Skip to main content
Nicholas Phillips
Nicholas Phillips, MD, PhD

Nicholas Phillips, MD, PhD

Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty

Departments

Education

BA – Maryville College; Maryville, TN
MD – University of Tennessee, Health Science Center; Memphis, TN 
PhD – University of Tennessee and the University of Memphis; Memphis, TN 
Child Neurology Residency – University of Tennessee, Health Science Center; Memphis, TN  
Cancer Survivorship FellowshipSt. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Memphis, TN
Research Fellowship, NeuroscienceSt. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Memphis, TN 

Honors & Awards

  • 2018 – International Cognition and Cancer Task Force Young Investigator Award
  • 2009 - American Academy of Neurology, Medical Student Prize in Neurology
  • 2009 - UTHSC Outstanding Student Award in Neurology Clerkship
  • 2004 - American Heart Association Health Science Fellowship in Vascular Biology
  • 2004 - UTHSC RICE Intercollegiate Bowl First Place Team
  • 2003 - Winner of Best Paper, Southeastern Neuroradiology Society Meeting 
  • 2000 - LeQuire Award for Excellence, Maryville College
  • 1999 - Alpha Sigma Lambda inductee
  • 1998 - Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship
  • 1998 - All-Tennessee Academic Team Award, Phi Theta Kappa

Research Interests

  • Neurocognitive Late Effects
  • Cancer Survivorship
  • Functional and Structural Neuroimaging

Current Research

  • Development of pathophysiological models of neurocognitive late effects related to disease and treatment in survivors of childhood cancers.
  • Investigation of interventions to improve neurologic and neurocognitive outcomes in childhood cancer survivors.

Selected Publications

Williams AM, Xing M, Phillips NS, Yasui Y, Ehrhardt MJ, Howell R, Oeffinger K, Gibson T, Chow EJ, Leisenring W, Salehabadi SM, Srivastava D, Robison LL, Armstrong GT, Krull KR. Modifiable Risk Factors for Neurocognitive and Psychosocial Outcomes After Hodgkin Lymphoma. Blood Dec 3:2021. Epub ahead of print. PubMed PMID: 34861035. DOI: 10.1182/blood.2021013167

Phillips NS, Rao V, Kmetz L, Vela R, Medick S, Krull KR, Kesler SR. Changes in brain functional and effective connectivity after treatment for breast cancer and implications for intervention targets. Brain Connect Epub September 3, 2021. PubMed PMID: 34210168. DOI: 10.1089/brain.2021.0049. Role: First author, corresponding author.

Gandy K, Scoggins MA, Phillips NS, van der Plas E, Fellah S, Jacola LM, Pui CH, Hudson MM, Reddick WE, Sitaram R, Krull KR. Sex-Based Differences in Functional Brain Activity During Working Memory in Survivors of Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. JNCI Cancer Spectrum Apr;6(2):pkac026, 2022. PMID: 35603857. DOI: 10.1093/jncics/pkac026

Phillips NS, Khan RB, Li C, Mirzaei Salehabadi S, Brinkman TM, Srivastava DK, Robison LL, Hudson MM, Krull KR, Sadighi ZS. Seizure’ impact on cognition and quality of life in childhood cancer survivors. Cancer Jan 1;128(1):180-191, 2022. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8678188. DOI: 10.1002/cncr.33879. Role: First author, corresponding author. 

Phillips NS, Duke ES, Schofield HL, Ullrich NJ. Neurotoxic effects of childhood cancer therapy and its potential neurocognitive impact. J Clin Oncol 39(16):1752-1765, 2021. PMCID: PMC8260913. DOI: 10.1200/JCO.20.02533Role: First author, corresponding author

Varedi M, Lu L, Phillips NS, Partin R, Brinkman TM, Armstrong GT, Chase E, Khan RJ, Powell D, McKenna RF, Robison LL, Hudson MM, Ness KK. Balance impairment in survivors of pediatric brain tumors: risk factors and associated limitations. J Cancer Surviv Apr;15(2):311-324, 2021. PubMed PMCID: PMC7936993. DOI: 10.1007/s11764-020-00932-5

Phillips NS, Kesler SR, Scoggins MA, Glass JO, Cheung YT, Liu W, Banerjee P, Ogg RJ, Srivastava D, Pui CH, Robison LL, Reddick WE, Hudson MH, Krull KR. Connectivity of the Cerebello-Thalamo-Cortical Pathway in Survivors of Childhood Leukemia Treated with Chemotherapy-Only. JAMA Netw Open Nov;3(11):e2025839, 2020. . PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7679952. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.25839. Role: First author

Phillips NS, Cheung YT, Glass JO, Scoggins MA, Lui W, Ogg RJ, Mulrooney DA, Pui CH, Robison LL, Reddick WE, Hudson MM, Krull KR. Neuroanatomical abnormalities related to dexamethasone exposure in survivors of childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Pediatr Blood Cancer Mar;67(3):e27968, 2020. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6980878. DOI: 10.1002/pbc.27968. Role: First author

Phillips NS, Howell CR, Lanctot JQ, Partin RE, Pui CH, Hudson MM, Robison LL, Krull KR, Ness KK. Physical fitness and neurocognitive outcomes in adult survivors of childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A report from the St. Jude Lifetime Cohort. Cancer Feb 1;126(3):640-648, 2020. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6980277. DOI: 10.1002/cncr.32510. Role: First author

