James R. Downing

Last updated

James R. Downing
Born
Detroit, Michigan
CitizenshipUS
Education University of Michigan–Dearborn
University of Michigan (MD)
PartnerMariea Downing
Children3
Scientific career
Institutions St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

James R. Downing is an American clinical executive. He is the president and chief executive officer of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Contents

Early life and education

James R. Downing was born to Lillian and Robert W. Downing and grew up in Detroit, Michigan with five siblings. [1] [2] Downing enjoyed playing football and baseball while he attended Aquinas High School, and initially hoped to play baseball professionally. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan-Dearborn, where he initially majored in engineering before switching to biochemistry. He attended the University of Michigan to earn a Doctor of Medicine in 1981. [3]

Career

Following his Doctor of Medicine, Downing completed a 2-year medical residency in anatomic pathology, working at Barnes Hospital and The Jewish Hospital of St. Louis at Washington University in St. Louis. In 1984, he completed a fellowship in hematopathology at the University of Florida [3] [4] before joining the faculty of the University of Alabama in Birmingham. [4]

In 1986, Downing was recruited by hematopathologist Coston W. Berard and began working at the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital with Charles J. Sherr. [3] He became Chairman of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in 1997 and Deputy Director in 2011. [4] On July 15, 2014, Downing became the Chief Executive Officer of St. Jude, making him the sixth person to hold the position. [5]

Downing was one of the inaugural co-editors of the Annual Review of Pathology: Mechanisms of Disease , though he only held the position for the first volume in 2006. [6] He has also served on the editorial boards of Cancer Discovery , Cancer Cell , and Oncogene . [4]

Research

Downing has studied the molecular basis underlying pediatric leukemia, leading to significant discoveries in hematopathology and molecular biology. He pioneered the use of genomic profiling in the collection of big data for children suffering from blood cancers, exploring the genetics and genomics underlying acute lymphocytic leukemia, acute myeloblastic leukemia, and other cancers, and using that information to improve patient outcomes. [4] [7]

In 2010, Downing launched the Pediatric Cancer Genome Project in an effort to determine the genetic lesions that underlie childhood cancers. By 2013, the project had sequenced the genomes of over 700 pediatric cancer patients and 21 different types of cancer. [8] [3] Next, the Clinical Genomics Project focused on using the PCGP findings to improve diagnostic and clinical treatment for St. Jude patients in "Phase II” of the project. By 2020, St Jude's had sequenced the exome and transcriptome of another 1,200 patients, identifying a total of 23 types of cancer. Among their discoveries were genomic differences between cancers in children and adults, and the finding that about 10% of children with cancer display mutations in known cancer-predisposition genes. [9]

In 2018, Downing led St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in partnering with the World Health Organization to create the first WHO Collaborating Centre for Childhood Cancer and start a Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer, working with over 50 governments worldwide. In December 2021, they announced the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines, to increase access to cancer medicines for the nearly 90% of children with cancer who live in low and middle income countries (LMICs). The project will provide medicines to countries at no cost during the pilot phase. [10] [11]

Awards and honors

Personal life

James R. Downing is married to Mariea Downing; the couple has three children and five grandchildren. [23]

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References

  1. ↑ "Lillian Downing". The Detroit News. August 29, 2004. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Healthcare Leader: James Downing, MD". Memphis Medical News. January 12, 2015. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Murtaugh, Frank (July 2, 2014). "St. Jude's James Downing". Memphis the City Magazine. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "James R. Downing, MD, to Present the 2017 ASH E. Donnall Thomas Lecture". The ASCO Post . November 25, 2017. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  5. ↑ Robertson, Rob (July 2, 2014). "Q&A: James Downing, new CEO at St. Jude". Memphis Business Journal. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Annual Review of Pathology: Mechanisms of Disease. Volume 1: 2006. Edited by Abul K Abbas, James R Downing, and , Vinay Kumar. Palo Alto (California): Annual Reviews. $55.00. Xii + 552 p; ill.; subject index. ISBN: 0‐8243‐4301‐8. 2006". The Quarterly Review of Biology. 81 (3): 314. 2006. doi:10.1086/509485.
  7. 1 2 "St. Jude Children's Research Hospital CEO and a hospital faculty member recognized for contributions to cancer research". www.stjude.org. May 18, 2017. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  8. 1 2 "James R. Downing, M.D., of St. Jude, elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences". www.stjude.org. April 20, 2016. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
  9. ↑ "World-wide Monitor - Pediatric Cancer Genome Project marks 10 years" (PDF). Middle East Health. No. March–April. 2020. pp. 8–9. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  10. ↑ "WHO and St. Jude to dramatically increase global access to childhood cancer medicines". World Health Organization. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  11. ↑ "St. Jude, WHO tell us how their $200M initiative would fix global drug shortages for kids with cancer—and (maybe) adults". The Cancer Lettervolume=48. No. 4. January 28, 2022. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  12. ↑ "James R. Downing, MD". The American Society for Clinical Investigation. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
  13. ↑ "James R. Downing, MD". St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  14. ↑ Qs and AAAs, Annual Review 2003 (PDF). Washington, DC: American Association for the Advancement of Science. 2003. p. 20. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  15. ↑ "ASCP Philip Levine Award for Outstanding Research" (PDF). ASCP. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Past Recipients". Association for Molecular Pathology. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  17. ↑ "St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Scientific Director Elected to Institute of Medicine". Newswise. October 21, 2013. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  18. ↑ "James R. Downing". American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
  19. ↑ "James R. Downing, MD, to Present the 2017 American Society of Hematology E. Donnall Thomas Lecture". American Society of Hematology. August 24, 2017. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  20. ↑ "St. Jude CEO Dr. James Downing Honored With Pediatric Oncology Award". ASCO Daily News. May 17, 2019. doi:10.1200/ADN.19.190239 . Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  21. ↑ "James R. Downing, MD, to Receive the Inaugural AACR-St. Baldrick's Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement in Pediatric Cancer Research". American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  22. ↑ "James R. Downing, M.D., elected to Fellows of AACR Academy Class of 2022". www.stjude.org. March 22, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
  23. ↑ "James R. Downing, MD". St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
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