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Explore our cutting edge research, world-class patient care, career opportunities and more.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Home
- Fundraising
About the department
The Chemical Biology and Therapeutics (CBT) Department formulates innovative chemical and chemoinformatic solutions to resolve salient problems in biology and medicine. Fundamental research programs to uncover underlying biological processes are complemented by translational centers that house chemical synthesis, screening, and computational capabilities that mirror cutting-edge biotech/pharma operations, resources rarely accessible at academic institutions.
The expertise and resources of CBT are leveraged across the institution, making it a highly dynamic and diverse collaborative hub at St. Jude. The scientific research arm of CBT is in an exciting growth phase; individuals with bold vision and demonstrated excellence in research at the interface of Chemistry, Biology, and Medicine are encouraged to join the team.
Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Faculty
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Aseem Z. Ansari
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Chair, Chemical Biology & Therapeutics
R. J. Ulrich Endowed Chair
Aseem 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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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
Scott 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
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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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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
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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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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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Hai T Dao, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Design of chemical probes to study epigenetic regulations
- Chromatin structure and function
- Protein engineering
- Cancer biology
Contact Information
Hai T Dao, PhD
Chemical Biology & Therapeutics
MS 1000, Room E9056
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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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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Supriya Sarvode, MD
Instructor, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Understanding the mechanism of resistance to chemotherapy in pediatric brain tumors
- Investigating the role of DNA damage repair inhibition in pediatric medulloblastoma to overcome chemoresistance
- Neuro-cognitive and neurological late effects of therapy in CNS tumors
Clinical Interests
Contact Information
Supriya Sarvode, MD
Chemical Biology and Therapeutics
MS 1000
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
CBT Collaborative Centers
Leading state-of-the-art chemistry technologies centers focus on collaborative research with St. Jude investigators to further our understanding of biological mechanisms that result in childhood diseases. The overarching goal is to translate this knowledge into new therapeutic opportunities. CBT centers form an integrated pipeline to bring chemistry to medicine at St. Jude. Collaborative projects involve a close partnership between the laboratory and the participating centers.
Departmental Team
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Carolina Adura, PhD
Director of Scientific Research
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Aseem Z. Ansari, PhD
Chair, Department of Chemical Biology & Therapeutics
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Diana Arthur
Administrative Coordinator
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Roxy Chirlow
Manager Grants and Research Administration
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Lauren Haley
Administrative Manager
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Natalie Racine
Administrative Director
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Cassandra Rytting
Operations Analyst
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Martina Sigal, MD, PhD
Manager Lab Operations
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Toneshia Singletary
Administrative Specialist
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Candice Smoots
Research Administrator I
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Laura Wilt, PhD
Research Program Manager
Contact us
Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics
MS1000
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Memphis, TN, 38105-3678 USA GET DIRECTIONS