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St. Jude Family of Websites
Explore our cutting edge research, world-class patient care, career opportunities and more.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Home
- Fundraising
These faculty members are accepting first-year rotation students for the upcoming academic year.
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Brian J. Abraham, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Course Director, Computational Biology, St. Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Brian J. Abraham, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Course Director, Computational Biology, St. Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Studying how gene transcription is regulated, including genome organization and responses to environmental cues.
- Investigating transcriptional changes in disease to understand pathology and identify potential treatments.
- Exploring DNA elements that regulate cell identity, tumor survival, and mutations, while modeling core regulatory circuits.
- Developing tools to map super-enhancers, their interactions, and the genes they regulate using sequencing data.
Contact Information
Brian J. Abraham, PhD
Computational Biology
MS 1135, Room IA6050
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Salvador Almagro-Moreno, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Salvador Almagro-Moreno, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Emergence and evolution of bacterial pathogens
- Cholera and other enteric diseases
- Virulence regulation and host colonization dynamics
- Septicemia-causing emerging pathogens
- Environmental drivers of disease transmission
Contact Information
Salvador Almagro-Moreno, PhD
Department of Host-Microbe Interactions
MS 221, Room DT2038C
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Fernando C. Alsina, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Fernando C. Alsina, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Investigating molecular and cellular mechanisms driving neural differentiation and maturation during brain development.
- Studying how neural cells utilize signaling pathways, transcriptomic regulation, and cytoskeletal dynamics.
- Exploring dual-function proteins that regulate RNA and the cytoskeleton, linked to neurodevelopmental and neurological disorders.
- Uncovering regulatory mechanisms in the nervous system to identify potential therapeutic targets.
Contact Information
Fernando C. Alsina, PhD
Department of Genomic and Translational Neuroscience
MS 326
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Aseem Z. Ansari
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Chair, Chemical Biology & Therapeutics
R. J. Ulrich Endowed Chair
Affiliations
Department of Chemical Biology and TherapeuticsAseem Z. Ansari
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Chair, Chemical Biology & Therapeutics
R. J. Ulrich Endowed Chair
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Synthetic gene regulators (SynGRs) as precision-tailored therapeutics for personalized medicine
- Artificial transcription factors (ATFs) to regulate cell fate programs and enable regenerative medicine
- Specificity and Energy landscapes for SynGR/ATF design, genome annotation, and precision medicine
- Chemical-Genetic dissection of RNA polymerase II transcription cycle
Short Biography
Dr. Aseem Ansari is guiding St. Jude forward as a leader in the field of transcription-targeted therapeutics. His distinguished research achievements are complemented by a passion for collaboration and innovative training; he has founded several successful STEM training programs and created new forums for scientific exchange within, and beyond, the St. Jude community. From his graduate work at the interface of chemistry and biology at Northwestern to his postdoctoral training in gene regulation at Harvard and MIT, to his lauded faculty role at the University of Wisconsin Madison, Dr. Ansari continues to broaden the boundaries of discovery in his role as Chair of the Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics.
Contact Information
Aseem Z. Ansari
Chemical Biology & Therapeutics
MS 1000, Room E9050A
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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M. Brooke Beavers Bernhardt, PharmD, MS, FCCP, BCOP, BCPPS
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Chief Pharmacy Officer
Division Director, Pharmacy Services
Associate Professor, St. Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
M. Brooke Beavers Bernhardt, PharmD, MS, FCCP, BCOP, BCPPS
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Chief Pharmacy Officer
Division Director, Pharmacy Services
Associate Professor, St. Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Pharmacogenomics of treatment-related toxicity and outcomes in pediatric cancer
- Novel drug development and therapeutic repurposing in pediatric oncology and hematology
- Epidemiology and population sciences in pediatric oncology and hematology
- Pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research
Contact Information
M. Brooke Beavers Bernhardt, PharmD, MS, FCCP, BCOP, BCPPS
Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences
MS 150, Room C1300
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Senthil Bhoopalan, MBBS, PhD, FAAP
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Senthil Bhoopalan, MBBS, PhD, FAAP
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Research Interests
- Gene therapy and genome editing
- Inherited bone marrow failure syndromes, with particular focus on Diamond-Blackfan anemia
- Role of ribosomes in hematopoiesis
- Bone marrow transplantation for bone marrow failure syndromes
Contact Information
Senthil Bhoopalan, MBBS, PhD, FAAP
Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Jay B. Bikoff, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Jay B. Bikoff, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Mechanisms through which neural circuits govern motor output
- Molecular diversity of neurons in the vertebrate motor system
- Interactions between supraspinal brain systems, spinal circuits and sensory inputs that control movement
Contact Information
Jay B. Bikoff, PhD
Developmental Neurobiology
MS 322, Room D2006C
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Daniel J. Blair, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Daniel J. Blair, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Covalent interactions between small molecules and proteins/RNA
- Automated synthesis and study of small organic molecules
Contact Information
Daniel J. Blair, PhD
Chemical Biology & Therapeutics
MS 1000, Room E8064
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Scott C. Blanchard, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Endowed Chair in Molecular Imaging
Affiliations
Department of Structural Biology Single Molecule Imaging Center Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Comprehensive Cancer Center St. Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Biomolecular NMR Center Biomolecular X-Ray Crystallography Center Cryo-EM Center Protein Technologies Center Cancer Biology ProgramScott C. Blanchard, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Endowed Chair in Molecular Imaging
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Investigating structure-function relationships in macromolecular assemblies using genetic, biochemical, and spectroscopic techniques
- Developing single-molecule fluorescence imaging methods to study biological processes
- Focusing on protein synthesis, ribosome biogenesis, membrane protein signaling, and small-molecule interventions in infectious diseases
- Revealing regulatory mechanisms to improve clinical interventions and advance human health
Contact Information
Scott C. Blanchard, PhD
Structural Biology
