St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Congratulations to M. Madan Babu, PhD, on his induction into the AIMBE College of Fellows Class of 2025. Election to AIMBE’s College of Fellows is one of the highest professional distinctions in medical and biological engineering. Babu, Chief Data Scientist and Senior Vice President of Data Science at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, was recognized for his leadership and groundbreaking contributions to data-driven discovery as applied to biological and biomedical research. He oversees the institution’s recent expansion in data science. This honor adds to his remarkable career, which includes pioneering data-driven research in structural biology, drug design and genomics. His work has advanced our understanding of protein interactions, regulatory mechanisms and drug discovery through data-driven approaches. AIMBE Fellows represent the top 2% of medical and biological engineers globally, including Nobel Prize laureates and National Academy members.

Armed conflict disrupts health care systems, and for children with cancer, these disruptions can be deadly. New research led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Duke University and collaborators reveals that delayed diagnoses and treatment in conflict-affected regions drive mortality rates 20-30% higher than in non-conflict areas. “The burden of pediatric cancer is disproportionately shifted not only to low-income countries but also countries in conflict,” said Asya Agulnik, MD, MPH, St. Jude Global Critical Care Program director. “Most childhood cancer cases and deaths occur in countries that are affected by conflict, and that proportion has been steadily increasing over time.” The development of targeted interventions can help achieve our goal of increasing global childhood cancer survival to 60% by 2030. Sustainable solutions—such as building local health care capacity, training providers and developing tailored policies—are essential to addressing this crisis. Read more about this collaborative study: ow.ly/qNpp50VrZmf

At St. Jude, our mission to advance cures and means of prevention for pediatric catastrophic disease through research and treatment is built on the collaboration between doctors, researchers and healthcare teams. This Doctors' Day, we’re proud to celebrate the work of Seth Karol MD, who embodies this unique approach. As the principal investigator of the INITIALL clinical trial, Karol is helping shape the future of treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)—the most common pediatric cancer. With a historically high cure rate, INITIALL allows St. Jude to enroll every child in a trial, gathering critical genetic and clinical data to tailor treatments to each patient. This work ensures that children with higher-risk ALL receive the most innovative therapies, while those with lower-risk disease benefit from proven, effective medicines. Collaboration is at the heart of Karol’s work. Partnering with St. Jude’s pathology and pharmacy teams, he leverages cutting-edge genetic testing to identify the unique characteristics of each child’s leukemia. “The work here has shown us that the right approach is to take a group that looks homogenous and choose a medicine more specifically for a patient,” Karol explains. “This gives them a better chance of benefiting from that medicine without the risks of treatments they don’t need.” By connecting lab researchers with clinicians, St. Jude ensures that discoveries in the lab translate into better outcomes for children. Karol’s work exemplifies how this collaboration gives patients access to more precise and effective treatments. On Doctors' Day, we honor Karol and the many other physicians at St. Jude who dedicate their lives to advancing care for children.

High-performance computing (HPC) is accelerating scientific discovery at St. Jude, empowering researchers to process massive datasets in hours instead of weeks. Whether it’s analyzing drug combinations for pediatric neuroblastoma, studying genetic variants linked to cancer risks, or designing CAR T-cell immunotherapies, HPC is pushing the boundaries of biomedical research. “The St. Jude HPC cluster has made a large impact on our ability to predict and understand shapes of biological molecules and infer the effect of mutations on protein function,” said M. Madan Babu, PhD, senior vice president of Data Science. This computational power is democratizing advanced tools across the institution, enabling researchers to tackle complex biological questions with unprecedented efficiency. The HPC team at St. Jude is a key partner in these breakthroughs. They collaborate with researchers to troubleshoot issues, optimize workflows and ensure data security. “We provide powerful HPC infrastructure and computational tools so that our researchers can make the next big breakthroughs as quickly as possible,” said St. Jude Research Informatics Vice President Ed Suh. "That’s our mission.” This collaboration ensures that researchers can focus on science, not technical hurdles. By combining cutting-edge technology with expert support, the HPC cluster at St. Jude is transforming data into discoveries. Through these discoveries, this resource is helping scientists advance care for children worldwide. Learn more about HPC: https://ow.ly/rlsF50Vq5Ul #Innovations #StJude #ScientificResearch

Over the past year, we’ve watched the transformation of our campus with the addition of two towering 15-story landmarks: the Clinical Center and Clinical Office Building. From heartfelt messages signed on the final beam to milestones like topping out and adding windows, every step of this journey reflects our commitment to creating a space where groundbreaking research and care come together. As construction advances, these facilities represent a bold step forward in our mission to transform pediatric cancer research and treatment. With the addition of windows and the start of internal construction, we’re entering the next phase of progress. Each milestone brings us closer to realizing spaces that will empower innovation, collaboration and hope for generations to come.

