Pitt Pediatrics congratulates Sameer Agnihotri, PhD, for receiving the 2022 Distinguished Scientist Award from The Sontag Foundation. 
Agnihotri, the Director of the Brain and Tumor Biology and Therapy Lab in University of Pittsburgh’s Neurological Surgery department and an assistant professor, was recognized for his work and expertise on pediatric brain tumors.
Agnihotri, alongside four other winners, will receive $600,000 over four years to advance their research on brain cancer. The grant is awarded through a competitive scientific review process and is given to scientists who have a potential to make a significant impact in the field.
The Sontag Foundation is the largest funder of brain cancer research in North America. The foundation was established in 2002 by Frederick and Susan Sontag following Susan’s battle with a normally lethal form of brain cancer. To date, the foundation has granted $55 million in funding to support brain cancer research. In 2014, the Sontags established The Brain Tumor Network, to provide free navigation services for patients with brain tumors, helping to connect them to brain cancer specialists, second opinions and clinical trials.