MS 311, Room M6430
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Samuel W. Brady, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Samuel W. Brady, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Integrating cancer genomics and pharmacology to discover new treatments for pediatric cancer
- Using cancer mutational signatures to develop novel treatment and prevention strategies
- Identifying therapeutic vulnerabilities linked to driver rearrangements and other mutations in cancer
- Translating genomic findings from patients into experimental approaches to improve cancer therapies
Contact Information
Samuel W. Brady, PhD
Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences
MS 313, Room I5103A
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Joshua Burns, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Jeweler's Charity Fund Endowed Chair
Director, St. Jude Disability Prevention Program
Director, Human Performance, Gait & Mobility Labs
Joshua Burns, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Jeweler's Charity Fund Endowed Chair
Director, St. Jude Disability Prevention Program
Director, Human Performance, Gait & Mobility Labs
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Gait and movement disorders of childhood
- Peripheral neuropathy and nervous system malformations
- Clinical Outcome Assessments and biomarkers
- Precision measurement and disability prevention
Contact Information
Joshua Burns, PhD
Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Control
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Chi-Lun Chang, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Department of Cell and Molecular BiologyChi-Lun Chang, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Spatial-temporal regulation of energy homeostasis at lipid droplet-organelle contact sites
- Dynamic organization of ER-Golgi secretory compartments
- Alteration of inter-organelle communication in neurological diseases
Contact Information
Chi-Lun Chang, PhD
Cell & Molecular Biology
MS 340, Room M4426
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Xiaoyu Chen, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Xiaoyu Chen, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Therapeutic development for rare pediatric neurological disorders
- Stem cell-based tools for studying human nervous system
- (Patho)physiological transcription regulation across human brain development
Contact Information
Xiaoyu Chen, PhD
Center for Pediatric Neurological Disease Research
MS 326
St. Jude Childen's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Taosheng Chen, PhD, PMP
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Director, High Throughput Bioscience Center
Taosheng Chen, PhD, PMP
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Director, High Throughput Bioscience Center
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Regulation of PXR and CAR (nuclear receptors), and CYP3A (drug–metabolizing enzymes) in drug toxicity, drug resistance and human diseases
- Development of chemical probes and therapeutic leads for PXR, CAR and CYP3A
- Development of drug discovery technologies
- High throughput screening and high content screening
Contact Information
Taosheng Chen, PhD, PMP
Chemical Biology & Therapeutics
MS 1000, Room E9054
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Jason Cheng-Hsuan Chiang, MD, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Jason Cheng-Hsuan Chiang, MD, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Diagnosis and classification of pediatric central nervous system neoplasms
- Molecular drivers and markers of pediatric central nervous system neoplasms
Contact Information
Jason Cheng-Hsuan Chiang, MD, PhD
Pathology
MS 250, Room C5024A
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Wilson K. Clements, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Associate Dean, Biomedical Sciences PhD Program
Wilson K. Clements, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Associate Dean, Biomedical Sciences PhD Program
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Investigating how hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are specified from primitive endothelium in the dorsal aorta
- Identifying cellular and molecular factors in the "specification niche" that direct HSC development for regenerative medicine and gene therapy
- Establishing models of B-lineage leukemia to study oncogenes, tumor suppressors, and cancer-related genetic alterations
- Exploring how normal hematopoietic programs are coopted in cancer to influence tumor formation, metastasis, and treatment outcomes
Short Biography
Wilson Clements received his BA in English from Williams College, followed by postbaccalaureate training in Biochemistry at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He earned his PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Washington, where he studied early embryonic development and Wnt signaling. Wilson received postdoctoral training at the University of California at San Diego, where he investigated the genetic regulation of hematopoietic stem cell specification. He joined the faculty of Hematology at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in 2012 and the Clements group investigates the cellular and molecular microenvironment that directs establishment of the adult blood system during embryonic development: the hematopoietic stem cell specification niche.
At St. Jude, Wilson has been extensively involved in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences since its inception—first in development of the curriculum and subsequently as the Developmental Biology Module Director and Chair of the Admissions Committee. Wilson is devoted to fostering the development of the next generation of research scientists and was recognized as the 2018 St. Jude Mentor of the Year. Alumni of the Clements group now hold positions as faculty, physicians, and senior researchers in industry.
Contact Information
Wilson K. Clements, PhD
Hematology
MS 355, Room D3022E
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Jeremy Chase Crawford, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Jeremy Chase Crawford, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Integrative Biology
- Translational immunology, immunotherapy, and immunoinformatics
- Development of next-generation and multi-omic molecular methods
- Childhood immune development
- Immune perturbations from disease and treatment
- Host-pathogen interactions
Contact Information
Jeremy Chase Crawford, PhD
Department of Host-Microbe Interactions
MS 221
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Tommaso Cupido, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Tommaso Cupido, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Mechanism and regulation of protein machines
- Chemical Probe Discovery
- Cancer biology
Contact Information
Tommaso Cupido, PhD
Chemical Biology & Therapeutics
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Fabio Demontis, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Fabio Demontis, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Role of proteostasis and stress responses in skeletal muscle aging
- Systemic signaling via muscle-derived secreted factors (myokines) during aging and age-related diseases
Contact Information
Fabio Demontis, PhD
Developmental Neurobiology Inspiration4 Advanced Research Center
MS 322, Room M2421
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Marta Derecka, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Marta Derecka, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Transcriptional regulation of bone marrow niche
- Niche-driven regulation of hematopoietic stem cells chromatin landscape
Contact Information
Marta Derecka, PhD
Hematology
MS 341, Room D3007E
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Camila dos Santos, Ph.D.
