Turning THON Fundraising into Lifesaving Medical Treatments

This past February, more than 16,500 Penn State students raised over $17.7 million to fight childhood cancer as part of THON™ 2025.

Dr. Chandrika Behura, associate professor of pediatrics at the Penn State College of Medicine, is one of the physician-scientists whose research on pediatric cancer is supported by Four Diamonds. In October, she opened a phase I clinical trial for pediatric patients with solid tumors, which account for nearly 60% of pediatric cancers. This clinical trial is the culmination of 13 years of research at Penn State.

In a recent Q&A, Dr. Behura shared her journey from lab-based discoveries to patient care.