Join us for an insightful virtual lecture in The Science of Childhood Cancer series this Thursday, April 3rd at 12PM CT/ 1PM ET. We’re honored to welcome Hanna Mikkola, MD, PhD, a leading professor of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology at UCLA.    Dr. Mikkola will explore the developmental mechanisms driving human hematopoietic stem cell specification, maturation, and self-renewal—and how these processes are disrupted in childhood leukemia, particularly in Down Syndrome. She’ll also share insights from high-resolution single cell omics technologies. Register now: https://ow.ly/g5ur50UPQ49  

Over the past year, we’ve watched the transformation of our campus with the addition of two towering 15-story landmarks: the Clinical Center and Clinical Office Building. From heartfelt messages signed on the final beam to milestones like topping out and adding windows, every step of this journey reflects our commitment to creating a space where groundbreaking research and care come together. As construction advances, these facilities represent a bold step forward in our mission to transform pediatric cancer research and treatment. With the addition of windows and the start of internal construction, we’re entering the next phase of progress. Each milestone brings us closer to realizing spaces that will empower innovation, collaboration and hope for generations to come.

For as long as she can remember, Alexis Cole has held ambitions to work at St. Jude. Growing up near this iconic Memphis institution, she was inspired by its reputation for hope, healing and groundbreaking care. Cole’s connection to St. Jude runs deep—her great uncle, William Amour, received compassionate care for leukemia here after his diagnosis in 1968. Today, Cole is driven by that legacy and the opportunity to contribute to a place that has touched her family and so many others in profound ways. When the opportunity arose, Cole jumped at the chance to join the staff at St. Jude as a manager in Environmental Services. While she oversees a staff that keeps the rooms clean and sanitized, her contributions extend beyond the scope of her job responsibilities. An accomplished alto saxophonist, she has also played music for patients in Family Commons, a treatment-free space where patients and families can relax between appointments. “I speak to the families about the cleanliness, but I’m also bringing smiles to kids’ faces,” Cole said. “It’s a testament to the impact of the work we do here. You can use your talents in different ways.” Whether it is through her official role or through her efforts to stay involved in other aspects of the institution, Cole is making an impact at St. Jude. To her, it is the ultimate tribute to her great uncle. “I am amazed that I’m able to be a leader at St. Jude. Being able to work here and do meaningful work, it feels full circle,” she said.

Understanding human biology is like solving a massive puzzle, and the St. Jude Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics is helping researchers piece it together. By analyzing proteins and metabolites, the Center provides critical insights into disease mechanisms, genetic mutations and drug effects. “We can take samples from cell or animal models of disease and look at changes in more than 10,000 different proteins and thousands of metabolites,” said Andy High, PhD, the Center’s director. This work helps researchers uncover how proteins and small molecules behave in health and disease. The Center uses state-of-the-art mass spectrometry technology to identify molecules with incredible precision, but its real strength lies in collaboration. High’s team works closely with researchers to design experiments, analyze samples and interpret results. “Everything we do is about making the data usable,” High explained. With proteomics, researchers can identify which proteins are present in a sample, how they change over time and how they interact. This has led to breakthroughs in understanding muscle loss associated with aging and disease, as well as identifying potential therapeutic targets. The Center’s metabolomics services go a step further, revealing how protein activity shifts in disease by analyzing small molecules like metabolites and lipids. This provides a more complete picture of cellular changes and their impact on health. Looking ahead, the Center is developing faster, more sensitive techniques to analyze smaller samples, such as those from individual patients. “The faster we can analyze data, the faster we can move from discovery to meaningful patient interventions,” said High. These innovations are paving the way for personalized treatments and better outcomes for patients. Learn more: https://ow.ly/roa050Vnnlc

At St. Jude, the palliative care team helps patients and their families navigate the emotional and physical whirlwind of cancer treatment. As Director of the Quality of Life and Palliative Care Division Deena Levine, MD, FAAP, FAAHPM explains, “Palliative care is like providing a warm jacket when a car breaks down on a winter day. The root problem must still be addressed, but the driver’s quality of life while waiting is much better if they’re warm.” Palliative care at St. Jude focuses on improving quality of life from the beginning to the end of a child’s treatment journey. Whether it’s managing pain, addressing treatment side effects or helping families make informed decisions, the goal is to provide compassionate care tailored to each family’s unique goals and values. One of the most critical aspects of palliative care is building trust. Integrating palliative care early in the treatment process establishes strong relationships with families and primary care teams. Research led by Levine has shown that early involvement not only improves trust but also enhances quality of life and decision-making for families during challenging times. Palliative care is about more than medicine — it’s about relationships, trust, and a commitment to helping families navigate one of the hardest journeys of their lives. Every day, the palliative care team at St. Jude works to ensure that children and their families feel supported, heard and cared for in every way possible. Learn more from Levine: https://ow.ly/KbBB50VlCZN #PalliativeCare #StJudeResearch