Hassenfeld Children's Hospital, a paediatric hospital in New York, US, has joined the Children's Brain Tumor Network (CBTN) as a new member institution.

The collaboration will give children and their families who are impacted by brain and spinal cord tumours the chance to donate biological specimens to CBTN.

This aims to enhance understanding of brain tumour biology through research.

CBTN said the collaborative effort is vital to advancing paediatric brain tumour research, as no medical institution can collect enough samples by itself to make progress in the field.

CBTN executive director Jena Lilly said: “We're thrilled to welcome Hassenfeld Children's Hospital to CBTN.

“Together, we are amplifying our efforts to advance paediatric brain tumour research and bring renewed hope to children and families in need of better treatments and brighter futures.”

Dr Jessica Clymer, the director of Hassenfeld's paediatric neuro-oncology programme, will act as principal investigator for CBTN.

Dr Clymer said: “My team and I at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital are thrilled to collaborate with other CBTN institutions as we unite our efforts to advance paediatric brain tumour research and provide the best care for our patients and families.”

Hassenfeld Children's Hospital's paediatric neuro-oncology team attends to patients at the Stephen D Hassenfeld Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, which is located in Manhattan.

The hospital is part of NYU Langone, an integrated academic health system in New York City.

In October 2023, NYU Langone Health’s Department of Pediatrics secured a $9.8m donation from Trudy Elbaum Gottesman and Robert W Gottesman to advance paediatric medicine.

The health system's paediatric brain tumour research has also received support from the Making Headway Foundation since 2005.

In 2019, the Making Headway Foundation partnered with Hassenfeld Children's Hospital and CBTN, funding a role dedicated to managing paediatric brain tumour samples at the centre.