About the symposium
Recent years have seen the research and care of rare neurological diseases evolve from diagnosis and comfort care into treatment and hope, driven by advancements in biological understanding of disease and therapeutic technologies. The St. Jude Pediatric Translational Neuroscience Initiative (PTNI) is uniquely positioned to translate this knowledge into impactful clinical outcomes for children with these conditions.
The inaugural St. Jude Pediatric Translational Neuroscience Symposium, hosted by PTNI April 8-9, 2025, brought together leading experts in pediatric neuroscience to discuss topics critical to accelerating advancement in the field. This inaugural Symposium will tackle critical issues including gene discovery, movement from identification of genetic variants to development of therapeutic candidates, and considerations for gene therapy and translational research. Speakers and attendees, including researchers, clinicians, patient advocates, and industry partners, will come together to learn about, share, and guide advances in addressing rare pediatric neurological diseases.
The 2025 St. Jude Pediatric Translational Neuroscience Symposium was presented by the St. Jude Biomedical Research Symposium, an annual series typically exclusive to the St. Jude research community.
Event hosts
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J. Paul Taylor, MD, PhD
Executive Vice President
Scientific Director
Chair, Cell & Molecular Biology Department
Director, Pediatric Translational Neuroscience Initiative
Edward F. Barry Endowed Chair in Cell and Molecular Biology
J. Paul Taylor, MD, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Executive Vice President
Scientific Director
Chair, Cell & Molecular Biology Department
Director, Pediatric Translational Neuroscience Initiative
Edward F. Barry Endowed Chair in Cell and Molecular Biology
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Neurogenetics
- Mechanisms of neurological diseases
- RNA and RNA-binding proteins
- Biomolecular condensates
Contact Information
J. Paul Taylor, MD, PhD
Cell & Molecular Biology
MS 340, Room 4063D
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Richard S. Finkel, MD
Director, Center for Experimental Neurotherapeutics
Director, Pediatric Translational Neuroscience Clinical Research Network, Powered by St. Jude
George J. Pedersen Endowed Chair in Neurotherapeutics
Richard S. Finkel, MD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Director, Center for Experimental Neurotherapeutics
Director, Pediatric Translational Neuroscience Clinical Research Network, Powered by St. Jude
George J. Pedersen Endowed Chair in Neurotherapeutics
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Participation in clinical trials with investigational drugs for pediatric neurologic and metabolic diseases
- Development of outcome measures, biomarkers, and clinical trial design for pediatric neurologic diseases
- Understanding the trajectories of change in pediatric neuromuscular diseases: spinal muscular atrophy, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and Charcot-Marie-Tooth inherited neuropathies.
Contact Information
Richard S. Finkel, MD
Center for Experimental Neurotherapeutics
MS 760
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Peter J. McKinnon, PhD
Director, Center for Pediatric Neurological Disease Research
Director, Genomic Medicine Initiative
Endowed Chair in Pediatric Neurological Diseases
Peter J. McKinnon, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Director, Center for Pediatric Neurological Disease Research
Director, Genomic Medicine Initiative
Endowed Chair in Pediatric Neurological Diseases
Affiliations
Research Interests
- DNA damage response in the nervous system
- Molecular neurobiology
- Mouse models of human disease
- Brain tumors
- Neurodegeneration
- Tumor suppressors
Contact Information
Peter J. McKinnon, PhD
Genomic and Translational Neuroscience
MS 331, Room D3055F
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Kristin Stephenson, MHA, JD
Vice President and Director, Office of Strategy & Alliances
Pediatric Translational Neuroscience Initiative
Kristin Stephenson, MHA, JD
Vice President and Director, Office of Strategy & Alliances
Pediatric Translational Neuroscience Initiative
Biography
Kristin Stephenson joined St. Jude in 2021 to lead the Office of Strategy & Alliances in the Pediatric Translational Neuroscience Initiative (PTNI). Immediately before joining St. Jude, Kristin served as EVP, Chief Advocacy and Clinical Services Officer for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Prior to her tenure in the non-profit space, Kristin served as an attorney in the health care litigation practice groups of Fulbright & Jaworski, LLP (now Norton Rose Fulbright) and Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer and Feld, LLP, and as a business consultant in the healthcare practice of Arthur Andersen, LLC.
Contact Information
Kristin Stephenson, MHA, JD
Pediatric Translational Neuroscience Initiative
MS 760, Room S3024
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
Overview
Event: St. Jude Pediatric Translational Neuroscience Symposium
Date: April 8-9, 2025
Location: Virtual
Program host:
Pediatric Translational Neuroscience Initiative
Event contact:
PTNI_Symposium@stjude.org
About the St. Jude Pediatric Translational Neuroscience Initiative (PTNI)
St. Jude is committed to transforming the treatment landscape for children living with catastrophic pediatric neurological disorders through PTNI. Launched in 2020, is a formalized mechanism for translational neuroscience that extends from fundamental bench science to experimental neurotherapeutics with an emphasis on working closely with stakeholders across multiple sectors, including other researchers and institutions, patient and community groups, industry, and policymakers.
Through collaborations and thought partnership, PTNI engages thought leaders to identify promising paths forward in the pediatric neuroscience space, convening scientists, clinicians, patient advocates, and others to address the unmet needs of children with these disorders.