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Research Interests
- Characterizing epithelial and immune mechanisms that can be translated into preventive and interception strategies to target pre-cancerous cell states
- Disruption of stromal–epithelial crosstalk as a central mechanism of cancer initiation, using targeted interventions to prevent the microenvironment from supporting malignant transformation.
- Designing life-stage–specific interception strategies that leverage physiological transitions (pregnancy, infection, menopause) as windows of opportunity to block cancer initiation and progression
- Developing and leveraging innovative model systems to define the molecular and cellular drivers of elevated breast cancer risk in childhood cancer survivors
Contact Information
Camila dos Santos, Ph.D.
Oncology
MS 352
St. Jude Childen's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Adam D. Durbin, MD, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Adam D. Durbin, MD, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Research Interests
- Epigenetic and transcriptional regulation of high-risk pediatric cancers, including neuroblastoma and rhabdomyosarcoma
- Chemical biology and functional genomic perturbation of cancer systems biology
- Drug discovery for pediatric high-risk tumors
- Pathogenesis and modeling of rare tumors
Contact Information
Adam D. Durbin, MD, PhD
Molecular Oncology
MS 353, Room D5062F
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Caroline Escoubas, MD, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Caroline Escoubas, MD, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Contact Information
Caroline Escoubas, MD, PhD
Developmental Neurobiology
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Yongqiang Feng, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Yongqiang Feng, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Epigenetic and transcriptional control of regulatory T cell lineage specification and function
- Mechanisms governing regulatory T cell stability and plasticity
- Development of new tools and analytical platforms to investigate T cell tolerance
Contact Information
Yongqiang Feng, PhD
Immunology
MS 351, Room E7064
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Marcus Fischer, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Marcus Fischer, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Ligand discovery
- Variable-temperature protein crystallography
- Protein conformational ensembles
- Protein flexibility and hydration
- Protein structure and its role in protein function and malfunction
- Molecular docking
Contact Information
Marcus Fischer, PhD
Chemical Biology & Therapeutics and Structural Biology
MS 1000, Room E9055
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Pietro Fontana, DPhil
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Pietro Fontana, DPhil
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Structural innate immunity and immunotherapy lab
- Targeting inflammation with small molecules
Short Biography
Researching structural innate immunity and immunotherapy, and using small molecules to target inflammation.
Contact Information
Pietro Fontana, DPhil
Center of Excellence for Pediatric Immuno-Oncology
MS 1160, Room I6108
St. Jude Childen's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Paul Geeleher, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Paul Geeleher, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Applications of machine learning and AI in translational medicine
- Genomics technologies (e.g. single-cell / spatial transcriptomics)
- Drug target and drug combination discovery
- Neuroblastoma
Contact Information
Paul Geeleher, PhD
Computational Biology
MS 1135, Room IA6052
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Bryan A. Gibson, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Bryan A. Gibson, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Research Interests
- Spatial order and assembly of chromosomes
- Cellular compartment formation through phase separation
- DNA nanoscopy and chromatin structure
- Biochemical reconstitution of nuclear functions
Contact Information
Bryan A. Gibson, PhD
Cell & Molecular Biology
MS 4422
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Christoph Gorgulla, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Christoph Gorgulla, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Development of next generation methods for computational biology and ligand/drug discovery based on ultra-large virtual screenings, artificial intelligence, quantum chemistry and quantum computing
- Applied ligand/drug discovery, in particular related to the fields of cancer, epigenetics and healthy aging
Contact Information
Christoph Gorgulla, PhD
Department of Structural Biologyh
MS 311
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Stephen Gottschalk, MD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Chair, Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation & Cellular Therapy
Co-Director, Center of Excellence for Pediatric Immuno-Oncology (CEPIO)
Endowed Chair in Bone Marrow Transplantation & Cellular Therapy
Stephen Gottschalk, MD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Chair, Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation & Cellular Therapy
Co-Director, Center of Excellence for Pediatric Immuno-Oncology (CEPIO)
Endowed Chair in Bone Marrow Transplantation & Cellular Therapy
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Cancer immunotherapy
- Cell therapy
- Stem cell transplantation
Short Biography
Exploring translational immune-oncology and immunotherapy for pediatric cancer
Contact Information
Stephen Gottschalk, MD
Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy
MS 321, Room I4112
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Lillian Macrae Guenther, MD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Lillian Macrae Guenther, MD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Biologic investigation of novel dependency genes in pediatric osteosarcoma
- DNA damage repair mechanisms in pediatric osteosarcoma
- Development of novel therapeutic strategies for pediatric bone sarcomas
- Applications of genomic and chemical screening to identify targeted combinations in pediatric bone sarcomas
Contact Information
Lillian Macrae Guenther, MD
Molecular Oncology
MS 353, Room D5062D
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Alejandro Gutierrez, MD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Alejandro Gutierrez, MD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Deciphering the molecular basis for oncogenic transformation and therapy resistance
Contact Information
Alejandro Gutierrez, MD
Oncology
MS 354
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Mario Halic, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Regulation of genome expression
- Recognition and silencing of foreign genetic elements
- Chromatin modifications that lead to silencing (cryo-EM)
- Changes in chromatin structure induced by chromatin modifiers (cryo-EM)
Contact Information
Mario Halic, PhD
Structural Biology
MS 311, Room M6418
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Young-Goo Han, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Young-Goo Han, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Brain development (mechanisms of neocortical growth and folding)
- Molecular mechanisms of Hedgehog signaling
- Function of primary cilia in medulloblastoma
Contact Information
Young-Goo Han, PhD
Developmental Neurobiology
MS 325, Room D2058C
