Category: Uncategorized

Amanda and Brian Walk hosted their annual NFunFest event this fall to support research at the Washington University NF Center. Despite the challenges of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Walks have continued to be ardent supporters of the work ongoing in the center to understand why specific medical problems arise in children and adults with NF1, as […]

Carter Hoss is a goofy, caring, and fun-loving sixth grader. He has also raised over $1500 to benefit NF Midwest through participation in the organization’s annual Walk 4 NF event. Both aspects of Carter stem from his drive to constantly improve himself and the world around him, always on a mission to help however he […]

Previous studies from the laboratory of NF Center director, David H. Gutmann, MD, PhD, have shown that immune system-like cells, called microglia, are important non-cancerous regulators of NF1 optic glioma formation and growth. Using a combination of RNA sequencing, genetically engineered mouse strains, and human tumor specimens, Amanda de Andrade Costa and colleagues discovered that […]

Light triggers formation, feeds growth of optic nerve tumors Written by Tamara Bhandari • May 26, 2021 Originally published on the Washington University School of Medicine, News Hub website Seeing, hearing, thinking, daydreaming — doing anything at all, in fact — activates neurons in the brain. But for people predisposed to developing brain tumors, the […]

Check out the NF Center 2021, Volume 2 newsletter (pdf) to read about new research on NF1 brain tumors, meet our newest faculty member, and read updates on patient engagement. Additionally, learn about: The second NF Center Trainee to become a Francis S. Collins Scholar Our resident PT, Makenzie Sledd’s latest Blog If you haven’t […]

Each year, the Office of Neuroscience Research awards an O’Leary Prize to a predoctoral or doctoral fellow to acknowledge the most original and important accomplishments in neuroscience research at Washington University School of Medicine. Michelle Wegscheid, an MD/PhD student in the laboratory of Dr. David H. Gutmann, was selected to present her research at the […]

As part of an investigation into share motor impairments across genetic liabilities for intellectual and developmental disorders (IDDs), a research group led by Drs. Susan Maloney and Joseph Dougherty, in collaboration with the Gutmann Lab, recently discovered altered gait development in mice harboring a patient-derived Nf1 gene mutation. This new study conducted a comprehensive analysis of gait […]

Children with NF1 are born with a genetic change, called a mutation, in one of their two NF1 genes. This mutation causes NF1. Work in many groups, including investigators in the Washington University NF Center, have found that the specific NF1 mutation may be one factor that determines the types of medical problems that a […]

At the Washington University NF Center, providing care beyond the walls of the clinic is a high priority. The Covid-19 pandemic presented many obstacles to our essential therapy programs and challenged our team to find creative ways to continue offering them safely. Starting in the Fall of 2020 and continuing through Spring 2021, we pivoted […]

Dress in blue in support of NF Awareness on World NF Awareness Day, May 17th, 2021! May is NF Awareness Month, join the Washington University NF Center in raising awareness and supporting education and research, throughout the Neurofibromatosis community. FACTS ABOUT NEUROFIBROMATOSIS A set of complex genetic disorders that affects almost every organ system NF1 […]

Yunshuo (Caroline) Tang, MD, PhD recently joined the laboratory of David H. Gutmann, MD, PhD, NF Center Director, to investigate vision loss occurring in the setting of NF1 optic gliomas. Dr. Tang completed her MD and PhD degrees at the University of California, San Francisco, working with Drs. Arturo Alvarez-Buylla, Michael Stryker, and John Rubinstein […]

Nicole M. Brossier, MD, PhD was recently awarded a Francis S. Collins Program in Neurofibromatosis Clinical and Translational Research Award. This program is directed by the Neurofibromatosis Therapeutic Acceleration Program at Johns Hopkins University, and is designed to foster the career development of the next generation of leaders in NF. Dr. Brossier is finishing her […]

Dr. Jonathan Tiu received his medical degree from Tulane University in New Orleans and completed his Adult Neurology residency at New York University School of Medicine. Dr. Tiu is interested in how neurologic conditions impact everyday function, and divides his time between Neurofibromatosis, General Neurology and Neurorehabilitation at The Rehabilitation Institute of St. Louis. Dr. […]

It is with a heavy heart that I write these parting words about Jeffrey Hanson. I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to get to know Jeff over these past few years. He was a remarkable young man who channeled the obstacles and challenges he faced with NF1 into amazingly beautiful artwork. He […]

It has been a year like no other. As we all have learned to adjust to life during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have also had to grapple with inherent racial inequities in our country. It is not an understatement to say that these times have served as a flashpoint, prompting deep re-examination, extraordinary accommodations, and […]

At the Washington University NF Center, we believe in the value of extending medical care for our families beyond the walls of the clinic. As such, we have pioneered several successful therapy programs, including Beat NF, Club NF and Teen NF. The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged our team to find creative ways to offer these […]

Jazz St. Louis is pleased to announce that the Beat NF program, a jazz-music motor therapy program, has been awarded an Arts and Healing Initiative Grant from the Arts and Education Council (A&E). This grant is part of a new effort developed with the Missouri Foundation for Health to increase the capacity for the arts […]

Check out the NF Center 2020 Annual Report (pdf) to read a message from the Director, learn more about groundbreaking research in the Gutmann Laboratory, and read about a new therapy treatment for children with NF1. Additionally, learn about: Support beyond the clinic Research grants awarded to the NF Center team If you haven’t already […]

On October 2, 2020, Jazz St. Louis celebrated their 25th Anniversary with a virtual party broadcast live on YouTube. The event featured a preshow performance by JazzU students, performances and birthday messages from jazz artists across the country, and an after party concert with Denise Thimes. The event also included stories from patrons, partners, and […]