Chay Paterson awarded a grant from the CDMRP

Chay is delighted to announce that he has been awarded a competitive 3-year grant from the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) to undertake an independent research project. The project aims to investigate the mutagenicity of radiotherapy in patients with familial Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) and to determine whether and why the risk of secondary brain tumors increases or decreases following radiotherapy.

From October 2023 until 2027, Chay will develop a risk model for secondary brain tumours following radiotherapy for schwannoma, and try to identify the gain-of-function mutations that may be responsible. This risk model will be developed using a combination of image processing, bioinformatics, and evolutionary graph theory, bringing together three different fields with which he has experience both inside and outside the academy. Tied together with machine learning, this exciting combination of epidemiology, genomics, and mathematics will put the best available theories into tangible practice.

In addition to publishing research findings and providing advice to medical professionals, this project also aims to develop free and open-source software for estimating risks. This innovative software will be available to healthcare systems around the world. As well as creating better prognostic tools for future patients and their healthcare providers, this research should provide valuable insights into the underlying mechanisms of schwannoma initiation in NF2.

Good luck, Chay!