Aifantis and his lab to investigate the molecular regulation of CNS involvement in pediatric ALL was accepted by the ALS Foundation's scientific review board, whose goal is to support the staff at leading research and treatment facilities nationwide. Innovation Awards are intended to provide investigators with critical and significant seed funding for novel and promising approaches in finding new cures and treatments for childhood cancer.