John Saunders
John was a founding member of the V Foundation Board of Directors and a tireless supporter of cancer research. To commemorate the many years he spent working to end the disease and his passion for pediatric initiatives, a grant has been established in John’s name to support research aimed at stopping children’s cancers.
John Saunders Translational Grant Recipients
Stephan Grupp, Ph.D., M.D.
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA
Transforming a transformational theory – addressing CD19 escape in CD19-directed CAR T cell therapy
Funded by the 2016 Vitale Gala in memory of John Saunders
John Saunders V Scholar Grant Recipients
Sidi Chen, Ph.D.
Yale University Cancer Center/Department of Pediatrics
West Haven, CT
Tackling epigenetic drivers of medulloblastoma in vivo
Funded by the 2017 Vitale Gala in memory of John Saunders
Jeffrey A. Magee, M.D., Ph.D.
Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University in St. Louis
St. Louis, MO
The role of inherited MLL3 single nucleotide variants and fetal epigenetic programming in infant leukemogenesis
Funded by the 2016 Vitale Gala in memory of John Saunders
Rachel Rau, M.D.
Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers
Houston, TX
Defining the role of the cohesin complex in core binding factor acute myeloid leukemia
Funded by the 2017 Vitale Gala and Northwestern Mutual in memory of John Saunders
John Saunders Designated Grant Recipients
Judith Villablanca, M.D.
Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
New Approaches to Neuroblastoma Therapy- Extended funding
Funded by WWE and the 2017 Vitale Gala in memory of John Saunders