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Mark E. Hatley, MD, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Director, Division of Molecular Oncology
Mark E. Hatley, MD, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Director, Division of Molecular Oncology
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Cellular and molecular origins of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma
- MicroRNAs in pediatric sarcomas
- Mouse models of pediatric sarcomas
- Development of novel therapies for pediatric sarcomas
Contact Information
Mark E. Hatley, MD, PhD
Molecular Oncology
MS 354, Room D5048F
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Elizabeth M. C. Hillman, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Chair, Department of Imaging Sciences
Faculty, St. Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Endowed Chair
Elizabeth M. C. Hillman, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Chair, Department of Imaging Sciences
Faculty, St. Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Endowed Chair
Research Interests
- Development of high-speed 3D microscopy and wide-field optical mapping approaches for dynamic, functional and metabolic in vivo imaging
- Development of dynamic image analysis, modelling and data visualization methods
- The application of in vivo imaging approaches to understanding tissue physiology in health and disease, including neurovascular coupling and relationships between neuronal activity and real-time behavior
- Large-scale, high throughput and high-content microscopy of cell types, structures and connectivity in the brain and organs across species
- High-speed in vivo and bedside histopathology
Contact Information
Elizabeth M. C. Hillman, PhD
Department of Imaging Sciences
MS 222
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Bo Hu, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Neuro-Immunology
- Immunometabolism
- Tumor immunology
- Innate immunity
Contact Information
Bo Hu, PhD
Immunology
MS 351, Room M5418
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, 38105
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Dolores Irala, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Dolores Irala, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Excitatory and inhibitory synaptogenesis
- Astrocyte-neuron communication
- Astrocyte-secreted molecules during synapse formation
- Role of astrocyte dysfunction in neurodevelopmental disorders
Contact Information
Dolores Irala, PhD
Department of Genomic and Translational Neuroscience
MS 326
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Elizabeth H. Kellogg, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Department of Structural BiologyElizabeth H. Kellogg, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Genome engineering, organization and architecture.
Contact Information
Elizabeth H. Kellogg, PhD
Structural Biology
MS 311, Room M6428
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Jeffery M. Klco, MD, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Director, Division of Hematopathology and Molecular Diagnostics
Jeffery M. Klco, MD, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Director, Division of Hematopathology and Molecular Diagnostics
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Genomic and functional characterization of acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes
- Using experimental in vivo and in vitro approaches to study signaling pathways in myeloid development
- Using genomic information to improve the outcome and risk stratification of children with cancer
Clinical Interests
Molecular and biological causes of pediatric myeloid tumors
Contact Information
Jeffery M. Klco, MD, PhD
Pathology
MS 342, Room D4047B
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Giedre Krenciute, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Giedre Krenciute, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Generating and optimizing novel and safe CAR T cell-based therapies to target pediatric brain tumors
- Enhancing CAR T persistence and efficacy using different genetic manipulations
- Understanding tumor escape mechanism post CAR T-cell treatment
- Understanding CAR T-cell functional memory programs that control their long-term effector function
- Defining CAR T-cell and brain tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) interactions using immune competent brain tumor models
Contact Information
Giedre Krenciute, PhD
Bone Marrow Transplantation & Cellular Therapy
MS 310, Room I4104
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Myriam Labelle, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Myriam Labelle, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Role of the microenvironment during cancer metastasis
- Influence of platelets on tumor cell behavior
- Platelet-derived factors and signals involved in cancer progression and metastasis
Contact Information
Myriam Labelle, PhD
Molecular Oncology
MS 354, Room D5024G
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Susan M. Lea, DPhil, FMedSci, FRS
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Endowed Chair in Structural Biology
Susan M. Lea, DPhil, FMedSci, FRS
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Endowed Chair in Structural Biology
Research Interests
- Defining the architecture for type 3 protein secretion systems
- Structure and mechanisms of bacterial flagellar motility
- Structures and functions of bacterial folded-protein secretion systems
- Bacterial evasion of mammalian immunity and vaccine design
- Eukaryotic protein translocation and processing machineries
Contact Information
Susan M. Lea, DPhil, FMedSci, FRS
Structural Biology
MS 314
St. Jude Childen's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Richard E. Lee, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Endowed Chair in Medicinal Chemistry
Adjunct Professor, University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Richard E. Lee, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Endowed Chair in Medicinal Chemistry
Adjunct Professor, University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Design, synthesis, and development of novel antibiotic and chemotherapeutic agents
- Modulation of Coenzyme A levels for the treatment of rare diseases and cancer
- Development of innovative therapeutic approaches to tackle drug-resistant infections
Contact Information
Richard E. Lee, PhD
Chemical Biology & Therapeutics
MS 1000, Room E9053
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Markos Leggas, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Director, Center for Translational Pharmacology
Markos Leggas, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Director, Center for Translational Pharmacology
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Pharmacometabolomic methods to improve therapeutic outcomes and minimize toxicity in the context of pediatric clinical trials
- Pharmacometric and systems pharmacology approaches to enable drug development and guide therapy
- Development of transcription factor pharmacologic inhibitors
- Biomarkers and treatment of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome
Contact Information
Markos Leggas, PhD
Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
MS 313, Room I5104
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 381053678
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Chunliang Li, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Chunliang Li, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Contribution of non-coding elements and dysregulated transcription in cancer
- Chromatin architecture
- Acute myeloid leukemia and acute lymphoblastic leukemia
