CBTN Announces Appointment of Dr. David Kram to Strengthen Tissue Donation Leadership
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This press release was distributed on December 10, 2025 via PRNewswire.
Children’s Brain Tumor Network (CBTN) announces that David Kram, MD, MCR, FAAP, will serve in a new leadership capacity supporting Gift from a Child (GFAC), a CBTN partner advancing pediatric brain tumor research through patient legacy tissue donation. Dr. Kram, a respected clinician at the University of North Carolina, is a longstanding advocate for post-mortem tissue donation.
In this role, Dr. Kram helps shape clinical and research strategy, ensuring physicians and families receive clear, compassionate guidance throughout the donation process while maximizing the scientific impact of each specimen. His contributions strengthen best practices, deepen clinician engagement, and reinforce alignment between GFAC’s family-facing mission and CBTN’s research operations.
“Dr. Kram brings an exceptional ability to bridge science and compassion,” said Jena Lilly, Executive Director of CBTN. “His leadership will help deepen our impact as we expand donation awareness and accelerate research that honors every child’s legacy.”
Dr. Kram described his focus, adding, “Post-mortem tissue offers unique insights into how tumors evolve over time and enables the creation of research models not possible with other tissue types.”
Kram’s experience within the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) creates important pathways to broaden GFAC’s reach and strengthen CBTN’s national clinical partnerships. His appointment marks a meaningful step forward in the shared GFAC–CBTN mission to ensure families can make informed donation decisions and that every sample is handled with scientific and ethical rigor.
About Children’s Brain Tumor Network (CBTN)
CBTN is a global research initiative accelerating discovery for pediatric brain tumors. With 35 member institutions, more than 85,000 biospecimens, and over 8,000 participants, the network hosts the world’s largest pediatric brain tumor data and biospecimen resource. Through real-time data sharing and collaboration, CBTN drives research innovation and delivers answers faster for children and families. Learn more at cbtn.org.
About Gift from a Child
Gift from a Child (GFAC), founded by the Swifty Foundation, is a national initiative increasing end-of-life pediatric brain tumor tissue donations to advance research and accelerate cures. In partnership with CBTN and guided by families who have lost children to brain cancer, GFAC ensures every family can make an informed donation decision, removing barriers so each child’s legacy fuels discoveries that bring hope to others. Learn more at giftfromachild.org.