Reading on a device can be much more appealing to some students. It can engage them and motivate them in ways that traditional books do not. In addition, it can provide accessibility features that promote comprehension, processing and independence. Book Creator is an app that allows you to create a variety of robust reading materials. […]
Author: annawilson
Genetic Cause for Neurofibromas Discovered
While virtually all adults with Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) develop benign tumors associated with nerves, called neurofibromas, these tumors can also arise in people without NF1 (termed sporadic neurofibromas). In individuals with NF1, neurofibromas are caused by mutations in the NF1 gene; however, the genetic cause for sporadic tumors was previously unknown. Corina Anastasaki, PhD, […]
NF Center Faculty Awarded Prestigious Francis S. Collins Scholars Award
Angela C. Hirbe, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Division of Medical Oncology at Washington University, was recently selected as a 2017 recipient of the Francis S. Collins Scholars Award in Neurofibromatosis Clinical and Translational Research. The Francis S. Collins Scholars Program in Neurofibromatosis Clinical and Translational Research was established to build a community of […]
SLCH Radio Rounds Podcast with Dr. David Gutmann
This article was originally published on the SLCH Radio Rounds website in June 2017. The Neurofibromatosis Comprehensive Care Team at St. Louis Children’s Hospital provides detailed patient assessments and works with referring physicians, allied health professionals and agencies to deliver state-of-the-art medical services both locally and nationally. Neurofibromatosis affects different people in different ways. As […]
New Treatment for NF1 Malignant Cancer
Young adults with Neurofibromatosis type I (NF1) are at risk for developing a rare type of sarcoma called a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST). These deadly cancers can be exceedingly difficult to treat, and the only known curative therapy requires complete resection of the tumor. Since many of these cancers cannot be completely removed, […]
Gutmann Awarded International Fellowships
David H. Gutmann, MD, PhD, has been awarded the Alexander von Humboldt Professorship, Germany’s highest academic award for researchers outside the country, and has been named an Einstein Visiting Fellow by the Berlin Institute of Health. Dr. Gutmann will be working with the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, co-leading a team to investigate the relationship between a type of brain cell, known as microglia, and neurological diseases, including brain tumors and autism.
Fourth International NF1 Autism Workshop Held in Washington DC
Children with Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) have a higher risk of developing autism spectrum disorder than their unaffected peers. Based on these clinical observations, an international consortium was established in 2015. This International NF1 Autism Consortium Team (INFACT) worked together over the ensuing years to leverage the collective experience of six major medical centers with […]
Patient Spotlight: Trevor Vail
My little brother Trevor is 13 and has NF1. In fact, so does his dad, Kenny and other members of the family. No one in the family had any idea that they had NF1 until one day when Trevor was around two years old, my mom, Kenny, and Trevor were at a restaurant. A lady […]
NF Center Trainee Publishes World’s Largest Study on Brainstem Tumors in Neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1)
Children with NF1 are at risk for developing brain tumors, which most commonly are located within the optic pathway, the nerves that carry vision from the eye to the brain. In addition, these kids are also prone to develop brain tumors involving another region of the brain, called the brainstem. The brainstem connects the brain […]
Nicole’s Nook: ModMath Upgrade Highlights
In this month’s Nicole’s Nook blog, Nicole Weckherlin, OTR/L reviews a previously recommended app that makes completing math worksheets on the iPad easier. Doing math on the iPad is a common challenge for children, and this app allows children to plot out their work in a much more legible and visual platform. New upgrades provide additional features, such as importing worksheets and adding notes to math homework.
Corina Anastasaki, PhD Promoted to Senior Research Scientist
Corina Anastasaki, PhD has recently been promoted to the role of Senior Research Scientist in the Gutmann laboratory. Dr. Anastasaki completed her undergraduate Honours studies in Genetics at the University of York and her Masters of Science training at Edinburgh University. For her PhD, she worked in the laboratory of Dr. E. Elizabeth Patton, where […]
NF Center 2017, Volume 1 Newsletter Published
The 2017 Volume 1 NF Center newsletter has been released. Read about new research on potential MPNST treatments, the NF Center booth at the St. Louis Science Center: SCIFEST Event, and upcoming Club NF Events.
$3.5 Million Funds Study Aimed at Applying Precision Medicine to Rare Tumor Disorder
This article, written by Tamara Bhandari, originally appeared in the Washington University School of Medicine News Hub on April 13, 2017. An international leader in neurofibromatosis research has received a $3.5 million grant to study why people with the same genetic mutation – in this case, a mutation that causes the genetic disorder known as […]
NF Center Researchers Identify a New Growth Regulatory Circuit Critical for Malignant Glioma Survival
Glioblastoma (GBM) are the most malignant brain tumor in adults, with over 13,000 people in the United States dying from these cancers each year. GBM tumors are genetically different from each other, and one class of these tumors is characterized by neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) mutation or loss of NF1 gene expression (“mesenchymal GBM” tumors). […]
Patient Spotlight: Miranda Ehrstein
Miranda Ehrstein was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) when she was just 18 months old. Now she is an outgoing and enthusiastic 12 year old girl, who loves stuffed animals, Science and swimming, and is determined to never let her NF1 hold her back. Read about Miranda’s journey with NF1, through the eyes of her loving family.
SLCH Radio Rounds Podcast with Dr. Stephanie Morris
St. Louis Children’s Hospital weekly podcast, Radio Rounds, is a free series for healthcare professionals featuring Washington University pediatric specialists. Each 10-minute podcast focuses on topics relevant to pediatricians and health care providers caring for children. Listen as Stephanie Morris, MD, NF Center clinician and researcher, explains that while there is no cure for NF1, research throughout […]
Michelle Wegscheid, MD/PhD trainee, Joins the Gutmann Laboratory
Michelle Wegscheid is an MD/PhD trainee in the Neurosciences Program at Washington University. She graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2013 with a degree in Biochemistry, where she conducted research on the development of botulinum neurotoxin post-exposure therapeutics. After receiving her bachelor’s degree, she spent a year at the University of Chicago […]
Mouse Study Reveals Treatment Window to Stabilize Vision Loss
Researchers at the Washington University Neurofibromatosis (NF) Center used a mouse model of NF1 brain tumors to discover better ways to treat vision loss.
Nicole’s Nook: Read, Markup & Share PDFs with iAnnotate
In this month’s Nicole’s Nook, Nicole Weckherlin, St. Louis Children’s Hospital Occupational Therapist, highlights one of her favorite apps, iAnnotate, for reading, annotating, and sharing PDFs.
NF Center Researchers Discover a New Target for Potential MPNST Treatment
In an effort to discover new genetic mutations in malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs), deadly sarcomas , Dr. Angela Hirbe and her colleagues at the Washington University NF Center employed a sequencing platform currently available to most cancer patients. This screening platform was designed to detect mutations in genes that can be targeted by novel drug compounds.