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Celebrating Women’s History Month

St. Jude honors its past and present female faculty and staff.

St. Jude celebrates and honors the inspiring women who work in our bench-to-bedside environment, lead labs, provide clinical care and keep our hospital operating efficiently. The hospital’s cohesive relationship between clinicians and research investigators provides a collaborative landscape where women flourish and excel. 

 
 

Our History

Dorothy Williams, MD

Dorothy Williams, MD

Pathologist Dorothy Williams pinpointed two of the first specific genetic translocations associated with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the 1980s. Deputy Clinical Director Pat Flynn, MD, helped form the Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trial Unit in the 1990s. Computational Biology chair Jinghui Zhang, PhD, led the development of a better computer tool for finding the genetic missteps that fuel cancer in 2011.

The research of Pharmaceutical Sciences member Mary Relling, PharmD, has helped change the landscape of the clinical implementation of pharmacogenomics testing. The research findings of Infectious Diseases chair Elaine Tuomanen, MD, have had important implications for treatment and strategies in the world of infectious diseases and the leading invasive bacterial pathogens in children. As director of the Cancer Survivorship Division, Melissa Hudson, MD, has focused on ensuring survivors of childhood cancer thrive after treatment with reduced side effects.

Pat Flynn, Walter Hughes, Wren Kennedy

Pat Flynn, MD (far left) with colleagues.

Our Present and Future

Pioneering women at St. Jude are making research advances in the areas of aggressive brain tumors, immunodeficiency diseases, cognitive challenges in childhood cancer survivors, blood-forming stem cells, gene therapy, COVID-19 and pneumococcal infections. These scientists carry on the legacy set by those before them and help set the bar for innovative progress in the research and treatment of childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

Read more about our incredibly talented and pioneering women who are leaders in their fields and share their stories across social media by tagging @StJudeResearch and #WomensHistoryMonth

Explore the St. Jude Timeline

 
 

Research Stories

 
 

Clinical Care Stories

 
 

Supportive Care Services Stories

 
 
 
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