Today, more than 80 percent of children with cancer live in low-and middle-income countries. Most of these children will die from their diseases. Our goal is to give children with cancer access to quality care no matter where they live. In parallel with St. Jude Global, the Department of Global Pediatric Medicine, unites doctors and scientists with expertise in international medicine, epidemiology, health economics and health policy. These professionals work together to help speed progress against childhood cancer, blood disorders and other life-threatening diseases. St. Jude is the first and only World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Childhood Cancer. WHO first designated St. Jude its Collaborating Centre for Childhood Cancer in 2018 and redesignated it in 2022.
To schedule an interview with one of our experts, email media@stjude.org.
Global Pediatric Cancer Experts
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Asya Agulnik, MD, MPH
Agulnik
Asya Agulnik, MD, MPH, St. Jude Department of Global Pediatric Medicine, St. Jude Global Critical Care Program director and St. Jude Global Euro Regional Program director, works to improve critical care for childhood cancer patients worldwide. In 2022, Agulnik led the SAFER Ukraine effort to evacuate pediatric cancer patients and their families following the invasion of Ukraine. Agulnik’s research interests include global pediatric health, hospital quality of care, critical care in pediatric oncology and clinical prediction scores. She has worked extensively to implement Pediatric Early Warning Systems (PEWS) both at St. Jude and in countries throughout Latin America. PEWS is a framework for identifying patients whose clinical condition is deteriorating to help them receive interventions more quickly.
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Nickhill Bhakta, MD, MPH
Bhakta
Nickhill Bhakta, MD, MPH, St. Jude Department of Global Pediatric Medicine and St. Jude Global Sub-Saharan Africa Region director, studies the global epidemiology of childhood cancer. Bhakta also researches leukemia survivorship and the cost-effectiveness of childhood cancer treatment in low- and middle-income countries. Through the Global Burden of Disease study in collaboration with the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, Bhakta published a landmark paper on the greater burden of childhood cancer in low- and middle-income countries, showing it is much higher than in previous estimates.
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Ching-Hon Pui, MD, St. Jude Global China Region director, was the long-time St. Jude Department of Oncology chair. With more than 45 years in the field, Pui has helped change how acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is treated worldwide, improving survival rates while providing less toxic treatments. Work by Pui showed that cranial irradiation, once part of standard treatment for childhood ALL, can be omitted altogether, sparing patients the adverse long-term effects of such treatment. He has been one of the most highly cited investigators in clinical medicine for the past two decades. Pui has also worked to make the highest level of care available to children, collaborating with chairs of leukemia committees in 14 major national study groups worldwide. His partnerships in China have had a profound influence, helping convince the Chinese government in 2010 to extend health coverage to childhood leukemia patients.
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Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, MD
Rodriguez-Galindo
Executive Vice President Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, MD, St. Jude Department of Global Pediatric Medicine chair and St. Jude Global director, is a world-recognized leader in global childhood cancer care. Rodriguez-Galindo was instrumental in forming St. Jude Global in 2018, aiming to improve both the access to and quality of care children receive in low- and middle-income countries. Through the St. Jude Global Alliance, Rodrigues-Galindo directs regional, national and hospital-based initiatives with its member partners across seven regions to ensure the advancement of care worldwide. Rodrigues-Galindo is also an expert in pediatric solid tumors.