- Development of novel leukemia strategies
Contact Information
Chunliang Li, PhD
Oncology
MS 350, Room D5006E
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Affiliations
Research Interests
- Functional data analysis
- High-dimensional data analysis
- Imaging analysis
- Statistical learning and computing
- Nonparametric statistics
- Bioinformatics
Contact Information
Cai Li, PhD
Biostatistics
MS 768
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Dirk Loeffler, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Dirk Loeffler, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Molecular mechanisms of blood stem cell self-renewal & differentiation
- Cancer stem cells & clonal hematopoiesis
- Quantitative single-cell time-lapse imaging
- Asymmetric cell division
- Cellular memory
- Aging
Contact Information
Dirk Loeffler, PhD
Hematology
MS 341, Room D3055E
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Xiaotu Ma, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Research Interests
- Mathematical modeling
- Early detection of cancers
- Clonal evolution
- Germline mosaicism
Contact Information
Xiaotu Ma, PhD
Computational Biology
MS 1135, Room IA6049
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Stephen C. Mack, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Stephen C. Mack, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Brain tumors
- Gene regulation
- Brain development
- Developmental therapeutics
Contact Information
Stephen C. Mack, PhD
Developmental Neurobiology
MS 323, Room M3405
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Affiliations
Research Interests
- Developing and applying advanced light and electron microscopy, artificial intelligence, and computational tools to reveal cellular structure and dynamics
- Investigating mitochondrial and organelle dynamics, cytoskeletal organization, and inter-organelle interactions in health and disease
- Defining cellular mechanisms that contribute to hearing loss, peripheral neuropathy, neurodegeneration, and treatment-related neurotoxicity
- Developing gene, small-molecule, and regenerative strategies for rare neurologic and sensory disorders affecting children
- Creating open-source deep learning-based imaging and analysis tools that accelerate collaborative and reproducible biomedical research
Contact Information
Uri Manor, PhD
Imaging Sciences
MS 222
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Shannon McKinney-Freeman, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Shannon McKinney-Freeman, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Cellular and molecular regulation of hematopoietic stem cell in vivo repopulating activity
- Hematopoietic stem cell development and specification
- Hematopoietic stem cell fitness during chronic hematologic disease
Contact Information
Shannon McKinney-Freeman, PhD
Hematology
MS 341, Room D3007E
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Heather C. Mefford, MD, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Director, Pediatric Translational Neuroscience Clinical Research Network, Powered by St. Jude
Heather C. Mefford, MD, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Director, Pediatric Translational Neuroscience Clinical Research Network, Powered by St. Jude
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Genetics of pediatric neurological disease
- Molecular mechanisms in epileptic encephalopathies
- Genome structure and rearrangements
Contact Information
Heather C. Mefford, MD, PhD
Center for Pediatric Neurological Disease Research
MS 340, Room D4063B
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Christian Meyer, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical SciencesChristian Meyer, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Contact Information
Christian Meyer, PhD
Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
MS 313, Room I5308
St. Jude Childen's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Tanja Mittag, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Phase separation and its role in functional compartmentalization
- Dysregulation of phase separation in cancer and neurodegenerative diseases
- Sequence/conformation/function relationship of intrinsically disordered proteins
Contact Information
Tanja Mittag, PhD
Structural Biology
MS 311, Room M7432
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Charles G. Mullighan, MBBS (Hons), MSc, MD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Senior Deputy Director, Comprehensive Cancer Center
Co-Leader, Hematological Malignancies Program
Medical Director, St. Jude Biorepository
William E. Evans Endowed Chair
Charles G. Mullighan, MBBS (Hons), MSc, MD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Senior Deputy Director, Comprehensive Cancer Center
Co-Leader, Hematological Malignancies Program
Medical Director, St. Jude Biorepository
William E. Evans Endowed Chair
Affiliations
Research Interests
- The use of integrated genomic and epigenomic approaches to understand the pathogenesis and evolution of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and related disorders
- Defining the interaction of inherited and somatic genetic alterations in leukemogenesis
- The use of in vitro and in vivo experimental approaches to model genomic abnormalities in leukemogenesis
- Preclinical therapeutic testing to translate genomic discoveries to new treatment approaches in ALL
Clinical Interests
Genomic drivers of leukemia and treatment failure
Contact Information
Charles G. Mullighan, MBBS (Hons), MSc, MD
Pathology
MS 342, Room D4047D
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Kiel D. Neumann, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Director, Molecular Imaging Research Lab
Chief, Radiology Research Division
Kiel D. Neumann, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Director, Molecular Imaging Research Lab
Chief, Radiology Research Division
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Translational imaging and radiopharmaceutical development
Contact Information
Kiel D. Neumann, PhD
Department of Radiology
MS 220, Room I3120A
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Min Ni, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Genetic and metabolic control of development
- Pediatric cancer metabolism
- Metabolomics in systems biology
Clinical Interests
Genetic and metabolic regulation of childhood development and cancers
Contact Information
Min Ni, PhD
Molecular Oncology
MS 354, Room D5048E
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Paul A. Northcott, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Director, Center of Excellence in Neuro-Oncology Sciences (CENOS)
Endowed Chair, Molecular Neuro-Oncology
Co-leader, Cancer Center Neurobiology and Brain Tumor Program
Paul A. Northcott, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Director, Center of Excellence in Neuro-Oncology Sciences (CENOS)
Endowed Chair, Molecular Neuro-Oncology
Co-leader, Cancer Center Neurobiology and Brain Tumor Program
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Embryonal central nervous system tumors
- Disrupted neurodevelopment in pediatric brain tumors
- Genetic dependencies and preclinical model development
- Liquid biopsy genetic and methylation signatures
Contact Information
Paul A. Northcott, PhD
Developmental Neurobiology
MS 325, Room M3406
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Francis O'Reilly, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Francis O'Reilly, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Developing structural proteomics approaches to study the architecture and dynamics of protein complexes inside cells.
