Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination (CRTEC)
The St. Jude Comprehensive Cancer Center (SJCCC) is committed to efforts to develop a well-trained biomedical workforce, foster the next generation of pediatric cancer researchers, and engage its communities to reduce cancer burden through research education, training, and career-development activities. The SJCCC provides financial support, leadership, and institutional infrastructure for this comprehensive biomedical training, initiating efforts from elementary school through the faculty level. These career-enhancement activities are led by the Associate Director for CRTEC, John Crispino, PhD, MBA
Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and Medicine (STEMM) Education and Outreach
The SJCCC STEMM Education and Outreach program bridges efforts with SJCCC Community Outreach & Engagement (COE) to enable thousands of K-16 students and teachers to engage in research on cancer-related topics. Through COE events, including school-level Family STEMM Nights and city-wide Community Exhibitions, students share their research findings with families, school administrators, and broader community members.
Bringing Chemistry to Medicine is a component of the institution’s strategic objective to establish a global hub focused on the emerging field of transcription-targeted therapeutics.
This half-day virtual symposium featured the leading experts in spatial omics, who are developing new platforms and applying them to answer fundamental questions about cellular interactions during development and disease.
Meet the team
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John D. Crispino, PhD, MBA
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Director, Division of Experimental Hematology
Associate Director, Education and Training, Comprehensive Cancer Center
Wall Street Committee Endowed Chair
John D. Crispino, PhD, MBA
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Director, Division of Experimental Hematology
Associate Director, Education and Training, Comprehensive Cancer Center
Kate Ayers leads the STEMM Education and Outreach Program at St. Jude. Through intentional school partnership, Ayers works with school and science educators to co-create science learning modules that integrate cancer concepts into the classroom curriculum. In addition, Ayers established the St. Jude Science Ambassadors Program, which intentionally connects Memphis youth to diverse scientists to dispel misconceptions related to who scientists are and who can be a scientist.
Ayers also led the development of two after school clubs. The Afterschool STEMM Clubs are hosted in 24 elementary schools and serves over 400 5th grade students annually. The St. Jude Community Health Clubs are hosted in 4 middle schools and serve approximately 80 7th and 8th graders annually. In 2021, Ayers became a founding member and chair of the Memphis STEM in Medicine Ecosystem, a city-wide initiative aimed at addressing inequities in STEM education specific to the Memphis area.
Ayers holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Union University, a Master of Science degree in Biomedical Research with an emphasis in Structural Biology from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, and a PhD in Educational Psychology and Research from the University of Memphis.
