By: Erin Weller
Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) has always believed investing in futures – whether that means helping kids get the treatment they need or funding researchers to keep expanding the field of pediatric cancer research. The Pediatric Oncology Student Training (POST) Program was designed for undergraduate, graduate, and medical students to experience the field firsthand under the guidance of an experienced research mentor.
POST grantees from across the country conduct original research alongside their mentors at several accredited institutions. In 2024, 47 students were awarded POST grants, including Chase Sloan.
Ever since losing a grandmother figure to metastatic breast cancer, Chase knew he wanted to go into the medical field, particularly, oncology. He was inspired by the rapid rate of new therapy development in recent years and, still, the wealth of information that has yet to be discovered.
“It’s no secret that cancer devastates people, and in the case of pediatric cancer, it devastates entire families. There’s so much left to discover, to do for patients, and that work needs to be done. So, why shouldn’t I take part?” said Chase.
Today, Chase is working alongside his mentor, Dr. Kristopher Bosse, at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to research neuroblastoma – a type of solid tumor cancer that originates in the adrenal glands or nerve tissue. This goal is to find new targets in neuroblastoma tumors that might be susceptible to CAR T cell immunotherapy, a treatment that uses genetically altered immune cells. Dr. Bosse’s lab focuses on identifying new targets for CAR T therapy, engineering the immune cells, and finding better ways to deliver immune cells to tumor sites.
“I’m honored to take part in work with the potential to save lives, and this feeling has only been amplified by time I’ve spent shadowing my Principal Investigator, Dr. Kristopher Bosse, and seeing the patients he serves and compassion with which he does so,” said Chase.
Dozens of students like Chase are stepping into the lab for the first time to conduct research that will hopefully impact real kids with cancer one day. Here’s a list of the many inspiring young minds who are using their research to take a stand for kids with cancer this summer with the help of the POST program.
Emily Alchaer, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Annie Aspesi, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Arnav Barpujari, University of Florida
Shanthi Bhaskar, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Nicolas Edgar, University of Utah
Madelyn Flickinger, Georgetown University
Nidhi Ganta, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Emma Gombos, University of Pennsylvania
Nerea Goni, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Maanasi Gothoskar, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Olivia Hart, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Abby Hodus, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Reid Joseph, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Ellie Kim, Broad Institute
Amalya Knapp, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Tanaya Kulkarni, Rutgers University
Toni Lieberman, Baylor College of Medicine
Kacie Lui, University of California San Francisco
Sunwoo Lee, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Josie Majowka, University of Chicago
Reba Manicheril, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Yusef Mathkour, University of California, Los Angeles
Kianna McEwen, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Rishika Mehta, University of California, San Francisco
Madeline Miclea, University of Michigan
Megan Noh, Emory University
Ilyas Oultache, Massachusetts General Hospital
Ashley Paik, Loma Linda University
Alison Park, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Rahi Patel, University of Utah
Travis Reese, Emory University
Haydee Rochits Cueto, Baylor College of Medicine
Phoebe Rubin, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Rohith Ryali, Boston University
Paul Saah, Emory University Jakob Schulman, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Soha Sewani, Emory University
Sana Sharba, University of Michigan
Chase Sloan, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Alexandra Sobocinski, New York Medical College
Sadvi Sreeram, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Abigail Stellrecht, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Ellie Tiliakou, BC Cancer (Provincial Health Services Authority)
Caleb Unterlack, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Hannah Wang, Washington University
Alyssa Wu, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Karen Yamada, University of California, San Francisco
ALSF has funded more than 400 students since launching the POST grant category in 2011. Among that first-funded class is Dr. Yang Ding. Mentored by Dr. Kai Tan and Dr. Sarah Tasian, both ALSF-funded researchers from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Dr. Ding used her time as a POST grantee to study the cardiac side effects of chemotherapy on children with leukemia. In 2020, she received a Young Investigator Grant from ALSF, and continued her study of less-toxic treatments for leukemia.