- Mapping the proteasome interactome to understand mechanisms of proteasome regulation and substrate processing.
- Discovery of novel protein complexes across the human microbiome and pathogenic bacteria.
Contact Information
Francis O'Reilly, PhD
Department of Structural Biology
MS 314, Room M7420
St. Jude Childen's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Stacey K. Ogden, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Mechanisms of sonic hedgehog signal transduction
- Mechanisms of cell-to-cell communication during development
- Regulation of cytoneme-based signal transport
Contact Information
Stacey K. Ogden, PhD
Cell & Molecular Biology
MS 340, Room 4007F
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Joseph T. Opferman, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Joseph T. Opferman, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Programmed cell death
- Cellular homeostasis
- Apoptotic proteins (BCL2 family members)
- Modulation of cell death machinery as a therapeutic strategy for lymphoid and myeloid leukemia
Contact Information
Joseph T. Opferman, PhD
Cell & Molecular Biology
MS 340, Room 4007C
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Junmin Peng, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliated Professor, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, UT Health Sciences Center, Memphis
Junmin Peng, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliated Professor, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, UT Health Sciences Center, Memphis
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Mass spectrometry-based proteomics and metabolomics
- Systems biology of cancer
- Molecular pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease
- Ubiquitin and proteome turnover
Contact Information
Junmin Peng, PhD
Structural Biology
MS 311, Room M7430
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Jasmine Plummer, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Director, Center for Spatial OMICs
Jasmine Plummer, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Director, Center for Spatial OMICs
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Single cell systems biology
- Spatial genomics and proteomics
- Disease pathogenesis from cells of origin
- Genomic technology development
Short Biography
Jasmine Plummer, PhD, is the founding Director of the Center for Spatial Omics and an Associate Member in the Department of Developmental Neurobiology. Her postdoctoral research focused on genetic risk in neurodevelopmental disorders. Dr. Plummer specializes in using multi-omics to study genetic risk in cancers and neurodevelopmental disorders and is known for developing spatial omics platforms.
Contact Information
Jasmine Plummer, PhD
Developmental Neurobiology
MS 322
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Affiliations
Research Interests
- Development of label-free optical imaging systems for basic, translational, and clinical applications
- Development of functional and molecular optical methods
- Advancing systems for point of care applications, including hematology, non-invasive in-vivo disease detection, and slide-free pathology
- Advancing computational methods for image analysis and improving imaging capabilities (e.g., speed, SNR, contrast)
- Novel pipelines for high-resolution deep tissue imaging without labels
Contact Information
Francisco E Robles, PhD
MS 222
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Jason W. Rosch, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Understanding host-pathogen interactions in Streptococcus pneumoniae
- Modeling complex respiratory infections and their role in disease and transmission
- Development of novel vaccine strategies for respiratory infections
- Modeling antibiotic resistance mechanisms in Streptococcus pneumoniae
- Understanding the role of high-risk hosts in infection susceptibility and antibiotic resistance development
Contact Information
Jason W. Rosch, PhD
Host-Microbe Interactions
MS 320, Room E8055
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Jeffrey M. Rybak, PharmD, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical SciencesJeffrey M. Rybak, PharmD, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Improvement in the treatment strategies for pediatric patients with invasive fungal infections
- Genetic and molecular determinants of antifungal treatment failures
- Discovery of therapeutic strategies to overcome difficult-to-treat fungal pathogens
- Creation of novel genetic and molecular tools to advance the study of pathogenic fungi
Contact Information
Jeffrey M. Rybak, PharmD, PhD
Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
MS 313, Room I5304
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Stacey L. Schultz-Cherry, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Deputy Director, World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Studies on the Ecology of Influenza in Animals and Birds
Senior Associate Dean, Student and Faculty Affairs
Stacey L. Schultz-Cherry, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Deputy Director, World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Studies on the Ecology of Influenza in Animals and Birds
Senior Associate Dean, Student and Faculty Affairs
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Influenza virus pathogenesis
- Astrovirus pathogenesis
- Novel vaccines and therapeutics
- Microbial co-infections
Short Biography
Stacey Schultz-Cherry, PhD is a Full Member (Professor) in the Department of Host-Microbe Interactions at St Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN where she serves as the Co-Director for the NIAID-funded Center for Excellence in Influenza Research and Response (CEIRR) and Co-Director for the NIAID-funded Collaborative Influenza Vaccine Innovation Center (CIVIC). She received her PhD in Molecular and Cellular Pathology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and did postdoctoral training in influenza virology at the University of Wisconsin. Before joining the faculty at St Jude Children’s Research Hospital in 2009, she was a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Schultz-Cherry is recognized internationally for her studies on the pathogenesis influenza and enteric viruses in high risk populations and influenza at the animal-human interface. Dr. Schultz-Cherry is the author and co-author of over 200 research articles, reviews and book chapters, is the past President of the American Society for Virology, and the current chair of the Public and Scientific Affairs Committee for the American Society for Microbiology (ASM).
