Grants Support Innovative, High-Risk Research Aimed at Improving Diagnosis and Treatment of CNS Metastases
CHICAGO, October 15, 2025 — The Metastatic Brain Tumor Collaborative (MBTC), created by the American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA) announced $100,000 in research grants to support innovative projects aimed at improving the diagnosis, treatment, and understanding of central nervous system (CNS) metastases. This represents the first-ever collaborative grant opportunity dedicated to CNS metastasis, made possible through the collective effort of ten leading nonprofit cancer organizations.
CNS metastases are the most common type of brain tumor in adults, occurring when cancers such as breast, lung, melanoma, colorectal, and kidney spread to the brain or spinal cord. Despite affecting more than 200,000 people in the U.S. each year, this patient population remains vastly underrepresented in research and clinical care. Announcing this milestone underscores the urgency of advancing research that benefits patients across cancer types.
The MBTC’s CNS Metastasis Research Grants provide $50,000 for one-year seed funding to high-risk, high-impact projects with the potential to transform how metastatic brain tumors are detected and managed. Each funded project must address CNS metastases arising from at least two distinct primary cancer types, with potential benefit to adult and/or pediatric populations.
The selected teams receiving MBTC grant funding include:
- Investigator: Sherise Ferguson, MD
Institution: The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Project Title: Evaluating the therapeutic efficacy of NK cell immunotherapy for CNS metastasis - Investigator: Alireza Mansouri, MD
Institution: The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
Project Title: Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteomic Signatures of Leptomeningeal Disease
The selected projects reflect a wide range of research focus areas, including: immunotherapy, tumor biology, improving diagnosis, and biomarkers of treatment response. By providing these grants, the MBTC aims to support these researchers to generate foundational data that will support future clinical translation and larger-scale funding.
“Metastatic brain tumors are devastating, and yet, historically overlooked,” said Nicole Willmarth, PhD, Chief Mission Officer of the American Brain Tumor Association. “This groundbreaking collaborative grant program, led by the ABTA and made possible through the collective effort of cancer organizations across multiple disease areas, is a turning point for patients with CNS metastases. Together, we are fueling bold, innovative research that has the potential to change the trajectory of care for this underserved population.”
About the Metastatic Brain Tumor Collaborative
The Metastatic Brain Tumor Collaborative is a coalition of nonprofit organizations dedicated to improving the lives of patients with brain metastases through research, education, and support. The MBTC fosters cross-disease collaboration and drives investment into research specifically focused on CNS metastases, a historically underfunded and clinically complex area.
Organizations supporting this CNS Metastasis Research Grant initiative include:
- American Brain Tumor Association
- Kidney Cancer Association
- LUNGevity Foundation
- Melanoma Research Foundation
- Metastatic Breast Cancer Alliance
Other MBTC partners include:
- Aim at Melanoma
- Fight Colorectal Cancer
- Go2 for Lung Cancer
- Living Beyond Breast Cancer
- Susan G. Komen
- Society for Neuro-Oncology
For more information, visit abta.org/metastatic-brain-tumor-collaborative.