2021 Archive

St. Jude On

Finding the balance between efficacy and toxicity in pediatric cancer treatment

Alex Generous, PhD

Discover how researchers find ways to improve treatments with genetic information.

Outreach

St. Jude affirms commitment to global childhood health at United Nations General Assembly

Lance Wiedower

The work of St. Jude Global was on display at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

St. Jude On

The circuitous path from chemical compound to clinical trial

Heather Johnson

St. Jude scientists are making progress in the treatment of pediatric cancer by translating new drug findings from the lab to the clinic.

Investigator Insights

5 Questions for Andrew Kleist, MD, PhD

Andrew Kleist, MD, PhD and Alex Generous, PhD

Meet Andew Kleist, MD, PhD, a 2025 STAT Wunderkind early career scientist.

Research

Genomic Medicine Initiative (GEMINI) targets unmet needs in rare disease treatment

Jake Hopkins, MBA and Brian O'Flynn, PhD

Learn how GEMINI addresses the challenges of rare genetic diseases

Investigator Insights

Navigating a non-traditional path to becoming a scientist

Matthew Fisher

Meet graduate student Matthew Fisher to learn about his atypical scientific career progression.

Clinical

St. Jude calculators crunch the numbers to empower survivors of childhood cancer

Alex Generous, PhD

Find about these free resources, which scientists keep current with the most current survivorship research.

Investigator Insights

Finding my path from baseball to biomedical science

Jordan Bondrowski

A chance encounter at a baseball game as a child set Jordan Bondrowski on the path toward becoming a student in the St. Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

Research

Demystifying a methylation mystery at the fetal hemoglobin gene promoter

Alex Generous, PhD

Learn how St. Jude scientists answered a decades-old mystery with implications for sickle cell anemia and beta thalassemia treatment.

Clinical

Harnessing the power of PET to diagnose infectious disease

Kathryn J. McCullough, MA

In a first-in-human trial, investigators at St. Jude are using the power of PET paired with novel radiotracer, [18F]fluoromannitol, to diagnose bacterial infections in patients.

Research

Pain may be a risk factor for learning problems in childhood cancer survivors

Mary Powers

Researchers are focusing on treatment-related pain as another way to reduce the risk of learning and memory problems in survivors of childhood leukemia.

Investigator Insights

Rising Stars of Cancer Research lectures to bring fresh insights

Mary Powers

The Rising Stars of Cancer Research program is a new to the Science of Childhood Cancer lecture series. The program highlights the work of emerging leaders in the cancer research community.

Outreach

St. Jude Global Alliance holds third annual convening

Lance Wiedower

Empower Everyone was the theme of the St. Jude Global Alliance Convening, a virtual meeting that attracted participants from around the world.

Research

CoNGA: Deciphering the dance of T-cell differentiation

Stefan Schattgen, PhD

St. Jude scientists have created an algorithm to help group T-cells by their function by evaluating two different types of data, T-cell receptor sequences and gene expression.

Investigator Insights

St. Jude mourns the death of infectious diseases pioneer Walter Hughes, MD

Mike O’Kelly

Walter Hughes, MD, who established the St. Jude Department of Infectious Diseases and initiated pediatric AIDS research at the hospital, has died.

Research

St. Jude biostatisticians create a novel clinical trial design software

St. Jude Progress

St. Jude biostatisticians have developed a new method for designing phase 2 clinical trials with a small sample size. The approach uses a mathematical model called Bayesian probability . The researchers created free software to implement the process.

Research

Bringing Chemistry to Medicine: Transcription therapy symposium is set for July 22 and 23

Mike O’Kelly

St. Jude will host the virtual Bringing Chemistry to Medicine Symposium July 22–23. The inaugural event in 2020 prompted a researcher in India to become a visiting scientist at St. Jude. Register for the event.

Clinical

When work takes a toll: St. Jude research adds to our understanding of physician burnout.

Jonathan Burlison and Lindsay Blazin

St. Jude researchers looked at burnout and perceived work demands among St. Jude physicians and found that emotional exhaustion and time demands are key factors in a problem that affects both provider and patient.

Investigator Insights

Connections with colleagues: A St. Jude pediatric psychologist has renewed appreciation for an overlooked benefit of interdisciplinary collaboration.

Elyse Heidelberg, PsyD

A pediatric psychologist expresses gratitude for interdisciplinary collaboration, which elevates patient care and provider well-being.

Investigator Insights

Roussel’s early discovery shaped a career of cancer research

St. Jude Communications Department

Martine Roussel, PhD, faculty member and endowed chair in molecular oncogenesis, shares how early work on oncogenes led to her lab’s discovery of new oncogenes.