Contact Information
Stacey L. Schultz-Cherry, PhD
Host-Microbe Interactions
MS 320, Room E8053
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Lindsay Schwarz, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Lindsay Schwarz, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Mechanisms regulating diverse functions of neuromodulatory circuits
- Activity patterns of neuromodulatory neurons in vivo during arousal-related behaviors
- Molecular diversity of locus coeruleus neurons
- How changes in neuromodulatory circuits promote psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders
Contact Information
Lindsay Schwarz, PhD
Developmental Neurobiology
MS 323, Room D2025F
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Anang A. Shelat, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Director, Lead Discovery Informatics
Anang A. Shelat, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Director, Lead Discovery Informatics
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Translational research in pediatric cancer
- Development of novel and selective epigenetic drug therapies
- Targeting the DNA damage response to optimize chemo- and radiation therapy
- Multi-scale modeling of biological and chemical data
Contact Information
Anang A. Shelat, PhD
Chemical Biology & Therapeutics
MS 1000, Room E9064
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3578
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David J. Solecki, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Molecular and cellular mechanisms regulating neuronal motility
- The interplay between neuronal differentiation and neuronal polarity signaling
- The centrosome as a focal point to coordinate cellular polarity
- Time-lapse microscopy as a tool to unlock the cell biology of neural development
- Cerebellar development
Contact Information
David J. Solecki, PhD
Developmental Neurobiology
MS 323, Room D2025G
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Victor J. Torres, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Chair, Host-Microbe Interactions
Albert and Rosemary Joseph Endowed Chair in Host-Microbe Interactions
Victor J. Torres, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Chair, Host-Microbe Interactions
Albert and Rosemary Joseph Endowed Chair in Host-Microbe Interactions
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Host-pathogen interactions
- Staphylococcus aureus biology
- Toxin biology
- Development of novel therapeutics against multidrug resistant pathogens
Short Biography
Dr. Victor J. Torres joined St. Jude in 2023 as the founding Chair of the Department of Host-Microbe Interactions. Previously, he founded and directed the Antimicrobial-Resistant Pathogens Program at NYU Grossman School of Medicine while also serving as the C.V. Starr Professor of Microbiology. Over the last 15 years, Torres has worked closely with industrial partners to translate his discoveries on Staphylococcus aureus virulence mechanisms into candidate vaccines and biologics. In 2023, Torres founded CIDR as a vehicle to accelerate research in catastrophic pediatric infectious diseases at St. Jude.
Contact Information
Victor J. Torres, PhD
Host-Microbe Interactions
MS 221, Room D2038D
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Shengdar Tsai, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Shengdar Tsai, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Genome Engineering
- Improving genomic methods to define and measure gene editing “off-target” effects
- Protein engineering of CRISPR-Cas nucleases for precise gene correction
- Regulation of DNA damage repair choice between error-prone non-homologous end-joining and precise homology-directed repair
- Hematology
- Genome-scale CRISPR-Cas screening for novel effectors of hematological diseases
- Developing novel strategies for allele-specific editing of genetic mutations that cause sickle cell disease and other hematological disorders
Contact Information
Shengdar Tsai, PhD
Experimental Hematology
MS 355, Room D3022B
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38195-3678
- Genome Engineering
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Steven M. Varga, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Dean, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Ex-officio member, Board of Trustees
Steven M. Varga, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Dean, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Ex-officio member, Board of Trustees
Research Interests
- Immunopathogenesis of respiratory viruses
- Innate and adaptive immunity to respiratory syncytial virus
- Vaccine development
- Pathogenesis of viral co-infections
- Cancer immunotherapy
Short Biography
Steven Varga received his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame before going on to earn his PhD in Immunology and Virology from the UMass Chan Medical School. He completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Virginia, after which he joined the faculty of the University of Iowa.
In Iowa, his passion for mentorship and working with students took hold through his role as Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Graduate Student Development in the Graduate College. He held the position of Professor of Microbiology and Immunology and maintained a secondary appointment in Pathology. In this role, he led an independent research program focusing on the role of virus-specific T lymphocytes in mediating immunity and immunopathology during viral infections, with a particular focus on respiratory viruses such as RSV, influenza A virus and SARS-CoV-2.
