The Children's Tumor Foundation
10/22/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/22/2026 07:13
NF Endurance Athlete Spotlight: Christina Cucolo
Christina Cucolo studies cell-free DNA as a potential biomarker for NF1 in Dr. Taylor Sundby's lab at Nemours. Her connection to NF is also personal: her cousin Brian lives with NF2-related schwannomatosis. This year, Christina is bringing her research, personal connection, and love of running together as a member of CTF's NF Endurance team for the New York City Marathon.
Children's Tumor Foundation: Running a marathon was already one of your goals for 2026. What made joining the NF Endurance team feel like the right way to take it on?
Two women pose together after a race, with one wearing a finisher's medal and a race-branded foil cape, standing in front of a statue and a Nemours Children's Health event sign.Christina: Running became a huge part of my life in high school when I was no longer able to play soccer after a number of concussions. I had never been in a sport where everyone at the starting line was laughing about how nervous they were and wishing one another good luck. The constant cheering from parents and coaches-whether we were running in circles on the track or trying not to trip over branches during cross country-felt so freeing.
While I stopped formally competing after high school, I found my running community again through the run club at the University of Virginia, where I met some of my first and forever friends from college.
Beyond community, running became not only a way to maintain my physical fitness, but also my mental fitness. No matter the number of exams, failed experiments, or stressful lectures, I would get a run in. For those 30 minutes to an hour, nothing else mattered but my feet on the pavement and controlling my breath.
After running a half marathon last November, I wanted 2026 to be about more than applying to medical school. I wanted something I could work toward with consistency and something I had control over-so training for a marathon it was. Given how much running has shaped my life, this marathon could not just be for me.
I had always viewed running and research as separate parts of my life. That changed when I learned about the CTF NF Endurance team. Whether I am walking into the lab or lacing up my shoes to run on a local trail, I am able to work toward my goal of improving patient outcomes.
Your cousin Brian has NF2-related schwannomatosis, while your research focuses primarily on NF1. What has it been like to deepen your understanding of NF through both a personal and scientific lens?
When I first started my position in Dr. Taylor Sundby's lab, I spoke with my uncle about my cousin Brian's journey with NF2-SWN. I wanted to better understand his experience and what matters to someone living with NF.
In my current role, I am fortunate to shadow weekly in the cancer predisposition clinic, where I see patients alongside Dr. Sundby. After seeing patients each week, I notice how much more there is to NF than what I initially understood. Patients balance uncertainty about when tumors may develop or change, frequent appointments and imaging, multidisciplinary care, and everyday life.
Four people wearing Children's Tumor Foundation athletic shirts pose for a selfie outdoors.Seeing NF through both a personal and scientific lens has given me a deeper sense of purpose in my work. I do not go into the lab, pick up a pipette, and think only about the steps of the protocol. I remind myself who I am doing this work for-including my cousin and the patients I have met. Research can be slow and arduous, and I know I may not change the trajectory of NF care on my own. I hope, though, that I can help shape what comes next.
Your research at Nemours focuses on cell-free DNA and its potential as a biomarker in NF1. What excites you most about this work and what it could eventually mean for patients?
A year ago, I knew very little about cell-free DNA, or cfDNA. Now it is something I hope to never stop learning about. Research has shown how cfDNA can help distinguish benign plexiform neurofibromas from premalignant and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors.
What excites me most is the possibility that cfDNA could eventually help us intervene earlier for patients with NF1. MRI is essential for understanding tumor burden and monitoring tumors, but frequent whole-body imaging can be challenging for patients and their families. A blood-based test that could be performed more frequently and closer to home could provide another way to monitor molecular changes within a patient's tumors.
I am also interested in how cfDNA could shape and inform treatment. If we can identify patterns associated with treatment response or resistance, it could help us create more individualized treatments.
