About Us
Our Mission
To find and accelerate cures for cancers and other rare diseases by fostering and rewarding a community of collaboration and innovation.
We support big data initiatives, like Cavatica.org, to democratize access to research data. We are partnered with Amazon Web Services and the Children's Brain Tumor Network on the D.A.V.I.D. AI tool to improve research data accessibility and usage. While we work toward cures, we also seek to spread awareness in the community and improve the quality of life for patients and their families.
Our Story
How Our Dragon Master (A.K.A. Cancer Warrior) Ignited This Initiative
When it comes to a patient and their family’s journey with cancer, time is a precious, fleeting resource. This was what we faced when our son, David, was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme in September 2010.
David was just 16 years old when he was diagnosed with cancer. He was funny, quirky, intelligent, kind, and adored by all who encountered him throughout his life. David dreamed of becoming a chef, the kind of person that brings people together to share each other’s company. He not only had the honor of meeting internationally renowned Chef Gordon Ramsay but also the privilege of calling Spanish Chef, José Andrés, his friend.
During treatment, David asked a lot of questions and regularly volunteered for studies and clinical trials that could advance science. He and his friends started a volunteer group called Spotless Mind to raise money for research, and they hosted several successful fundraisers.
Though David’s disease progressed and he passed away in May of 2012, he continues to have a tangible impact on medical research. Not just through the family that he asked to continue that work, but in a very real way through the tissue he donated post-mortem. His brain was collected by Children’s National Medical Center and it was ultimately also shared with the world via the Children’s Brain Tumor Network (CBTN), where researchers can continue to access the data.
It was through a partnership with CBTN that Dragon Master Initiative started funding CAVATICA, a storage, sharing, and analysis platform designed to handle large volumes of pediatric tumor genomics data. It is produced in collaboration with Seven Bridges with funding from the National Institutes of Health Common Fund and allows for cloud-based storage and bioinformatics analysis. This revolutionary platform is continuously updated with new patients and is the largest genomic resource for pediatric brain cancer patients.
