Welcome to Oligo Nation

If you or someone you love has an oligodendroglioma, you have come to the right place. Living with what is currently an incurable disease changes your life.  We know, we’re Oligo survivors, too. We are here to help you, inspire you, and—together with you—to change our future. Oligo Nation is a community-driven non-profit focused on advancing translational medical research that can lead to effective treatments within 5 years. This is a big assignment. Five years ago, there was zero research directed at Oligo.  In 2024, there is meaningful oligodendroglioma research underway, but much more is needed.

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What makes us different?

There are a number of brain cancer foundations, research institutions, cancer non-profits and numerous fine medical institutions, so what makes Oligo Nation different. In a word: everything.

Focus

We are here to drive translational research on oligodendroglioma. Nothing else. The other foundations may have ‘brain tumors’ in their name, but their focus is almost exclusively on glioblastoma (GBM). An occasional grant or blog post is different than the laser focus and commitment which is needed to bring about new treatments.

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Where Your Money Goes

More than 90% of our spending goes to research, compared to 5%-25% for the bigger foundations (NBTS, ABTA, ABC2, etc.). Our grants are 100% focused on opportunities that can translate to clinical trials for Oligo in the short-term, not just getting a mention in a published article (which seems to be how some foundations measure success!)

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Intelligent, Targeted Advocacy

We are constantly advocating for oligodendroglioma research with leading institutions and researchers. We follow the science and push for Oligo to be included in screenings and pre-clinical work. And we work with the research community to increase collaboration and sharing of research tools (such as cell lines).

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News and Research

Stanford Research Grant

Oligo Nation made its first grant in May of 2016. This grant will allow Oligo to be included in a major clinical trial, with the brain cancer trial set to... Read More

Defining Oligo Nation

Oligo:  Short for Oligodendroglioma, a form of brain cancer arising from the glial cells.  There are no known cures or effective treatments.  Average life expectancy is 8-10 years. Nation:  A... Read More

Stories of grace and beauty #1

It has been almost two years since I started fundraising for Oligo research.  In round numbers, my family’s efforts have raised close to $200,000, which is a startling number when I... Read More