Allie Superdock, MD is a physician, researcher, and advocate for holistic, family-centered care at the intersection of pediatric oncology and palliative medicine. Currently an Instructor in the Department of Oncology at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, she holds appointments in both the Division of Quality of Life & Palliative Care and the Division of Leukemia & Lymphoma. With dual subspecialty training in pediatric hematology-oncology and hospice and palliative medicine, Superdock brings a unique and compassionate perspective to her clinical and research work.
Her academic journey began with a degree in molecular biology from Princeton University, where she studied genetic mechanisms of pediatric cancer and contributed to global health research in Kenya through storytelling and documentary work. In medical school at Duke University, she continued to bridge the sciences with the humanities, exploring the role of religion and spirituality in pediatric medical decision-making—a project that launched her research into communication, ethics, and patient experience.
Now at St. Jude, Superdock’s work focuses on developing hope-centered interventions for children with advanced cancer and their families. Her research uses innovative methods such as photo-narrative and photovoice to explore how hope functions throughout the cancer journey, from diagnosis through bereavement. Her ultimate goal is to embed assessments and interventions focused on hope into therapeutic clinical trials, reframing how we define and measure outcomes for seriously ill children.
Superdock has authored numerous publications spanning palliative care, narrative medicine, communication, and pediatric oncology, and she was named a 2025 National Cancer Institute K12 Pediatric Oncology Career Development Program Scholar. Through the Master’s in Clinical Investigations program at the St. Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, she is building the formal skills in trial design and analysis that will empower her to lead rigorous, transformative research in this emerging field.
Hometown: Tulsa, OK
Education:
2018 - Doctor of Medicine – Duke University School of Medicine
2013 - BA, Molecular Biology – Princeton University
Awards/Honors/Scholarships:
2025 - K12 Pediatric Oncology Career Development Program Scholar, National Cancer Institute, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
2018 - Gold Foundation, Leonard Tow Award for Medical Humanism
2014-18 - Muscogee Creek Nation, Postdoctoral Scholarship
Publications:
Superdock AK, Barfield, RC, Brandon, DH Docherty, SL. Exploring the vagueness of Religion & Spirituality in complex pediatric decision-making: a qualitative study. BMC Palliative Care. 2018;17:p107.
Superdock AK, Trejo M, Yang Y, Torres C, Blazin L, Baker JN, Spraker-Perlman HL & Kaye EC. “Understanding why she had to leave me”: The role of religion and spirituality in narratives of parents grieving the loss of a child to cancer. Death Studies. 2024;49(5):p621-632.
Superdock AK, Porter A, Spears W, Baker JN, Mack JW, Kaye EC. "Spiritual Dialogue between Pediatric Neuro-oncologists, Patients, and Caregivers." Pediatric Blood and Cancer. 2025;72(7):e31721.
Superdock AK, Cravo E, Christianson C, Farner H, Mehler S, Kaye EC. “Communication about Prognosis across Advancing Childhood Cancer: Preferences and Recommendations from Bereaved Parents.” Journal of Palliative Medicine. 2025.
Paul T, Reddy Y, Gnanakumar A, England R, Superdock AK, Malipeddi D, Wrigley J, Reardon E, Weaver M, Kaye E. Narrative Medicine Interventions for Oncology Clinicians: A Systematic Review. Supportive Care in Cancer. 2024;32:p241.
Superdock AK & Madni, A. Pediatric Palliative Care: What general pediatricians need to know. Contemporary Pediatrics. Contemporary Pediatrics. 2024;40(6):p24-29.
Daley J, Halligan K, Howrie D, Salgado CM, Superdock AK, Friehling E, Bailey KM. Successful Treatment of Patient With Ewing Sarcoma in the Setting of Inherited Cholestatic Liver Disease. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2023 Jul 1;45(5):e621-e623.
Remiker AS, Lopes JPM, Jesudas R, Superdock AK, Park N, Pateva I. "Recalcitrant Cytopenias as Early and Presenting Manifestations of Activated PI3Kδ Syndrome (APDS): A Case Series." [Under Review]
Docherty SL, Brandon DH, Superdock AK, Barfield RC. Family-Centered Palliative Care. In: Hockenberry MJ, Wilson D, eds. Wong’s Nursing Care of Infants and Children. 11th ed. Saint Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby; 2018: 791-823.