The Carlos Baldoceda Senior Music Award The Carlos Baldoceda Senior Music Award for 2006 went to Delna Weil, a graduate of Oak Park and River Forest High School. Ms. Weil is not only a talented musician, but was also a skilled tennis player, and a volunteer at Hephzibah Children’s Association. Delna will be using her scholarship to continue her piano studies in college.
The Carlos Baldoceda Memorial Music Enrichment award The Carlos Baldoceda Memorial Music Enrichment award for 2006 went to Jaime Martinez a graduate of Morton East High School. Jaime started studying piano only two years ago, but in that short time has been described as “gifted” by his teacher. He plans to use his scholarship to enhance his piano and theory skills and begin to learn jazz. He will be attending the College of Dupage in the fall.
2006 Brain Tumor Research Award The award this year went to Mr. Zamman Mirzadeh an MD – PhD student at the University of California San Francisco Medical Scientist Training Program. Mr. Mirzadeh works under Dr. Arturo Alvarez-Buylla. The research is best described by excerpts of Mr. Mirzadeh’s own proposal. Recent advances in stem cell biology have opened new frontiers for understanding, curing, and one day, preventing cancer. Increasing evidence suggests that stem cells may be the cellular origin of cancer. Stem cells have long life spans and their continual division predisposes them to accumulating tumorigenic mutations. Further, mutations that disrupt pathways regulating self-renewal of somatic stem cells cause cancers (1-6). Finally, in both leukemia and glioblastoma(the most aggressive brain tumor), the demonstration of cancer stem cells (7-9), which are similar to somatic stem cells in their ability for unlimited self-renewal and multilineage differentiation, suggests not only a link between stem cells and cancer, but also a potential therapeutic target. The study of somatic stem cell behavior and the signaling pathways that regulate somatic stem cell self-renewal and differentiation are therefore critical in the search for better diagnostics and therapies for cancer. This research is the first attempt to study the role of the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway in neural stem cells of the SVZ. By understanding how this signaling pathway regulates neural stem cells under normal conditions, we will gain valuable insight into how aberrant activation of this pathway may contribute to brain cancer. Dr. Alvarez-Buylla is one of the pioneers in adult neural stem cell research. His group identified astrocytes in the SVZ as adult neural stem cells. My training as an M.D./Ph.D. has lead me to focus on basic science problems that have a direct connection with human disease. This project will provide a basic science understanding of neural stem cell behavior and more importantly for me, yield insights into brain tumorigenesis. This grant will be helpful in two ways. First, it will identify this project as an important pursuit in making the connections between brain tumors and neural stem cells. This is an exciting new field and studies of the normal regulation of neural stem cells and how this normal regulation may go awry offer a new frontier in understanding brain tumorigenesis.
3rd Annual Rally for Research Carlos’ Fund 3rd Annual Rally for Research will take place on September 23rd, 2006 at Durkin’s Tavern, 810 W. Diversey, Chicago, Il 60615. The event will be from 7 – 10pm. Join us for fun and to support a great cause! $30 per person includes wine, draft beer, and soda and light hors d’oeuvres. Plus there will be a great raffle. Questions, call Blanca at 773.988.4309
Carlos' Fund Rally for Research, Saturday, June 18, 7 - 10 pm Doc Ryan's Bar and Grill, 7432 West Madison, Forest Park, IL 60130 $25 all-you-can-eat pizza, unlimited beer, wine, and soda. There will be a silent auction and dart competition.
2004 Brain Tumor Research Award Recipient: Houman David Hemmati After graduating from Stanford in 1995, Houman Hemmati was accepted into the UCLA - Caltech Medical Scientist Training program. As a student in the combined MD/PhD program, Houman has teamed up with Dr. Jorge Lazareff, director of pediatric neurosurgery at UCLA, Harley Kornblum, associate professor in the department of molecular and medical pharmacology and pediatrics at UCLA, and Marianne Bronner-Fraser, developmental biologist at Caltech. The team's research is focused on cancerous stem cells and their relation to human brain tumors. They have found that brain tumor derived stem cells share similar properties with neural stem cells - they both give rise to neurons and glia, produce similar proportions of cell types, and self renew but differ in that they proliferate extensively and differentiate into abnormal cells that may contribute to tumorigenesis. These finding suggest that targeting tumor-derived stem cells is a promising approach to treating brain tumors. The research findings having been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and they have also been mentioned in Lancet. We are proud to give our first ever Brain Tumor Research Award to Houman Hemmati.
Sunday, May 23, 2004, 3pm - 6pm Baja Fresh, 899 E. Del Mar Blvd, Pasadena, CA Join Carlos' Caltech friends at Baja Fresh! Bring one of our flyers and Baja Fresh will donate 15% of the proceeds to Carlos' Memorial Fund.
Saturday, February 7, 2004 8pm Molly Malones, 7652 Madison Street, Forest Park, IL The 1st Annual Carlos Baldoceda Memorial Fundraiser took place at Molly Malone's and was a complete success. 175 people gathered to raise money to support the mission of Carlos' Fund to support young people's passion for music, as well as to help eradicate brain cancer. In the spirit of supporting new and upcoming musicians, local band Tyler Beach and Friends played jazz fund music. Local stores, including James Anthony Salon, Corus Bank, Oak Park Tennis and Fitness Centre, Alternative Fitness Studieo, Camille Et Familie, Oak Park Massage Therapy Studio, Oak Park Skin Center, Bead in the Hand, Da Beads, Scrubbers, and the Winberie Cafe supported the event by donating items to the silent auction. Other donations were made by the Jasculca family of River Forest who knew Carlos since his days at Oak Park River Forest High School. All proceeds from the fund go towards important brain tumor research and scholarships for those wishing to study music. Right: the Rockwell Band entertains the crowd at Molly Malones.
Sunday, December 7, 2002 Home of Maria Romero, 598 Windsor Circle, Inverness, IL. A Christmas luncheon hosted by Maria Romero.