James Downing, MD, will step down as president and CEO of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital later this year after 12 years at the helm, the Memphis, Tenn.-based organization said Feb. 19.
In late 2026, Dr. Downing will transition into a faculty role within the institution’s Department of Global Pediatric Medicine. He helped found the department in 2018; it convenes international experts to enhance cancer care around the world.
He will remain president and CEO while the board of governors searches for his successor. The board expects to name the next CEO this summer, with the leadership transition projected to be complete by the end of 2026.
“When I joined St. Jude 40 years ago, I came for the opportunity to do great science, but I stayed because of the mission and culture,” Dr. Downing said in a news release. “St. Jude has become uniquely positioned to solve some of the world’s most challenging problems around childhood cancer and other pediatric diseases. I often ask, ‘If not St. Jude, then who?’ and if the answer is no one, then we’re going to do it.”
Dr. Downing, a physician-scientist known for his work in childhood leukemia and cancer genomics, joined St. Jude in 1986. He previously served as scientific director before being named CEO in 2014.
During his tenure, St. Jude launched two strategic plans that included $20 billion in investments and the addition of more than 2,300 positions. He led the institution through an unprecedented period of growth, including a major expansion to its main campus and the development of two clinical towers set to open in 2027.
St. Jude is the nation’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center dedicated exclusively to pediatric cancer. Treatments developed at the hospital have contributed to increases in overall childhood cancer survival rates from 20% to 80% since it opened more than 60 years ago, according to the organization.
Leave a Reply