Globally recognized, award-winning physician-scientist, Dr. J. Paul Taylor, has been tapped to serve as the new scientific director and EVP of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the hospital announced in a press release on Monday, April 18.
According to the release, Taylor will assume the role at “a pivotal time of growth,” as the hospital looks to significantly expand its scientific enterprise as part of its $11.5 billion, six-year strategic plan.
“I’m both humbled and thrilled by this opportunity to work with other St. Jude leaders in pursuing [our] mission, as we seek to increase the footprint of the scientific enterprise, open new areas of research, foster more collaboration across scientific disciplines," Taylor said, "and fuel innovation via significant financial investments in programs that encourage blue-sky thinking.”
Taylor has an impressive resume. After joining St. Jude in 2008 as an associate member of the Department of Developmental Neurobiology, he spent his initial years at the research institution combining human genetics with cell biological and molecular approaches to identify the fundamental basis of neurological diseases.
In 2013, scientists in Taylor’s lab made groundbreaking discoveries. They found that genetic mutations impacting biological phase transitions are a cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). According to the release, this discovery also facilitated a better understanding of how these mutations can contribute to cancer and other catastrophic illnesses.
Taylor’s work at St. Jude has garnered recognition in his field, making him among the hospital's well-regarded researchers. He was named a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator in 2015, and his work also earned him many accolades. Some of the most notable accolades are the Potamkin Prize, often called the 'Nobel Prize of Alzheimer's research,' and the Norman Saunders International Research Prize, a $100,000 award recognizing his contribution to the study of ALS, both of which were awarded to him in 2020.
Prior to the announcement, Taylor served as the chair of the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and director of the Pediatric Translational Neuroscience Initiative (PTNI). While he will continue to lead the PTNI, St. Jude will begin the search for a new chair of the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology in mid-2022.
Recognizing his work at the hospital and his new roles, Dr. James Downing, president and CEO of St. Jude, said that Taylor is regarded as one of the most highly-cited scientists across the globe, and his expertise will be vital to growing cures for patients at St. Jude.
“During his time at St. Jude, he demonstrated an excellent record of leadership as the founding chair of the Cell and Molecular Biology department and as the director of the Pediatric Translational Neuroscience Initiative,” Downing said, in the release. “As we continue to search for new ways to treat childhood catastrophic diseases, Dr. Taylor’s expertise and guidance will be integral to advancing cures for patients at St. Jude and around the world.”
Taylor takes over as scientific director and EVP from Jim Morgan. Morgan served in the role from 2015 to 2022, and is retiring from his position as scientific director.
