Evan Dray is a student in the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), Division of Hematology, Oncology, Transplant, and Cellular Therapy, and member of the Capitini Research Group, received a three-month, $10,000 award from Kids Beating Cancer for his project, “Assessing the Efficacy of the DAP12 Intracellular Signaling Domain in CAR-T Cells Against Neuroblastoma.” This project aims to characterize a novel anti-GD2 CAR-T cell construct incorporating the DAP12 intracellular signaling domain as a potentially safer and more effective alternative to traditional CD3ζ-based CAR-T cells for the treatment of high-risk neuroblastoma. Through a combination of in vitro and in vivo studies, Dray will investigate the functional, transcriptional, and signaling differences between DAP12- and CD3ζ-based CAR-T cells. This study began in August 2025 and will continue through October 2025.