There is still a lot to be discovered about how cfDNA can be used in NF, and I am eager to be a part of that. I hope that many years down the road, when I have the privilege of taking care of patients of my own, I can talk to them about how our understanding and treatment of NF has evolved and use what we have learned to make a tangible difference in their lives.
What has been your biggest challenge during marathon training, and what have you learned about yourself along the way?
Five female runners wearing marathon medals and silver foil blankets stand on a grassy field.I absolutely would have to say long runs! In high school-sorry, Coach DeGraw-I never really did my long runs. I managed to get by, but I knew going into marathon training that long runs were where I was going to make the most progress. Willing myself to get up early on a Saturday morning and spend two-and-a-half to three hours on my feet is tough.
I recently completed my longest run: just over 20 miles. I started on the treadmill because it was raining, but five miles in, the treadmill decided to quit on me. I filled my bottles, grabbed some gels, and headed out. For the first few miles in the pouring rain, I was not having it. Then I tried to shift my mindset. Yes, this run was part of my training, but it was also for so much more than that.
I recently started dedicating each mile of my long runs to someone I love, a patient I remember from shadowing, or someone I am grateful for. This small practice grounds me when a run gets difficult and reminds me that every mile is connected to something bigger than myself.
Marathon training has taught me that I do not always have to feel motivated to keep moving forward. Sometimes, I just need to remember why I started.
Between working in NF research, preparing for medical school, and now fundraising and running for NF, how have these experiences shaped the way you think about your future in medicine?
I am really grateful for the timing of everything right now. Being part of an NF Endurance team while doing research and thinking about my future has been so meaningful.
While I knew I wanted to do research during my gap years, one of my biggest fears was that I would lose sight of the people I was doing it for. I always try to be conscious of the why and the who behind every action in the lab. Having the chance to immerse myself in the NF community and connect with individuals living with NF has significantly influenced how I want to practice medicine.
Four people posing in front of a blue Children's Tumor Foundation step and repeat banner.From attending the CTF NF Conference in Denver to participating in meetings with our NYC NF Endurance team, I have learned that showing up means more than being present in the clinic. Medicine is more than diagnosing and treating disease. It is important to remain immersed in the communities I want to care for so I can understand what matters most to them and how I can best support them.
As a future physician, I want my patients to trust that I am thinking about them beyond the exam room-through research, collaboration with other physician-scientists, and advocacy.
What would you want someone who knows very little about NF to understand about the condition-and why supporting NF research matters?
Each person who has NF experiences it differently, and this is essential to acknowledge when thinking about how we respond to patients' goals and needs. Some individuals have visible signs, while others may have symptoms that are less apparent. The range of possible complications is broad, from learning difficulties and chronic pain to tumors that affect growth, physical function, and quality of life.
Continuing to learn how we can intervene earlier and understand why NF affects each person differently is key to making a difference. We need research to understand why NF looks different from one person to another and to create treatments tailored to individuals.
Establishing care early and having a multidisciplinary team well-versed in NF can make a tremendous difference. I have seen firsthand, however, that this can be challenging as families coordinate multiple specialists and travel to appointments while balancing school, work, and everyday life.
Research allows us to bring insights and breakthroughs from the lab to the patients who deserve them, so we can move beyond monitoring and treating complications when they arise to detecting changes earlier and making living with NF less burdensome. It allows clinicians and researchers to pursue answers that could change a patient's life for the better.
Rapid Fire Fun Facts
Favorite post-run snack?
Granola and a smoothie-as long as it has bananas and peanut butter.
Song or playlist that powers you through tough miles?
I actually love podcasts. Shoutout to Ali on the Run-she gets me through so many runs!
Early-morning run or late-night run?
Late night, for sure. I try, but I am not a morning person!
One word your friends, family, or colleagues would use to describe you as a runner?
Determined.
If you could run anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Copenhagen.
Finish this sentence: "I run for…"
The strength to make changes that better my life and the lives of others.
The Children's Tumor Foundation published this content on October 22, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on October 22, 2026 at 13:16 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]