Inherited Factors That Predispose to Brain Cancer – Dr. Daniel Schramek, Principal Investigator, Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute in Toronto, ON

2021 Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada’s Research Grant Recipient

“Funding from Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada will allow us to take the next step in elucidating which mutations trigger the progression of relatively begin Low Grade Glioma (LGG) to very aggressive and often deadly glioblastoma (GB). As scientist but also as close relative of a LGG patient, I am very grateful to the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada and the many donors who make this research possible.”

Dr. Schramek will share an update with us on his research. Low-grade glioma (LGG) are brain tumours that at first are relatively “benign” (low-grade brain tumour and not harmful) and tend to grow unrecognized over years and sometimes decades to a size that causes headaches and seizures. Unfortunately, almost all low-grade gliomas eventually progress to secondary high-grade glioblastoma and patients succumb their disease within a few months. Dr. Schramek will share his research on this topic

Personal Story of Hope – Jen Byvelds

Jen started experiencing visual changes along with headaches and migraines with visual auras while she was pregnant with her second child. Jen thought it was stress from being a new mom. Along with this, her mom had just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Jen and her family moved to be closer to her and switched jobs but lost her mother two-weeks after they moved. Jen had a 3 and a 11-year-old at the time. After many different doctor and specialist appointments, Jen found out she had three brain tumours and since her diagnosed has lost all vision in her right eye.