In 2021, he was recognized with a certificate of distinction for the Annual Student Supervisor of the Year Award from the University of Iowa. He has been the recipient of grants and fellowship support from the American Association of Immunologists, the American Lung Association and the National Institutes of Health, among others. He is an active member of the American Association of Immunologists, the American Society for Microbiology and the Society for Leukocyte Biology. He serves on several journal editorial boards and often gives invited lectures on his research.
Contact Information
Steven M. Varga, PhD
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
MS 1500, Room IA1200
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Paulina Velasquez, MD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Paulina Velasquez, MD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Adoptive immunotherapy of hematological malignancies
- Functional characterization of genetically modified cells
Contact Information
Paulina Velasquez, MD
Bone Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy
MS 310, Room I4109
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Jason D. Vevea, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Department of Developmental NeurobiologyJason D. Vevea, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Molecular mechanisms of the synaptic vesicle cycle
- Presynaptic origins of neurodegenerative disease
- Organelle trafficking and polarity in neurons
- Organelle quality control in neurons
Contact Information
Jason D. Vevea, PhD
Developmental Neurobiology
MS 322
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, 38105-3678
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Richard Webby, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Director, World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Studies on the Ecology of Influenza in Animals and Birds
Richard Webby, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Director, World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Studies on the Ecology of Influenza in Animals and Birds
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Influenza virus ecology
- Influenza vaccination
- Influenza virus pathogenicity
- Determinants of host susceptibility to influenza
Contact Information
Richard Webby, PhD
Host-Microbe Interactions
MS 330, Room I6301
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Marcin Wlodarski, MD, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Director, Bone Marrow Failure Program
Marcin Wlodarski, MD, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Director, Bone Marrow Failure Program
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Inherited bone marrow failure syndromes
- Childhood myelodysplastic syndromes and aplastic anemia
- Predisposition to myeloid malignancies
Contact Information
Marcin Wlodarski, MD, PhD
Experimental Hematology
MS 341, Room D3007F
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Jian Xu, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Research Interests
- Enhancer function and regulation in development and cancer
- Epigenetics-metabolism crosstalk in normal and disordered blood development
- Functional metabolism in hematopoiesis and hematologic disease
- System biology and multi-omic dissection of cancer evolution and therapy response
Clinical Interests
Gene regulatory processes controlling stem cell development and blood cancers
Short Biography
Jian Xu received his PhD in molecular biology from UCLA where he focused on epigenetic regulation of stem cell pluripotency. As a postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Xu focused on the developmental control of fetal-to-adult hemoglobin switching. In 2023, Dr. Xu joined the Department of Pathology and Center of Excellence for Leukemia Studies at St. Jude where he investigates the gene regulatory processes controlling stem cell development and blood cancers. In 2023, Dr. Xu established the ATG core to provide valuable resources to the Department of Pathology, the Center of Excellence for Leukemia Studies and the Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Contact Information
Jian Xu, PhD
Center of Excellence in Leukemia Studies (CELS)
MS 345
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, 38105-3678
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Masayuki Yamashita, MD, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Masayuki Yamashita, MD, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Cell death programs that control hematopoietic stem cell survival vs. elimination
- Role of TNFα in hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis
- Crosstalk between hematopoietic stem cells and cytotoxic T lymphocytes
- Novel therapies specifically targeting mutant hematopoietic stem cells
Contact Information
Masayuki Yamashita, MD, PhD
Department of Hematology
MS 355
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Jun Yang, MD, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- The role of histone modifiers in cancer
- Rational combination therapy
- Hypoxia signaling pathway and angiogenesis
- miRNA function in cancer
- Drug discovery
Contact Information
Jun Yang, MD, PhD
Surgery
MS 332, Room D3040G
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Jun J. Yang, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Division Director, Pharmacy Sciences
Vice-Chair, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Endowed Chair in Pharmacogenomics
Jun J. Yang, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Division Director, Pharmacy Sciences
Vice-Chair, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Endowed Chair in Pharmacogenomics
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Understanding the genetic basis of inter-patient variability in anticancer drug response
- Pharmacogenomics of anti-leukemia drug toxicities
- Genomics of anti-leukemia drug sensitivity and resistance (especially molecularly targeted therapeutics)
Contact Information
Jun J. Yang, PhD
Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
MS 313, Room I5104
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Jonathan Yen, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Translation of therapeutic genome engineering technologies to treat hemoglobinopathies
- Development and application of methods for genome engineering and delivery to model and treat hematological diseases
- Development of novel ex vivo and in vivo strategies and technologies to make genome engineering therapies more accessible
Contact Information
Jonathan Yen, PhD
Hematology
MS 355
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Paul Yi, MD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Section Chief, Intelligent Imaging Informatics (I3)
Image Quantification and Artificial Intelligence (IQAI)
Paul Yi, MD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Section Chief, Intelligent Imaging Informatics (I3)
Image Quantification and Artificial Intelligence (IQAI)
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) for pediatric cancer and other catastrophic diseases
- Safe and trustworthy AI, including algorithmic fairness
- Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) to augment collaboration between AI and humans in medicine
- Emerging AI methods for biomedical data, including large language models and multimodal foundation models
Contact Information
Paul Yi, MD
Department of Radiology
MS 220
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Jiyang Yu, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Interim Chair, Department of Computational Biology
Jiyang Yu, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Interim Chair, Department of Computational Biology
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Systems biology and immunology
- Single-cell and spatial systems biology
- Immuno-oncology
- Translational research
Contact Information
Jiyang Yu, PhD
Computational Biology
MS 1135, Room IA6053
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
