Ben Stelter’s legacy continues to revolutionize research
May is Brain Tumour Awareness month, and we want to highlight the continued work of Women and Children’s Health Research Institute (WCHRI) researcher, Dr. Liana Nobre.
In partnership with the Ben Stelter Foundation and the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation, Dr. Nobre’s lab was established in 2023 with the goal of advancing pediatric oncology research. Through the collection of liquid biopsies from young patients with brain tumours, Dr. Nobre and her team are working towards better treatments and outcomes for kids facing a cancer diagnosis.
It’s less invasive to collect a liquid biopsy using a lumbar puncture rather than performing surgery. While this option is available for many adults facing cancer, there is a lack of testing available specifically for kids. That’s where Dr. Nobre’s research comes in. Along with her dedicated team of researchers, they have been working towards discovering a ground-breaking way to change this for generations of kids to come.
With the knowledge they’ve gained over the past year, the goal for the next year is to move this research to a clinical application. Through the collection of pediatric liquid biopsy samples, they can extract molecules to learn more about the cancer and use this information for:
- Choosing the right treatment plan
- Monitoring how the treatment plan is working
- Studying the tumours genetic details
- Tracking how the tumour changes over time
- Finding if there is any cancer remaining after treatment
- Early diagnosis, treatment and predicting how the cancer may progress
With the support of the Ben Stelter Foundation and WCHRI, Dr. Nobre and her team are working towards revolutionizing pediatric cancer care through liquid biopsies. Transitioning this ground-breaking research into a clinical setting will provide better, less invasive care for kids with a cancer diagnosis.
The Women and Children’s Health Research Institute (WCHRI) supports research excellence dedicated to improving the health and lives of women and children, made possible with funding from the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation.
