The Robert Connor Dawes Foundation awarded Christian Capitini, MD, professor and chief, Division of Hematology, Oncology, Transplant, and Cellular Therapy, and acting director at the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, the Robert Connor Dawes Award, a three-year fellowship for his research on GD2 CAR T cells for high-risk pediatric high-grade gliomas. The University of Wisconsin–Madison matched the award amount of $112,500, for a total of $250,000 over the course of three years, which started January 2025 and will continue through December 2027. The goal of Capitni’s research is to enhance the tumor-killing capacity of GD2-targeting CAR T cells for the treatment of GD2+ Diffuse Intrinsic Potine Glioma (DIPG) and Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM), two types of high-risk pediatric high-grade gliomas, through the use of CRISPR/Cas9 genetic engineering manufacturing techniques. Additionally, his research aims to genetically engineer CAR T cells to recognize four different markers expressed on DIPG and GBM brain tumor models to generate a “super immune” CAR T cell therapy.