Meet the Team

Managing Editor 

Erin is a scientific writer and editor with 15 years of experience covering a wide range of research, from dinosaurs to drug discovery. She holds a master’s degree in journalism and mass communication with a specialty concentration in science writing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and completed her undergraduate degree in science writing at Lehigh University. Prior to joining St. Jude, Erin spent six years as a science writer at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She has held several internships in science writing, including stints at the journal BioTechniques and the DaVinci Science Center in Allentown, PA, in addition to working as a freelance copywriter and editor. In the Strategic Communication Education and Outreach Department at St. Jude, she currently oversees a team of scientific writers in the publication of press releases and Progress articles. Her team is charged with covering research publications spanning everything from fundamental science to clinical trial results — in addition to telling compelling stories from every corner of the St. Jude research enterprise. Since taking the helm of Progress in 2023, Erin has read every article published on the site (and thinks you should, too).

Manager Visual Arts 

Maddie is the Manager of Visual Arts for Scientific Communication at St. Jude, a role she assumed after spending four years as a Scientific Visualization Engineer for the St. Jude Department of Chemical Biology. She is a biomedical illustrator and animator who specializes in cellular and molecular topics, focusing on using graphic tools to improve comprehension of complex scientific mechanisms. Maddie received a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from Mississippi State University with a minor in Fine Arts. She went on to attend the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she earned a Master of Science in Biomedical Visualization. Her goal as a visual communication professional is to illuminate novel scientific stories through elegant and succinct visuals. In her current role, she oversees a team of graphic designers, photographers and videographers who create compelling visuals. 

Scientific Writer

Taylor is a scientific writer with a decade of experience and a passion for equity, literacy, and the serial comma (please note the use of said comma in this sentence). She holds a bachelor's degree in writing from Drake University with minors in vocal music and musical theater. Before joining St. Jude, she worked as a freelance copywriter and editor, covering various topics from product descriptions to drug discovery white papers. She also spent two years in AmeriCorps as part of the Minnesota Reading Corps program, tutoring preschool-aged children in literacy skills such as alliteration, letter recognition, rhyming, sight words, and more. In the Strategic Communication Education and Outreach Department at St. Jude, she develops lab and clinical research pages for the researchers at the institution, writes articles for Progress, and copyedits to her heart's content. (Some people have Sudoku; Taylor has copyediting.)

Scientific Writer 

Brian joined the Strategic Communication, Education and Outreach team in 2023 after three years as a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Tanja Mittag, Department of Structural Biology at St. Jude. Brian specialized in cryo-electron microscopy, using the technique to investigate protein assembly. He obtained his doctoral degree in chemistry from the University of South Florida and his Bachelor of Science in biopharmaceutical chemistry from the University of Galway in Ireland. Throughout his science career, he has been a strong advocate for accuracy and ease of understanding in how science is narrated to the public. He aims to translate the wonderful advances in research at St. Jude and beyond into stories that engage people at all levels. Through teaching, fronting various outreach programs and volunteer writing at ASBMB Today, he found a passion for finding the “AHA!” moments of clarity in people where complex issues click. Through writing for Progress, he hopes to provide you with your next “AHA!” moment.

Scientific Writer

Kathryn is a scientific writer who has spent over a decade traversing the fields of technical, science and scientific writing. Healthcare has been her focus since the start of her career, which began with writing about the inner workings of PET/CT scanners for the Molecular Imaging division of Siemens Healthineers. The breadth of knowledge she gained from working with physicists, engineers and product specialists in the molecular imaging industry opened the door for her to become editor of nuclear medicine publications for Siemens Healthineers - Molecular Imaging, where she led content development for the online and print publications, Nuclear Medicine News & Stories and Imaging Life. She holds undergraduate degrees in English and Psychology from the University of Tennessee - Knoxville and a master’s degree in science writing from Johns Hopkins University. Her graduate thesis concentrated on experiences of medical trauma and disability, which continues to be where her passions and personal writing projects lie. Kathryn describes her approach to writing as one grounded in words and inspired by science. At St. Jude, she writes for both the research website and Progress (be sure to check out Investigator Insights), where she strives to humanize the institution’s extraordinary research and connect it to patient experiences through the art of storytelling. If you enjoy Kathryn’s writing, be sure to thank her editor (who also happens to be her cat), Gus.

