5 Questions for Julia Hanebrink, PhD

This question-and-answer series explores the motivations, inspirations and accomplishments of investigators at St. Jude. Julia Hanebrink, PhD, is a clinical research scientist in the Department of Global Pediatric Medicine.

1. What questions galvanized your interest in a career in science?

I’ve always been drawn to questions that live at the intersection of culture and biology. “How do our bodies tell the stories of the worlds we live in? How do culture and circumstance shape the way we experience health and healing?” Early in my training, I realized I was less interested in isolated data points and more interested in the people behind them. Working in different parts of the world showed me that science could do more than measure; it could connect, explain and sometimes even mend what’s broken. That’s what pulled me in and has kept me here. Science, done well, can be an amazing bridge between evidence and empathy.

2. How does your background in anthropology influence your approach to clinical research?

Anthropology gave me a particular lens for seeing the world with curiosity and humility. It teaches you to notice the unwritten rules, to ask who holds power in a given situation and to understand how meaning can be constructed so differently across contexts. Those habits of mind translate directly into clinical research. 

In my work, I begin by observing deeply, listening closely and questioning my own assumptions. I tend to start with questions such as: Who’s being heard? Whose knowledge is visible or invisible? What assumptions are we bringing into this space? What does this look like from the patient’s perspective? That mindset helps me design research that is both rigorous and responsive. It reminds me that behind every dataset is a network of people, cultures and systems. My goal is to make sure our science honors that complexity and truly fits the people and contexts it’s meant to serve.

3. What does your role as a clinical research scientist in the Department of Global Pediatric Medicine entail? 

I work with the St. Jude Global Culture and Communication Transversal Program, which is exciting because it sits at the crossroads of four pillars: research, education, capacity building and advocacy. I get to help design and implement studies, mentor researchers across regions and develop programs that make qualitative methods accessible to health care professionals worldwide. Through initiatives such as the QualTrain Global Academy and our Regional Qualitative Research Centers, we’re building sustainable systems for training, mentorship and knowledge exchange. The goal is to ensure that the lived experiences of children, families and providers are recognized as essential forms of evidence. My role is to build bridges that allow culture and context to become part of how science understands and improves care.

4. How have your teachers or mentors impacted your career and research interests?

I’ve been fortunate to have several mentors who pushed me to think bigger and ask bolder questions. They encouraged me to look past the immediate project and ask what kind of change the work could create and for whom. What they modeled for me was this combination of integrity, intellectual generosity, and courage to sit with ambiguity instead of rushing toward easy answers. That’s something I carry into my own mentoring now, helping people hold space for complexity while still moving their work forward with purpose and care. I try to recreate that same environment — challenging people, yes, but also supporting them and creating a collaborative space where they can grow because that’s what helped me in my career.

5. What is one piece of advice you’d give people considering careers in science?

Keep your curiosity alive. Ask the questions that keep you up at night, even when the answers are messy or slow to come. Science is not about certainty; it’s about learning to ask and listen well. If you can leave room for nuance and stay humble about what you don’t know, you’ll find your way. Remember to keep people — patients, families, communities — at the center of your questions, and you’ll never lose sight of why the work matters. And don’t wait for perfect systems; sometimes the best thing you can do is build the one you wish existed.