Children’s of Alabama awarded $100,000 Hyundai Hope on Wheels Grant for Pediatric Cancer Research

Birmingham, Ala. (July 29, 2026) — Children’s of Alabama recently received a $100,000 Impact grant from Hyundai Hope on Wheels to advance pediatric cancer research. This contribution will support critical research efforts aimed at improving treatments and accelerating progress toward a cure for childhood cancers.

As part of the grant presentation, Dr. Girish Dhall, the division director of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at Children’s of Alabama, was recognized on Tuesday, July 28, during a Hyundai Hope on Wheels Handprint Ceremony and presented with a commemorative lab coat, symbolizing his role as a Hyundai Hope on Wheels grant recipient and commitment to life-saving pediatric cancer research.

“We could not have done this, and we can’t do this moving forward without the community support from organizations like Hyundai Hope on Wheels,” said Dhall. “I think this award will help us understand this very important thing about pediatric malignant brain tumors and help us really move the field forward in the years to come.”

Since its founding in 1998, Hyundai Hope on Wheels has awarded more than $303 million in grants. This year, the nonprofit will award more than $29 million in grants across the United States.

“Advancing pediatric cancer research requires bold science and sustained commitment,” said John Guastaferro, executive director of Hyundai Hope on Wheels. “We are deeply grateful to Children’s of Alabama and its doctors and researchers whose dedication drives progress to the children and families who need it most.”

The Alabama Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders is a partnership between Children’s of Alabama, the University of Alabama (UAB) Division of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program, the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB and national childhood research groups, including the National Cancer Institute and the Children’s Oncology Group. The center cares for more than 2,000 children and young adults who have cancer, sickle cell disease and blood disorders.