Juliette Kippen is no stranger to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, as she takes the next step in her journey by joining the St. Jude Graduate School.
Kippen joins the Applied Biomedical Data Sciences program after spending the last five years as a researcher and lead researcher in Elizabeth Stewart’s lab, where her true interest in cancer research developed. Here she worked on a variety of large-scale preclinical studies using orthotopic patient-derived xenografts (O-PDXs).
Her primary research studies emphasized generating new in vivo O-PDX models of resistance and recurrence in pediatric solid tumors, as well as generating in vitro PDX-derived organoids (PDXOs) and PDX-derived cell lines across a wide variety of solid tumor types. The goal was to increase the number and accessibility of models available to the scientific community to study and accelerate cures for high-risk diseases. This experience was foundational for developing her interest in further studying the mechanisms of recurrence and resistance in pediatric cancer and drive to develop the skill sets provided in this program.
Prior to joining St. Jude, Kippen earned a degree in animal science from UC Davis. The Camarillo, California, native also completed a six-month internship in Dr. Horback’s lab studying animal behavior and cognition during this time.
As she begins her journey in the St. Jude Graduate School, Kippen is primarily interested in the translational component of cancer research - how understanding the underlying mechanisms of disease allows us to develop novel therapeutic approaches. Specifically, she is interested in the mechanisms of resistance and recurrence in pediatric solid tumors, and how they can be exploited to target these diseases.
Kippen joins the ABDS program at the St. Jude Graduate School because of the exceptional opportunity to develop a new skillset and to grow as a researcher. Working at St Jude, she has seen first-hand the sheer volume of data that is generated in research, and the need for skilled individuals to properly analyze it. Having structured training in data science will allow her to conduct better research in the lab and enable her to make the most of experimental data. Ultimately, she believes that increasing the intersections of wet lab and dry lab research will lead to more impactful and meaningful research, all of this helping her to make strides in aiding the push for advancement of treatments and cures for patients.
Hometown: Camarillo, CA
Education:
2021 BS, Animal Science (Minor in Environmental Toxicology) – University of California, Davis
Awards/Honors/Scholarships:
2017 Elmer H. Hughes Memorial Scholarship, UC Davis
2017-21 Dean's Honor List, UC Davis