Exploring Parallels in Art and Brain Tumor Science

Last week, Dr. Brian Gill joined ABTA at NYC’s Whitney Museum of American Art, where a small group of advocates, patients and families was hosted to connect on some of the latest issues shaping care models and research today. Dr. Gill addressed the group and led a Q&A discussion on the many timely topics in this field and followed with a tour of the Museum’s exhibitions.

How Art Can Inspire Innovators and Newcomers to the Field

The featured exhibit, American Sublime by Amy Sherald “brings together some 40 portraits across nearly two decades of her career, Sherald’s current survey invites us to see how the artist, who rose to international acclaim after painting Michelle Obama in 2018, has reimagined portraiture while posing deeper questions about identity and American mythology. These tensions—between beauty and complexity—remind us that reimagining national identity requires new images and new ways of seeing.” (Source: Art News)

Dr. Gill reflected, “Being surrounded by the remarkable work of Amy Sherald, we’re reminded of the power of vision—of what can happen when someone dares to challenge convention and reframe how we see the world. Sherald’s portraits, with their quiet strength and bold presence, have redefined how Black life is represented in contemporary art. She paints not just faces, but possibilities—possibilities that had too often been overlooked or erased.”

Dr. Gill continues, “That same spirit is urgently needed in medicine. Brain tumor care, like the art world before Sherald, has been bound for too long by outdated assumptions and limited tools. It’s time for a new wave of thinking—of researchers, clinicians, and advocates who are unafraid to challenge the status quo and envision a different future. One where patients live longer, better, and more fully. One where hope is not an abstraction, but an outcome we work toward together.”

What’s Ahead in Neurosurgery?

New Clinical Trials

Dr. Gill reflected on how these themes are also at play when considering the latest in brain tumor care. The primary surgical clinical trial SONOBIRD trial, a randomized study for patients with first-time recurrent glioblastoma (GBM). The trial involves the implantation of a focused ultrasound device designed to enhance the delivery of chemotherapy to the operative site. It’s an exciting and innovative approach, and among the few studies actively exploring this technology in the treatment of GBM.

Ensure Federal Funding for Research

Dr. Gill reaffirms what an incredibly important issue this is, “The reality is that brain tumors are not going away, and we still have a long way to go in improving both the quality and quantity of life for patients. Achieving this will require significantly more funding.”

Dr. Gill suggests:

1. 1. Contacting your local representatives to advocate for increased federal research support.
   2. Engaging with and supporting dynamic, patient-focused organizations such as the American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA), which fund high-impact, goal-oriented research.
   3. Exploring new collaborations between private organizations (e.g., ABTA, Oligo Nation) and federal agencies like the NIH, especially in light of current political or budgetary constraints that may delay the disbursement of critical research funds.

Columbia’s Long-Standing Commitment to the ABTA

Organizations like the ABTA play a vital role because they keep patients at the center of their mission. Founded with patients and caregivers in mind, they focus on improving disease understanding, clarifying treatment options, and helping families navigate the complex medical system during some of the most difficult times in their lives.

 In closing, Dr. Gill says, “Like Sherald’s rise, the path forward will take creativity, persistence, and support from institutions and communities alike. But the result—transformation—will be worth it.”

 What’s Next for the ABTA?

To date the American Brain Tumor Association has raised nearly $18 million towards its $50-million Meet Hope Head On campaign. This campaign was launched in tandem with the organization’s 50th Anniversary in 2023 to: triple its investment in research; double the number of patients it serves; and double federal funding for brain tumor research.

This campaign has enabled the ABTA to launch new programs and initiatives like the ABTA Financial Assistance Program, the ABTA Flexible Research Fund and an Adolescent & Young Adult Program.

 The ABTA Financial Assistance Program, supported by the Glenn Garcelon Fund, offers financial assistance to families facing financial devastation due to a brain tumor diagnosis. In its first year, the program provided financial assistance to over 100 brain tumor families. The goal is to expand this program to further meet the increasingly unmet needs of brain tumor patients and their families.

 The ABTA is also committed to addressing the unmet needs of the adolescent and young adult (AYA) brain tumor population through its burgeoning AYA program. The goal: to ensure the AYA brain tumor community has access to customized educational and emotional support resources to meet their unique needs.

And to further drive progress in under-funded areas of research, the ABTA has also launched the new Flexible Research Fund—a versatile approach to target research funding into key gaps in the brain tumor funding landscape.

 “It’s an exciting time at the ABTA,” says Kelly Sitkin, ABTA President & CEO. “Looking ahead, we are laser-focused on driving innovation across ABTA’s Patient Services programs, accelerating the funding of groundbreaking research, and forging even more transformative partnerships.”

 About the ABTA

Founded in 1973, the American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA) was the first national nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated solely to brain tumors. For more than 50 years the ABTA has served as the champion of the brain tumor community, across all ages and tumor types, by providing comprehensive resources to support the complex needs of brain tumor patients and caregivers and funding innovative research in the pursuit of breakthroughs in brain tumor diagnoses, treatments and care. The mission of the American Brain Tumor Association is to advance the understanding and treatment of brain tumors with the goals of improving, extending and, ultimately, saving the lives of those impacted by a brain tumor diagnosis. We do this through interactions and engagements with brain tumor patients and their families, collaborations with allied groups and organizations and the funding of brain tumor research. The ABTA serves an estimated 230,000 patients and caregivers annually.

To learn more about the ABTA, visit abta.org