The ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation, together with its committed Family and Research Partners, is proud to announce its largest research investment to date — $5.4 million in funding for 11 new DIPG/DMG projects over the next three years. This record-breaking commitment comes in response to an unprecedented surge in high-quality grant applications. As more world-class scientists turn their focus to this devastating childhood disease, the need for increased support has never been more urgent. Families are counting on us to keep the momentum going — and it’s only possible with the continued generosity of donors like you. Every dollar brings us one step closer to the breakthroughs these children so desperately need.
To date, the foundation’s grant program has committed over $40 million to 100 researchers across 48 institutions worldwide — making ChadTough Defeat DIPG one of the leading forces in DIPG and DMG research funding.
The newly awarded grants include:
- Five Game-Changer Grants ($600,000 each over three years)
- Six New Investigator Grants ($400,000 each over three years)
These grants are multi-year awards, enabling researchers to focus more time in the lab and less time applying for annual funding.
Game-Changer Grants support bold, hypothesis-driven projects that address major challenges in DIPG/DMG research.
- Krishna Bhat, Mayo Clinic Arizona
- Matt Dun, University of Newcastle (co-funded by Magic for Maddie)
- Masakazu Kamata, University of Alabama Birmingham
- Chau Lu, Columbia University
- James Rutka, Hospital for Sick Children
New Investigator Grants fund early-career researchers launching DIPG/DMG-focused labs, or established scientists entering the field from other specialties — broadening the research base with new talent and perspectives.
- Sarah Brüning, University of Bern
- Emmy Dolman, University of New South Wales
- Yang Li, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis (co-funded by Taylor Anne Foundation)
- Ernest Moles, University of New South Wales (co-funded by Neev Kolte & Brave Ronil Foundation and RUN DIPG)
- Rebecca Ronsley, Seattle Children’s Hospital (co-funded by Lace ’em Up for Libby)
- Leo Wang, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope (co-funded by Elle’s Angels and Mark Massey Legacy Foundation)
The newly funded studies explore cutting-edge approaches including immunotherapy, nanomedicine, personalized radiation, and CAR-T cell therapy — each with the potential to transform outcomes for children battling the deadliest form of childhood brain cancer.
Applications are reviewed by the foundation’s Scientific Advisory Council, a panel of internationally recognized leaders in childhood brain cancer research. This rigorous process ensures that ChadTough Defeat DIPG funds the most promising, high-impact projects in the field.
The foundation’s ability to make such significant investments is driven by its unique collaborative model. Founded by the families of Chad Carr and Michael Mosier, ChadTough Defeat DIPG works in partnership with 45 Family Partners and 25 Research Partners — all united by personal connections to childhood brain cancer. By joining forces, these families have built a powerful, mission-driven movement to change the future for children diagnosed with DIPG.
Click here to learn more about the newly funded projects and how they’re moving the needle in DIPG/DMG research.
