The past few months have been exceptionally fast paced and productive. We’ve crisscrossed the country meeting with researchers, visiting eleven different biobanks, making new connections, and forging new collaborations. All the while, we’re soaking up the latest information and best practices about biobanking, and getting closer and closer to launching a state-of-the art biobank for chordoma.
Below are some highlights from our travels. At each stop along the way it’s been exciting to meet fellow chordoma patients, as well as many donors and advisers across the country.
2/12 Dana Pointe, CA: Josh forges partnership with DonateGames.org; Chordoma Foundation becomes one of 3 beneficiaries of DonateGames fundraising.
2/16-19 Palo Alto, CA: Josh discusses partnership opportunities with CollabRx, talks science with researchers at Stanford, meets with Genentech Executive, seeks drug-development wisdom from Silicon Valley venture capitalists.
2/18 San Francisco, CA: Josh discusses chordoma tissue collection and research with surgeons and pathologists at UCSF; tours UCSF brain tumor tissue bank
2/23 Pittsburgh, PA: Simone, Josh, and Wayne discuss progress and new collaborations with chordoma researchers at University of Pittsburgh
2/24 Columbus, OH: Simone, Josh, and Wayne visit the Human Tissue Resource Network Biorepository at Ohio State University
2/25 Fredrick MD: Simone, Josh, and Wayne visit SeraCare Life Sciences biobank
2/26 Montgomery County, MD: Simone, Josh, and Wayne visit three more biobanks
3/7-10 Palo Alto, CA: Wayne attends bioethics conference at Stanford University; meets with leading policy makers and academics
3/9-12 Boston, MA: Simone and Josh attend United States Academy of Pathology (USCAP) annual conference, Josh presents research conducted in collaboration with Vanderbilt University at USCAP poster session, Simone and renowned Harvard pathologists, Dr. Andrew Rosenberg, host round-table discussion on chordoma with 20 pathologists from around the world; Simone and Josh meet with leading chordoma researchers and physicians at Massachusetts General Hospital
3/11 Needham, MA: Founders from five proactive rare cancer research organizations meet to share ideas and experiences, and opportunities for joint ventures
3/13 Trenton, NJ: Josh and Simone visit Coriell Medical Research institute biobank
3/13 Philadelphia, PA: Josh and Simone visit National Disease Research Interchange to discuss partnership opportunities for tissue procurement and banking
3/16-18 Bethesda, MD: Josh and Simone attend NCI Biorepository Research Network conference to learn about biobanking best practices; meet with biobanking experts and vendors
3/19 Bethesda, MD: Simone and Josh meet with officials from National Cancer Institute and National Institutes of Health Office of Rare Disease Research to discuss rare cancer tissue banking
3/20 Washington, DC: Josh and Simone meet with Congressman John Conyers, Jr. to advocate for Open Access to taxpayer funded medical research
3/20 Washington, DC: Josh and Simone forge collaboration with Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
4/18-22 Denver, CO: Josh attends American Association of Cancer Research annual conference; meets with Chordoma Foundation grantees and collaborators; recruits new chordoma researchers