Pediatric Neuro-oncology Laboratories (Children's Brain Tumor Project)


Dr. Jeffrey Greenfield and Dr. Mark Souweidane

The pediatric neuro-oncology research laboratories are under the direction of Dr. Mark Souweidane, who is currently investigating interstitial infusion for pediatric brain tumors, and Dr. Jeffrey Greenfield, who is investigating genomic sequencing and personalized medicine.

About Dr. Souweidane's Lab
Dr. Souweidane's laboratory

includes a team of technicians, fellows, and medical students to move the research forward.

About Interstitial Infusion
A major limitation in treating pediatric brain tumors has been the ability to achieve adequate levels of a therapeutic agent within the tumor, due to the presence of the blood brain barrier (BBB). A major advance in the field of neuro-oncology has been the introduction of local delivery schemes, which administer therapeutic molecules directly into the tumor. Interstitial infusion, also called convection-enhanced delivery (CED), is a local delivery system that has been investigated in Dr. Mark Souweidane's laboratory as a potential form of therapy for children with inoperable brain tumors.

Weill Cornell Medicine Neurosurgery's Pediatric Oncology lab is also a member of the Children's Oncology Group and is participating in a worldwide protocol to collect, bank, and study brain tumor tissue and blood samples from children and adolescents. 

About Dr. Greenfield's Lab
Dr. Greenfield's laboratory team

also includes technicians, fellows, and medical students.

About Personalized Medicine
There are many different types of pediatric brain tumors, and many variations even among a single type. The fast-changing field of genomics holds the potential for "personalized medicine," in which a treatment will be tailored precisely for the individual patient and the tumor type. Dr. Greenfield's team focuses on how to use genomic sequencing to identify the best therapeutic agent for inoperable pediatric brain tumors.

How We Work Together
With the best medicine to attack a tumor, and the most efficient methods of delivering that medicine directly to the tumor site, we hope to create new models for targeting and destroying tumors we cannot reach surgically. Find out more about the Children's Brain Tumor Project.

Dr. Souweidane and Dr. Greenfield rely on the generosity of supporters to fund their research laboratories. Find out how to make a donation to further research.

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