A National Leader in Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Joins the Fight Against Brain Tumors
The IronMatt Board of Directors is thrilled to welcome Dr. Nicholas Vitanza of Seattle Children’s Hospital as the newest addition to our Medical Advisory Committee.
Dr. Vitanza is a renowned physician-scientist specializing in pediatric neuro-oncology. His groundbreaking work in the treatment of high-grade central nervous system (CNS) tumors, such as diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) and diffuse midline glioma (DMG), brings tremendous value to our mission of funding research that leads to better outcomes—and ultimately, a cure—for children facing brain tumors.
A 2022 IronMatt Grant Award Winner, Dr. Vitanza currently serves as the Scientific Director of the Brain Tumor Research Program and CNS CAR T Cell Lead at Seattle Children’s. He has overseen multiple intracranially dosed CNS CAR T cell trials, including the BrainChild-01 through BrainChild-04 series, enrolling more than 150 patients and delivering over 800 intracranial CAR T cell doses. His NIH-funded lab has contributed widely recognized research to publications such as Cancer Cell, Neuro-Oncology, Cancer Discovery, and Nature Medicine.
In addition to his clinical leadership, Dr. Vitanza is deeply committed to collaborative science. He has served as an advocate for multi-institutional research, including participation in international working groups and the White House Summit on DIPG.
The IronMatt Medical Advisory Committee plays a vital role in evaluating and encouraging the innovative research projects we fund. Since our founding in 2007, IronMatt has awarded over $8 million in grants, supporting more than 100 research projects across 40+ leading institutions and labs. Our committee members help ensure that donor dollars fund the most promising work in the field.
We’re thrilled to welcome Dr. Vitanza to this outstanding group of experts and grateful for his commitment to advancing hope, healing, and health for children with brain tumors.
💙 Learn more about all of our Medical Advisory Committee members and the life-changing research they help support: ironmatt.org/mac