Speakers & Honorees

Co-founder and executive director of the Chordoma Foundation. Chordoma survivor diagnosed about 20 years ago; had a recurrence about 4 years ago after 16 years tumor-free. Hosted the awards, the fireside chat, and presented the 2030 strategic plan.

Uncommon Awards Dinner · Welcome: Fireside Chat with Research & Clinical Leaders · Chordoma Foundation 2030 Strategic Plan · Table Discussions: Research & Trials

Skull base neurosurgeon and lab scientist working on therapy-focused projects. Fireside panelist: single-cell and spatial tumor analysis, personalized biology, and deciding after surgery who needs radiation.

Medical oncologist at MGH since 2012 and a leader of its chordoma center. Leading the upcoming multi-arm platform trial with the Foundation.

Welcome: Fireside Chat with Research & Clinical Leaders · Clinical Trials & the New Platform Trial

Radiation oncologist. Fireside panelist: how radiation's role has grown (radiation alone for some spine/sacral tumors, protons, carbon ions) and how dose limits are set to protect function.

Immunologist developing cell therapies. Fireside panelist: CAR-T and other immune approaches, and why chordoma's dense, high-pressure tumor tissue makes it hard for cells to get in.

Spine and sacrum surgeon-scientist, now at Cedars-Sinai (formerly MGH). Fireside panelist: separation surgery, radiation alone for some patients, cryoablation, and weighing surgical side effects with patients.

Leads the Foundation's research and drug discovery work. Presented drug repurposing results, brachyury as a drug target, the TBXT Challenge, the Mark Foundation partnership, and the CDK12/13 finding from the Foundation's lab.

Survey researcher. Co-led the community-wide clinical trial participation survey (about 350 respondents) with the Foundation.

Foundation staff. Co-led the trial survey. Her first project at the Foundation was the patient version of the 2015 guidelines. Presented the award to the global guidelines group and hosted Session II.

Uncommon Awards Dinner · Clinical Trial Participation Survey Results · Global Consensus & the 2026 Guidelines

Medical oncologist who has led the global chordoma consensus since 2013. Presented the history of the guidelines and the new 2026 update (JAMA Oncology).

Pediatric oncologist. Runs the NIH's annual chordoma clinic and chairs the Foundation's new Pediatric Chordoma Network, which includes virtual tumor boards.

Rehabilitation medicine doctor (physiatrist) with spinal cord injury subspecialty training. Runs MSK's cancer rehab fellowship. Spoke on symptoms, rehab, and survivorship care.

Part of the community since 2012, when his uncle Mike was diagnosed, and on staff since 2019. Presented the Uncommon Champion Award and hosted Session III.

Uncommon Awards Dinner · Mobilizing the Community

Diagnosed with sacral chordoma in 2019 at age 21, treated at MD Anderson (Dr. Laurence Rhines), and now 7 years out. Started as a volunteer peer guide and is now on staff, leading the Every Patient Initiative.

Chordoma survivor, board member since 2017, and founder of Team Chordoma. Received the Uncommon Champion Award.

Uncommon Awards Dinner · Mobilizing the Community

Chordoma survivor, CF Ambassador and Peer Guide, and a Session III speaker. His talk isn't in your recordings.

Chordoma survivor, CF Peer Guide, and a Session III speaker. His talk isn't in your recordings.

Skull base surgeon who treats more than 100 chordoma patients a year at one hospital. Has worked with the NCI and at least half a dozen Chinese institutions, and organized about 100 experts to write China's first national chordoma guidelines. Received an Uncommon Collaboration Award. The name is spelled as it sounded in the recording.