Spring 2026
By Lisa Gregory
The legacy of a remarkable little girl has guided the mission of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) since it was established in 2005. When Alex Scott was 4 years old, she held lemonade stand fundraisers to help other children like her with cancer. After her passing at the age of 8, Alex’s parents established ALSF in her memory to advance cancer research.
This year, in 2026, we mark the 20th anniversary of when ALSF’s generous support began for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, totaling more than $22 million. ALSF granted more than $1.8 million in Young Investigator Awards in 2024 and 2025 to five Dana-Farber researchers in pediatric oncology. “Changing the lives of children with cancer is at the heart of our mission,” said Liz Scott, Alex’s mother and the co-executive director of ALSF. “We are excited about the groundbreaking research being done at Dana-Farber and the impact it can have for all kids.”
Daniel Solvie, PhD, received funding to conduct research on neuroblastoma, or cancer of the nerve cells. His focus is to identify a natural mechanism to turn off the MYC gene in cancer cells, an active player in many aggressive cancer subtypes, which may lead to less toxic childhood treatments.
We are excited about the groundbreaking research being done at Dana-Farber and the impact it can have for all kids.
Liz Scott, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation
Shuhei Asada, MD, PhD, will use his grant to study synergistic treatment for Ewing sarcoma, a group of bone and soft-tissue cancers. Asada is investigating exploiting a DNA damage repair defect, resulting from EWS-FLI1 expression or loss of EWSR1 protein.
These awards also support the work of three early career researchers examining the behavior of brain gliomas, which are malignant brain tumors that come from glial cells in the brain or spinal cord. Gustavo Alencastro Veiga Cruzeiero, PhD, is researching compounds that block the spread and communication of high-grade glioma cells. His goal is to stop the growth and reduce the invasiveness of glioma subtype DHG-H3G34 mutant tumors. This study seeks to understand the biology of these tumors and revolutionize pediatric therapies. Timothy Chang, MD, PhD, is examining if senescence, a natural response to stress once thought to suppress tumors, contributes to the growth and radiation resistance of diffuse midline gliomas (DMGs). DMGs are an extremely aggressive form of brain tumors in children. Jenna Robinson, PhD, is researching pediatric brain cancers to uncover why the protein SMARCAL1 is important to the uncontrolled division of mutant cells in the BRAF gene. She is investigating if SMARCAL1 inhibition may be used to stop cancer growth.
By underwriting this innovative research, ALSF honors Alex Scott’s bravery—bringing hope to children with cancer and their families.