Scientists, academics, researchers, entrepreneurs, and media personalities gathered last Wednesday (May 10th) at the Brazilian Embassy in Washington, D.C., at the invitation of Ambassador Maria Luíza Ribeiro Viotti with a common goal: to intensify the fight against pediatric cancer. The mission is led by philanthropist Fernando Goldsztein from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, who is becoming one of the biggest references globally in the battle against medulloblastoma, the most common pediatric brain cancer. Considered a historic milestone for the cause, the meeting caught the attention of the American press.
The meeting focused on The Medulloblastoma Initiative (MBI), a project created by Goldsztein in 2021 to raise funds for financing research for innovative treatments for medulloblastoma. His dream began when his son Frederico was diagnosed with the disease. Today, the MBI supports 13 laboratories in the US, Canada, and Germany, where a dream team composed of some of the world’s most renowned scientists and oncologists are working, such as Eugene Hwang (Children’s National Hospital), Robert Wechsler (Columbia University), Duane Mitchell (University of Florida), Michael Taylor (Texas Children’s Hospital), Vijay Ramaswamy (SickKids), Sheila Singh (McMaster University), Tobey MacDonald (Emory University School of Medicine), and Lena M. Kutscher (Heidelberg University).
The event on Wednesday was also attended by journalist Bret Baier, from Fox News. Baier, who moderated the panel discussion, is the anchor and executive editor of “Special Report,” one of the top five news programs in the US and the number one news broadcast in its time slot.
Also present at the Brazilian Embassy were representatives from the Children's National Hospital, one of the most prestigious pediatric centers in the world and an MBI partner in the search for a cure for medulloblastoma. Among them was Roger J. Packer, one of the leading experts in pediatric brain tumors in the world. Dr. Packer leads the Cure Group 4 Consortium, created to centralize research development and clinical trials of new therapies and expedite the search for a cure. CEO Michelle Riley-Brown also participated in the panel, accompanied by DeAnn Aston Marshall, president of the Children's National Hospital Foundation, and Kathie Williams, a member of the Executive Board.
