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The Leading Minds in
NF Research

Meet the people whose quest for knowledge and hope for a cure converge. Learn about the exceptional contributions of researchers in the field, whose innovative work is changing the landscape of neurofibromatosis and schwannomatosis treatment and understanding.

Women in NF

Join us on a journey into the heart and history of NF basic and clinical research with “Women in NF,” a new series of essays submitted by women who have been involved in shaping the landscape of NF understanding and treatment. Launching during the 2024 Global NF Conference, the first collection of essays showcases the invaluable perspectives and insights of some of the women who have dedicated a decade or more of their careers to advancing the NF field. More than just a collection of narratives, “Women in NF” serves as a testament to women’s indispensable role in the effort to end NF.

Women in NF Essay Series

Von Recklinghausen Awards

The Children’s Tumor Foundation’s Friedrich von Recklinghausen Award is given to individuals in the professional NF community who have made significant contributions to neurofibromatosis or schwannomatosis research or clinical care. It is named after Friedrich Daniel von Recklinghausen (1833-1910), the German physician who first described ‘von Recklinghausen’s disease’ – what we now know as neurofibromatosis type 1.

First awarded by the Foundation in 1989, the initial recipients of the Friedrich von Recklinghausen Award included Dr. Bruce Korf (University of Alabama), Dr. John Carey (University of Utah), Dr. Raymond White and current National Institutes of Health Director, Dr. Francis Collins. CTF did not issue the Fredrich von Recklinghausen Award for a number of years, but revived the tradition in 2008.

2024 Von Recklinghausen Awardee Rosalie Ferner, MD

2024 Friedrich von Recklinghausen Award Recipient Rosalie Ferner, MD

Two individuals on stage smile while holding an award. They stand beside a podium with the text "Global NF Conference." One person holds a plaque with the words "2014 Friedrich von Recklinghausen Award.It is with great pleasure that the Children’s Tumor Foundation announces Rosalie Ferner, MD, consultant neurologist of Guys and St. Thomas NHS Foundation Trust London (GSTT), UK, as the recipient of the 2024 Friedrich von Recklinghausen Award.

After an early academic career studying modern languages, Dr. Ferner shifted gears and studied medicine. Hence, she has spent her lifetime dedicated to improving the lives of those afflicted with neurofibromatosis and schwannomatosis. Dr. Ferner has consistently demonstrated all the considerable attributes and accomplishments that make her a most worthy awardee.

Dr. Ferner established and has been the national lead for the nationally commissioned NF1 service in the UK since 2009 and was the lead for the London NF2 service from 2010 to 2015. In these roles, she has been a passionate champion for patients with all forms of neurofibromatosis and schwannomatosis but has had a particular impact in the field of NF1. She is a clinician’s clinician—skilled, precise, compassionate, creative, and dedicated.

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Past Von Recklinghausen Awardees

The following are the most recent recipients of the Award:

2023: Margaret Wallace, PhD, University of Florida – Read More

2022: Jaishri Blakeley, MD, Johns Hopkins University – Read More

2021: Marco Giovannini, MD, PhD, University of California, Los Angeles – Read More

2020: D. Wade Clapp, MD, Indiana University, School of Medicine – Read More

2019: Scott Plotkin, MD, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School Read More

2018: Ludwine Messiaen, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham – Read More

2017: Karen Cichowski, PhD, Harvard Medical School – Watch her Acceptance Speech

2016: David Viskochil, MD, PhD, University of Utah

2015: Eric Legius, MD, PhD, University of Leuven, Belgium

2014: Gareth Evans, MD, St. Mary’s Hospital, University of Manchester, UK

2013: Brigitte Widemann, MD, National Cancer Institute – Read More 

2012: David Gutmann, MD, PhD, Washington University

2010: Nancy Ratner, PhD, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

2009: Luis Parada, PhD, University of Texas Southwestern

2008: Vincent ‘Vic’ Riccardi, MD, The Neurofibromatosis Institute – Read More

A black and white photograph of a middle-aged man with glasses and a mustache, wearing a dark suit, tie, and bow tie, looking slightly to the side. The image is framed in an oval.
A woman sitting in front of a microscope.

Young Investigator Awardee Profiles

The Young Investigator Award (YIA) provides two-year salary support to early-career NF researchers to help them get established as independent NF investigators. Since its inception, several YIAs have made groundbreaking research findings and notable publications through this program, and many have advanced to become leaders in the NF research and clinical communities.

Young Investigator: Q&A with Clara Nogué about schwannomatosis cell lines

“I am hoping to dissect the molecular determinants of DGCR8-schwannomas and unveil new vulnerabilities that could be exploited for future therapy and clinical management of patients by integrating multi-omic profiling of patient samples with engineered cell line models.”

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Young Investigator: Q&A with Roope Kallionpää about NF1 and cancer risk

“NF1 increases the risk for various cancers, and cancers are a major cause of premature mortality among individuals with NF1. My project aims to describe the cancer risks and disease characteristics typical for NF1. The analysis of multiple primary cancers among individuals with NF1 will elucidate whether the history of a certain cancer indicates a higher risk for a new cancer. Studying the role of family history of cancer in NF1 will also help to predict the future risk for cancer. The identification of such associations may allow targeted screening approaches to detect cancers at an earlier stage. The survival after breast cancer has been reported to be worse among women with NF1 than among women without NF1, and the project aims to find out why this is the case in order to identify approaches to improve the prognosis.”

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Young Investigator: Q&A with Srirupa Bhattacharya about NF2-deficient tumors

“I am working with meningioma and schwannoma cell lines and have started generating 3D models to more closely mimic the tumors in vivo. From this project, I hope to learn the role of the angiogenic peptide apelin in NF2-deficient tumors and understand whether targeting apelin could disrupt the abnormal vascularization and tumor growth.”

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Young Investigator: Q&A with Alexa Sheehan about MPNSTs and cancer risk

“We are hoping to better understand how MPNSTs metastasize and to identify and screen various therapeutics that inhibit metastasis in order to improve outcomes for patients. I hope to continue investigating mechanisms of cancer initiation and progression with the ultimate goal of working with other scientists to develop better treatment options for patients.”

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Young Investigator: Q&A with Jadwiga Bilchak about NF1 and sensorimotor deficits

“Using the Drosophila model, we aim to understand how NF1 mutation affects sensory neuron excitability and circuit dynamics, and how peripheral sensory disturbances are transformed in the brain to shape social behavior. . . I would like to use my background in electrophysiology and the knowledge I’m currently gaining in genetic and imaging techniques to investigate changes in circuit dynamics that occur in NF1 and other neurodevelopmental disorders, specifically in relation to sensorimotor deficits.”

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Make NF Research Visible

This year, our ongoing Make NF Visible Portrait Series focusses on the profound impacts of RESEARCH within the NF community. Building on our past Make NF Visible collaborations, where we explored the visible and invisible aspects of NF, our aim in 2024 is to illuminate the crucial role of research in understanding and combating this condition.

Make NF Research Visible Portrait Collection

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