As the Washington University Neurofibromatosis (NF) Center enters its third decade of facilitating collaborations between clinicians and scientists, we celebrate the accomplishments of our members and the progress made towards personalizing our medical management of individuals living with NF. Over the past year, we have witnessed continued expansion of both our clinical and research programs, […]
In collaboration with Dr. Michelle Monje at Stanford University, a team of researchers in the Washington University NF Center (Drs. Gutmann and Pan) recently published in Nature Neuroscience. This work sought to understand how NF1 mutations affect oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs). OPCs are actively dividing cells in the brain that give rise to oligodendrocytes, which provide […]
The Banbury Center at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory hosted a focused meeting on Cognition and Behavior in NF1 on October 20-23, 2024. Sponsored by Penny’ FlightTM, the goal of this meeting was to identify gaps in our understanding of these common problems in NF1 and to chart a course forward. Leveraging expertise from laboratory scientists […]
The Center of Regenerative Medicine (CRM) Distinguished Postdoctoral Scholars Program aims to train researchers to make significant contributions in the field of regenerative medicine through an interdisciplinary approach. Fellows are paired with a CRM faculty mentor to conduct research on projects aligned with key areas such as cell fate engineering and regenerative therapeutics. This one-year […]
The NF Center celebrates Dru Jenkins on being named Research Staff Employee of the Quarter for the first quarter of FY25! Dru is an absolutely wonderful employee. She is always ready to help with a smile and without her, the Gutmann Lab would NOT function. Her selflessness, organizational skills, and ability to care for others, […]
Dr. Yunshuo “Caroline” Tang, MD, PhD, (Assistant Professor, Washington University) was recently awarded a five-year grant from the National Institute of Health to study the extrinsic and intrinsic mechanisms of vision loss in a mouse model of Nf1-associated optic pathway glioma (Nf1-OPG). Dr. Tang will study how extrinsic inflammatory insults and intrinsic abnormalities in cyclic AMP […]
Dr. Sheel Pathak MD, was recently promoted to the rank of Associate Professor in the Department of Neurology. This is a major milestone in the career of a clinical faculty member at Washington University, signifying excellence in patient care, resident and student education. Dr. Pathak provides general neurologic care for patients with a variety of […]
Children with NF1 are at risk for developing brain tumors in the optic pathway (optic pathway gliomas, OPGs), which can cause vision loss and endocrine problems. However, it is currently unclear which children with NF1 will develop these tumors, or how severe their disease will become. Using mouse models of NF1, the Brossier Lab recently identified […]
Letter Summary from Children’s Tumor Foundation Driven by the NF patient community, Children’s Tumor Foundation (CTF), with guidance from its Clinical Care Advisory Board (CCAB), developed a Designation System to assist families in identifying potential clinics that might meet specific patient needs. Based on other rare disease clinic designation models, CTF and the CCAB established […]
Lori Forster graduated from Georgia State University in 2022 with a PhD in Neuroscience. Her PhD thesis was on regulation of the hyperpolarization activated cyclic nucleotide gated ion channel 2 (HCN2) by post-translational modification, SUMO, in inflammatory pain. She recently joined the Gutmann laboratory as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate, where she will focus on defining […]
On Saturday July 20th, the Washington University NF Center hosted its 2nd Annual NF Family Day for our patients and their families. Held at Grants Farm in St. Louis, MO, participants had the opportunity to learn about IEPs, transition to adulthood, and educational apps from a licensed Occupational Therapist. As an added bonus, they also […]
Dr. Yunshuo “Caroline” Tang, MD, PhD, was recently promoted to the rank of Assistant Professor in the Departments of Neurology and Ophthalmology. This is a major milestone in the career of a faculty member at Washington University, signifying excellence in research and outstanding clinical contributions. Dr. Tang is an emerging leader in the investigation of […]
Susan E. Maloney, Director of the IDDRC Animal Behavior Subunit, was recently promoted to the rank of Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry. This is a major milestone in the career of a faculty member at Washington University, signifying excellence in research, recognition at a national level, and outstanding administrative and educational contributions to […]
David H. Gutmann, MD, PhD, Director of the Washington University NF Center, was bestowed with the 2024 Mentor of the Year Award from the Institute for Informatics, Data Science and Bioinformatics (I2DB). Dr. Gutmann has been faculty of the Master’s Program in Bioinformatics and Informatic Sciences since its inception, and has mentored over ten graduate […]
Vaishali Mulchandani graduated from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata (IISER-Kolkata) in 2023 with a PhD in Biological Sciences. Her PhD thesis was focused on understanding the importance of Connexin 43 (Cx43) trafficking and enhanced gap junctional intercellular communication formation in ovarian cancer development and metastasis. She has recently joined the Gutmann […]
Angela C. Hirbe, the Director of the Adult NF Clinical Program, was recently promoted to the rank of Associate Professor with tenure in the Division of Medical Oncology. This is a major milestone in the career of a faculty member at Washington University, signifying excellence in research, recognition at a national level, and outstanding clinical […]
In this American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Daily News article, Dr. Angela Hirbe and her colleagues discuss the current data for using liquid biopsies (blood test) to attempt to diagnose cancer early. Their team is working hard to make this a reality for NF1 patients! You can read the full article here.
Study lays groundwork for clinical trial aimed at preventing brain tumors in children with NF1. A drug used to treat children with epilepsy prevents brain tumor formation and growth in two mouse models of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), according to a study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. NF1 is […]
Hannah Wang, an undergraduate student in Dr. David Gutmann’s laboratory, was recently awarded an Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) Pediatric Oncology Student Training (POST) summer research internship. The program was founded with the mission to change the lives of children with cancer through funding impactful research, raising awareness, supporting families, and empowering everyone to help […]
Low-grade gliomas (LGGs) are common brain tumors arising in children with the Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) cancer predisposition syndrome. Unfortunately, the tumor cells from these brain cancers often die when grown in the laboratory under standard conditions. To more accurately model human LGGs from children with NF1, Washington University Assistant Professor, Dr. Corina Anastasaki, developed […]