THE CONSORTIUM
Brought together by a need for change
It’s unacceptable that outcomes for children with brain cancer have seen little to no change in 40 years. Prior to the founding of PNOC, children with brain cancer were being treated with the same standard therapy as adults.
But children’s brains need specialized care.
To respond to this need, Dr. Michael Prados began exploring clinical strategies for children based on the molecular and genetic make-up of each child’s tumor. In order to move quickly towards implementation of highly innovative therapies, Dr. Prados struck out to establish the Pacific Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Consortium.
Dr. Prados’ approach was disruptive, reflecting the Silicon Valley culture from his base at UC San Francisco. And it was working. Within a few years, PNOC, now led by Dr. Sabine Mueller and Dr. Michael Prados, has grown to become one of the U.S.’s most visible and prestigious pediatric brain cancer consortia, and PNOC currently has a waiting list of institutions eager to join.
In this position, PNOC is uniquely poised to make a significant difference for children, and has accomplished much in a short time. The collaborative nature of PNOC Consortium, the flexibility to develop trials based upon “real time” information, the freedom to conduct highly ambitious and high-reward studies, linking genomics to decisions, and samples to research strategies that we share among all interested parties, sets us apart.
Our Visionaries
Sabine Mueller, MD, PhD
Michael Prados, MD
PNOC MEMBERS

Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center
Children's Hospital Los Angeles
UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital of San Francisco and Oakland
University of California, San Diego Rady Children's Hospital
University of Utah
University of Florida Health Shands Children’s Hospital, Gainesville
Children's National Medical Center
Doernbecher Children’s Hospital Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU)
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Nationwide Children’s Hospital
St. Louis Children’s Hospital
Seattle Children’s Hospital
Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
Johns Hopkins Children’s Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland
University of Minnesota and Children’s Hospital and Clinics of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
"PNOC is uniquely poised to make a significant difference in children with CNS malignancies, and has accomplished much in a short time. The collaborative nature of our group, the flexibility to develop trials based upon 'real-time' information, the freedom to conduct high-risk and high-reward studies, linking genomics to decisions, and samples to research strategies that we share among all interested parties, sets us apart."
- Michael Prados, MD