Scientists, academics, researchers, businesspeople and media personalities met last Wednesday (10/04) at the Brazilian embassy in Washington at the invitation of Ambassador Maria Luíza Ribeiro Viotti with a common goal: to strengthen the fight to cure childhood cancer. The mission is led by philanthropist Fernando Goldsztein, from Rio Grande do Sul, who has become one of the world’s leading figures in the battle against medulloblastoma, the most common brain cancer among children. Considered a historic milestone for the cause, the meeting was highlighted in the American press.
The meeting at the embassy focused on the Medulloblastoma Initiative (MBI), a project created by the businessman in 2021 to raise funds to finance research for innovative treatments for the disease. Goldsztein’s dream began when his son Frederico was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Today, MBI has 13 laboratories in the United States, Canada and Germany, with a dream team made up of some of the most renowned scientists and oncologists in the world, 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).





Wednesday’s event was hosted by Fox News journalist Bret Baier. Baier, who moderated the panel discussion, is the anchor and executive editor of “Special Report,” considered one of the top five news programs in the United States and the absolute leader in audience ratings during its time slot.
Also present at the Brazilian embassy were representatives from Children’s National Hospital, one of the most renowned pediatric centers in the world and a partner of MBI in the project to cure medulloblastoma. One of the speakers was Roger J. Packer, one of the world’s leading experts in pediatric brain tumors. Packer heads the Cure Group 4 Consortium, created to centralize research development and clinical trials of new therapies and accelerate 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.