image: Charles W. M. Roberts, MD, PhD, St. Jude president and CEO-elect has worked at both the bench and the bedside, bringing this expertise to his leadership.
Credit: Courtesy of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
(MEMPHIS, Tenn. - October 19, 2026) The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) today announced the election of Charles W.M. Roberts, MD, PhD, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital president and CEO-elect, to its membership. Election to the National Academies is one of the highest honors in the field of health and medicine. As an internationally recognized physician-scientist and leader at St. Jude, Roberts joins the NAM membership in their mission to shape healthcare research, practice and policies that improve the lives of millions of people worldwide.
Roberts currently serves as executive vice president and director of the St. Jude Comprehensive Cancer Center. He will assume the role of St. Jude president and CEO on January 1, 2027. As director of the Cancer Center since 2015, Roberts has led the vision, planning and strategic growth of the institution’s cancer research, as well as its clinical research enterprise. As both a physician who has cared for St. Jude patients and a scientist studying the fundamental biology driving disease, Roberts’ contributions to medicine bridge the divide between the clinic and the laboratory.
Roberts’ election to the NAM recognizes contributions that have advanced the field, such as his research on how chromatin remodeling complexes, which normally allow access to DNA so genes can be transcribed, contribute to cancer when their normal function is disrupted. This work has led to new U.S. Food & Drug Administration–approved and investigational cancer therapies for both children and adults.
“This recognition reflects the patients who have inspired this work, the extraordinary science happening at St. Jude, and the colleagues I have had the privilege of working alongside,” said Roberts. “We are at a moment in pediatric medicine where the tools we have been building toward are finally converging in ways that make previously unimaginable therapeutic advances possible for children. I am honored to join the NAM at exactly this moment, and I look forward to contributing to the work ahead.”
Longstanding commitment to excellence
Roberts’ previous honors include election as a fellow of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Academy, the AACR Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research, and the Stephen E. Sallan Leadership Award. He is a member of the Society for Pediatric Research, American Society of Clinical Investigation, Association of American Physicians, American Pediatric Society and serves on the AACR Board of Directors.
Deeply committed to collaboration as a fundamental driver of scientific breakthroughs, Roberts has also guided the St. Jude Research Collaboratives program, created and co-led the multi-institutional Pediatric Cancer Dependencies Accelerator, developed The Science of Childhood Cancer virtual lecture series, and launched the Collaborative Academic Developmental Therapeutics (CADET) initiative with Stanford University and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
“Dr. Roberts is a pioneer in cancer epigenetics whose discoveries have reshaped our understanding of how disruptions in developmental programs drive childhood cancer and have helped lay the foundation for new targeted therapies,” said James R. Downing, MD, St. Jude president and CEO. “He has also distinguished himself as an exceptional leader, strengthening the St. Jude Comprehensive Cancer Center and launching ambitious collaborations that are producing field-changing discoveries. His scientific vision and collaborative leadership exemplify the values of both St. Jude and the NAM.”
Congressionally chartered in 1970, originally as the Institute of Medicine, NAM works alongside the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Engineering to provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation; solve complex problems; and inform public policy decisions. The joint National Academies also promote education and research; honor outstanding contributions to knowledge; and increase public understanding of science, technology, engineering, math and medicine.
Other members of the NAM from St. Jude are Downing; J. Paul Taylor, MD, PhD, St. Jude executive vice president, scientific director and Department of Cell & Molecular Biology chair; P. David Rogers, PharmD, PhD, Department of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences chair; Mitchell Weiss, MD, PhD, Department of Hematology chair; and emeritus faculty members William Evans, PharmD, former president and CEO; Mary Relling, PharmD, former Department of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences chair; Peter Doherty, PhD, Department of Immunology; and Charles Sherr, MD, PhD, former Department of Tumor Cell Biology chair. The late Arthur Nienhuis, MD, former St. Jude director and CEO, was also a member.
Additional St. Jude faculty who are members of the National Academy of Sciences include Hongbo Chi, PhD, Department of Immunology chair; Martine Roussel, PhD, Department of Oncology; Brenda Schulman, PhD, Department of Structural Biology; Douglas Green, PhD, Department of Immunology; and emeritus faculty members Robert Webster, PhD, Department of Infectious Diseases, Doherty and Sherr.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats, and cures childhood catastrophic diseases. From cancer to life-threatening blood disorders, neurological conditions, and infectious diseases, St. Jude is dedicated to advancing cures and means of prevention through groundbreaking research and compassionate care. Through global collaborations and innovative science, St. Jude is working to ensure that every child, everywhere, has the best chance at a healthy future. To learn more, visit stjude.org, read St. Jude Progress, a digital magazine, and follow St. Jude on social media at @stjuderesearch.
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