OUR INSPIRATION
David was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme in September 2010. He was just 16 years old. David was funny, quirky, intelligent and kind. He was well loved by all who encountered him throughout his life. He wanted to be a chef, and he was so honored to meet Gordon Ramsay and to call José Andres a friend. He always had a smile and a hug for the people he loved – and that was nearly everyone he met. Four hospitals, a clinical trial, and countless prayers couldn’t save David, and he passed away after a 20 month battle. Hoping to turn this tragedy into something positive and help solve the riddle of cancer, his mother and stepfather have founded the Dragon Master Foundation, with the goal of using big data to help researchers identify patterns and further their research.
OUR MISSION
To find and accelerate cures for cancers and other diseases by fostering and rewarding a community of collaboration and innovation. We seek to spread awareness, expedite research and kinder treatments, and improve the quality of life for patients and their families.
OUR GOALS
Develop a large-scale database that will transcend existing consortiums and databases and will house molecular, genetic, clinical and environmental data. Further, the database will be built for high-volume, high-velocity data processing taking advantage of the latest technologies while allowing for future growth and advancements. The initial primary focus will be brain tumors, starting with data collection in the pediatric population and then expanding into adults. Update: We are partnered with the Children’s Brain Tumor Tissue Consortium on the Cavatica platform
Reward qualified researchers and institutions who share data with the database by giving them free access to the database, leveraging existing grant funding, and creating new grants through fundraising efforts. Update: Access to Cavatica is free. We are currently advocating for other foundations to consider data sharing in their funding models, and we are involved in developing a data sharing award.
Provide opportunities for researchers to work with each other and with other experts outside of their field of expertise to expand the horizons of research by pushing their experiences outside the box. Update: Cavatica has a shared space for collaboration. Additionally, we have an outreach effort to encourage more academic use of the platform.
Provide a system for tracking patients from one clinical study and/or hospital to the next and give researchers better long-term data on deaths and survivors.