Phillips NS, Hillenbrand CM, Mitrea BG, Yan J, Li C, Scoggins MA, Merchant TE, Armstrong GT, Srivastava DK, Pui CH, Robison LL, Hudson MM, Krull KR, Sabin ND. Cerebral microbleeds in adult survivors of childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia treated with cranial radiation. Sci Rep Jan 20;10(1):692, 2020. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6971068. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-57682-8. Role: First author

Banerjee P, Rossi MG, Anghelescu DL, Liu W, Breazeale AM, Reddick WE, Glass JO, Phillips NS, Jacola LM, Sabin ND, Inaba H, Srivastava DK, Robison LL, Pui CH, Hudson MM, Krull KR. Association between anesthesia exposure and neurocognitive and neuroimaging outcomes in long-term survivors of childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. JAMA Oncol Jun 20;5(10):1456-1463, 2019. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6587141. DOI: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2019.1094

Krull K, Li C, Phillips NS, Cheung YT, Brinkman T, Wilson C, Armstrong G, Khan R, Merchant T, Sabin N, Srivastava D, Pui CH, Robison L, Hudson M, Sklar C, Chemaitilly W. Growth hormone deficiency and neurocognitive function in adult survivors of childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Cancer May 15;125(10):1748-1755, 2019. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6486430. DOI: 10.1002/cncr.31975

Kesler SR, Ogg RJ, Reddick WE, Phillips NS, Scoggins MA, Glass JO, Cheung YT, Pui CH, Robison LL, Hudson MM, Krull KR. Brain network connectivity and executive function in long-term survivors of childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Brain Connect Aug;8(6):333-342, 2018. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6103246. DOI: 10.1089/brain.2017.0574

Wang Z, Wilson CL, Easton J, Thrasher A, Mulder H, Liu Q, Hedges DJ, Wang S, Rusch MC, Edmonson MN, Levy S, Lanctot JQ, Caron E, Shelton K, Currie K, Lear M, Patel A, Rosencrance C, Shao Y, Vadodaria B, Yergeau D, Sapkota Y, Brooke RJ, Moon W, Rampersaud E, Ma X, Chang TC, Rice SV, Pepper C, Zhou X, Chen X, Chen W, Jones A, Boone B, Ehrhardt MJ, Krasin MJ, Howell RM, Phillips NS, Lewis C, Srivastava D, Pui CH, Kesserwan CA, Wu G, Nichols KE, Downing JR, Hudson MM, Yasui Y, Robison LL, Zhang J. Genetic risk for subsequent neoplasms among long-term survivors of childhood cancer. J Clin Oncol Jul 10;36(20):2078-2087, 2018. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6036620. DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2018.77.8589

Harrigan RL, Yvernault BC, Boyd BD, Damon SM, Gibney KD, Conrad BN, Phillips NS, Rogers BP, Gao Y, Landman BA. Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science Center for Computational Imaging XNAT: A multimodal data archive and processing environment. Neuroimage Jan 1;124(Pt B):1097-1101, 2016. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4646735. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.05.021

Barb SM, Rodriguez-Galindo C, Wilson MW, Phillips NS, Zou P, Scoggins MA, Li Y, Qaddoumi I, Helton JK, Bikhazi G, Haik G, Ogg RJ. Functional neuroimaging to characterize visual system development in children with retinoblastoma. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci Apr 20;52(5):2619-2626, 2011. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3088553. DOI: 10.1167/iovs.10-5600

Morris EB, Phillips NS, Laningham FH, Patay Z, Gajjar A, Wallace D, Boop F, Sanford R, Ness KK, Ogg RJ. Proximal dentatothalamocortical tract involvement in posterior fossa syndrome. Brain Nov;132(Pt 11):3087-95, 2009. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2781745. DOI: 10.1093/brain/awp241

Helton KJ, Weeks JK, Phillips NS, Zou P, Kun LE, Khan RB, Gajjar A, Fouladi M, Broniscer A, Boop FA, Li CS, Ogg RJ. Diffusion tensor imaging of brainstem tumors: axonal degeneration of motor and sensory tracts. J Neurosurg Pediatr Apr;1(4):270-276, 2008. PubMed PMID: 18377301

Helton KJ, Phillips NS, Khan RB, Boop FA, Sanford RA, Zou P, Li CS, Langston JW, Ogg RJ. Diffusion tensor imaging of tract involvement in children with pontine tumors. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol Apr;27(4):786-793, 2006. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8133969

Phillips NS, Helton, KJ, Gajjar A, Boop FA, Sanford, RA, & Ogg RJ. Diffusion tensor imaging of intraaxial tumors at the cervicomedullary and pontomedullary junctions. Report of two cases. J Neurosurg Dec;103(6 Suppl):557-62, 2005. PMID: 16383256. DOI: 10.3171/ped.2005.103.6.0557. Role: First author

Ries ML, Boop FA, Griebel ML, Zou P, Phillips NS, Johnson SC, Williams JP, Helton KJ, Ogg RJ. Functional MRI and Wada determination of language lateralization: A case of crossed dominance. Epilepsia Jan;45(1):85-89, 2004. PMID: 14692913. DOI: 10.1111/j.0013-9580.2004.04403.x

Last update: November 2022

Close