Dr. Sean Lawler leads the Brain Cancer Therapy Lab at Brown University, where his team develops innovative approaches for treating brain tumors, spanning preclinical models to patient tumor analysis. His research focuses on drug delivery across the blood–brain barrier, immunotherapy strategies, and the role of cytomegalovirus in glioblastoma biology.

He earned his PhD from the University of London and pursued postdoctoral training at UCSF, INSERM, and the University of Dundee. Dr. Lawler has held faculty appointments at Massachusetts General Hospital, The Ohio State University, University of Leeds, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, building an extensive track record in translational brain tumor therapy.

Dr. Eric T. Wong is a nationally recognized authority in neuro-oncology and directs the medical neuro-oncology service at the Lifespan Cancer Institute. His pioneering work has advanced novel drug and device therapies for glioblastoma, including research leading to the FDA approval of Tumor Treating Fields therapy.

Dr. Wong trained in neurology at Washington University and completed fellowships in neuro-oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and MD Anderson Cancer Center. His research spans brain tumor imaging, management of leptomeningeal metastases, and translational therapeutics. He has published extensively, contributed to the first textbook on alternating electric fields therapy, and has received numerous awards for his contributions to oncology.

Dr. Clark Chen is the Director of the Brain Tumor Program at Brown University. He is a neurosurgeon-scientist specializing in the surgical management of brain cancers, with NIH-funded laboratory research dedicated to developing new glioma therapies. He has published more than 300 peer-reviewed manuscripts and is widely recognized as a leader in neurosurgical oncology.

Dr. Chen received his MD and PhD from Harvard Medical School and completed neurosurgical training at Massachusetts General Hospital. Prior to joining Brown, he held leadership positions at UC San Diego and the University of Minnesota, where he was Head of Neurosurgery. His research integrates clinical innovation with translational discovery, with the goal of improving outcomes for patients with brain tumors.

Translational Research Disease Groups (TRDGs) provide a regular forum for advancing translational cancer research and fostering collaboration across disciplines. Eight TRDGs have been established at the Legorreta Cancer Center, each organized around a specific cancer type.

The Central Nervous System TRDG brings together a multidisciplinary team of researchers and clinicians, including experts in:

• Neuro-oncology, Neurosurgery, Neurology, Hematology/Oncology, Radiation Oncology, and Surgical Oncology,
• Pathology, Cancer Biology, Genetics, Population Science, Biostatistics, and Bioinformatics
• Fellows, residents, and student trainees

Our meetings create opportunities to:

• Develop and prioritize new translational research directions
• Share resources and expertise across Brown and affiliated hospitals
• Launch collaborations that can lead to pilot funding, extramural grant applications, and publications in high-impact journals
• Advance investigator-initiated clinical trials and translational protocols

TRDGs meet every 2–3 months, typically at the Brown University Molecular Medicine Building (70 Ship Street) or at an affiliated hospital site. Meetings feature a mix of roundtable discussions and designated speakers, with ample time for feedback and collaborative planning. Minutes are shared internally with group members.

Membership is open and evolving. We welcome faculty, fellows, residents, and students with an interest in translational breast cancer research to join our efforts.

• Review ongoing translational research and investigator-initiated trials
• Identify collaboration opportunities based on current science and feasibility
• Discuss biomarkers, tumor signaling pathways, and drug development strategies
• Exchange information on funding opportunities (e.g., P01s, SPOREs, or other translational grants)
• Highlight progress through focused presentations by investigators or subgroups
• Leverage institutional resources (genomics, tissue banks, clinical trial infrastructure, tumor boards)
• Engage trainees and early-career researchers in translational projects
• Form working groups to advance projects toward new protocols, grant submissions, and publications

Contact

For more information or to join the Central Nervous System TRDG, please contact Attila Seyhan, PhD.