paediatric cancers<\/a>. Trained as a physician-scientist at Paracelsus Medical University in Salzburg and later as a quantitative metabolism researcher at Princeton University in the laboratory of Joshua Rabinowitz, he is also a member of the EMBO Young Investigator Programme and the NCCR Children and Cancer network.<\/p>\nHis research asks an unusual question in paediatric oncology: rather than focusing solely on the genetic mutations carried by childhood tumours \u2014 as much of current research does \u2014 he seeks to understand what fuels these<\/p>\n
cancers and how their metabolic dependencies can be turned into therapeutic targets.<\/p>\n
As a practising paediatric oncologist and Principal Investigator, Dr Raphael J. Morscher leads a research programme in Zurich dedicated to the metabolism of paediatric cancers. Trained as a physician-scientist at Paracelsus Medical University (PMU) in Salzburg and later as a quantitative metabolism researcher at Princeton University in the laboratory of Joshua Rabinowitz, he is also a member of the EMBO Young Investigator Programme and the NCCR Children and Cancer network.<\/p>\n
His approach asks an unusual question in paediatric oncology: rather than focusing on the mutations carried by childhood tumours \u2014 as most current research does \u2014 he seeks to understand what fuels them and how these metabolic dependencies can be transformed into therapeutic targets.<\/p>\n
This strategy has a valuable characteristic: it is intentionally independent of tumour type. Dr Morscher\u2019s laboratory studies paediatric cancers on a patient-by-patient basis, using metabolism as a window into each child\u2019s disease. This shared framework enables his team to work across clinically diverse cancers, including neuroblastomas, paediatric sarcomas and leukaemias, while opening up broad therapeutic perspectives that few research groups are currently exploring.<\/p>\n
Metabolism refers to all the processes through which cells produce the energy and molecules they need to survive. Recent research has shown that cancer growth also depends on the ability of tumour cells to reprogramme their metabolism in order to generate the energy required for rapid proliferation. For example, targeting the vitamin B5 transport system in breast cancer cells has been shown to significantly slow their division. By selectively depriving cancer cells of their energy sources or blocking their supply mechanisms, it may be possible to slow tumour growth, reduce metastatic potential and improve the effectiveness of existing treatments. This is precisely the strategy that Dr Morscher\u2019s team aims to explore through the third edition of the Innovation Award, focusing on paediatric cancers that remain particularly difficult to treat.<\/p>\n
A Grant to Bridge the Gap to Clinical Application<\/h2>\n
For Dr Morscher, the Innovation Award comes at a pivotal moment:<\/p>\n
\u201cThis grant supports our efforts at a crucial stage as we work to translate our innovations into clinical impact. It will allow us to strengthen our connections with the specialised clinical community and truly pave the way for patients.\u201d<\/p>\n
In practical terms, the funding will enable his team to launch the first clinical trial for children with neuroblastoma based on the metabolic concepts developed in his laboratory \u2014 a decisive and still too rare step in moving discoveries from the laboratory bench to the patient\u2019s bedside.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeyond this clinical trial, the award will accelerate innovative projects at the intersection of fundamental metabolism research and clinical translation \u2014 projects that are often considered too risky by traditional funding schemes.\u201d<\/p>\n
This scientific freedom is one of the hallmarks of the Innovation Award: not only significant funding \u2014 \u20ac250,000 per year for four years \u2014 but also long-term trust that allows research teams to adapt, test new ideas and explore bold scientific directions.<\/p>\n
![\"L'\u00e9quipe](\"https:\/\/imagineformargo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/team_morscher_detail-1440x935-1-1000x649.jpeg\")
<\/h2>\nInspiring a New Generation of Researchers<\/h2>\n
\u201cThe 2026 FKC\/SBF Innovation Award shines a spotlight on the metabolism of paediatric cancers. Together with my team, we hope to inspire a new generation of scientists and clinicians to pursue this field. I am confident that bringing together talented individuals from different disciplines will enable us to make a lasting impact on the daily lives of children with cancer and their families.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nThis ambition to inspire and share knowledge reflects one of the founding principles of FIGHT KIDS CANCER: the fight against childhood cancer will not be won in isolation, but through the pooling of expertise \u2014 across disciplines, countries, laboratories and hospitals.<\/p>\n
A Chain of Trust Between Families, Charities and Researchers<\/h2>\n
For Patricia Blanc, Founder and President of Imagine for Margo and Co-Founder of FIGHT KIDS CANCER:<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery Innovation Award we present is made possible by the thousands of families, runners, partners and donors who support us throughout the year. This \u20ac1 million awarded to Dr Morscher is their commitment transformed into tangible research. It is also proof that, by joining forces across Europe, we can foster ambitious, independent science that directly benefits children with cancer.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Three Laureates, One Shared Mission<\/h2>\n
With the 2026 edition, the FIGHT KIDS CANCER Innovation Award will have supported three leading scientific teams at different stages of the research journey:<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/imagineformargo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/img_0604-1333x1000-1-1000x750.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"P\u00e9diatre-oncologue](\"https:\/\/imagineformargo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/morscher-1-2-448x800-2.jpg\")
A practising paediatric oncologist and Principal Investigator, Dr Raphael J. Morscher leads a research programme in Zurich dedicated to the metabolism of