Scientific Writer

Alex is a scientific writer with over a decade of experience in scientific research and science writing. He holds his Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology from Drake University. He subsequently earned his PhD in Biomedical Sciences from Mayo Clinic, specializing in the Virology and Gene Therapy track with a focus on the measles virus. He first began science writing for Mayo Clinic’s Research Communications while in graduate school, starting with a yearlong internship and continuing in a freelance capacity for the following years. He then took on the position of Associate Director of Science Communications at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association in Denver, Colorado. Alex would transition from agriculture back to biological sciences as a Scientific Writer at SCORR Marketing, a life sciences industry marketing firm for drug discovery services companies, honing his writing skills. Now in the Strategic Communication, Education and Outreach Department at St. Jude, he works as a Scientific Writer translating novel research publications into press releases and Progress articles. His focus includes topics such as infectious disease, immunology, epidemiology and cancer control, survivorship and computational biology, as well as narratives of scientists and their journeys to discovery. You can find Alex’s writing throughout Progress, though he recommends his St. Jude On stories as a particularly great place to start.

Scientific Writer

Jessica is a scientific writer with a strong background in science and medicine. She received her doctorate in Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and completed her undergraduate degree in biology at The University of Texas at Tyler. Jessica came to St. Jude in 2018 as a postdoctoral fellow, studying lipid metabolism and host-microbe interactions in the laboratory of Charles Rock, PhD. Prior to joining the Strategic Communication Education and Outreach Department at St. Jude, she was a science research writer in the Department of Immunology. She is an award-winning scientific communicator who has published several manuscripts and reviews in peer-reviewed journals and authored a book chapter on fatty acid and phospholipid biosynthesis in prokaryotes. She also has ample experience as a freelance medical writer. Before joining St. Jude, Jessica held state and national certifications as an EMT and worked in emergency medicine. She is also a skilled instructor, having taught a variety of undergraduate science courses.

Scientific Writer

LaToyia is a scientific writer with almost a decade of experience in scientific research and communication. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology from the University of Southern Mississippi, where she investigated antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation in S. aureus. She furthered her studies with a master’s and PhD, studying ticks and tick-borne diseases, specifically examining how stress pathways influence pathogen colonization and infection. In addition to her scientific endeavors, LaToyia is an avid traveler who shares her global experiences through her travel blog. A passionate advocate for scientific outreach, LaToyia is committed to inspiring young students to pursue careers in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine). At St. Jude, she works in the Department of Strategic Communication, Education and Outreach, specifically supporting the STEMM Education and Outreach Program. You can catch LaToyia’s writing — and her occasional spontaneous modeling — sprinkled throughout Progress.

Director of Scientific Communication

Jennifer Stripay, PhD, is the Director of Scientific Communication at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and leads an interdisciplinary team charged with sharing institutional stories of research and discovery. Jennifer is committed to crafting narratives and developing resources that elevate the scientific reputation of St. Jude, support strategic recruitment efforts, and foster collaboration and innovation across the research enterprise. A trained scientist, Jennifer spent a decade studying the molecular mechanisms that drive tumors of the central nervous system and exploring novel therapeutic approaches to impact patient populations. She parlayed her professional training into a career as a scientific storyteller in the Department of Strategic Communication, Education and Outreach at St. Jude. Jennifer is a proud alumna of The Pennsylvania State University (BS ‘09) and the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry (MS ‘14, PhD ’16). She holds a PhD in Neuroscience and completed her postdoctoral fellowship training at St. Jude under the mentorship of Dr. Martine F. Roussel. Jennifer also serves as the Director of Strategic Communications for the Junior League of Memphis, an organization committed to advancing women’s leadership and serving the Memphis community.