Author Profile

Heather Mefford, MD, PhD

Faculty, Department of Cell & Molecular Biology

Heather Mefford, MD, PhD

Heather Mefford, MD, PhD, is a faculty member in the Department of Cell & Molecular Biology at St. Jude.

Stories by Heather Mefford

Importance of citations in scientific research: More than just bragging rights
Importance of citations in scientific research: More than just bragging rights
Research

Importance of citations in scientific research: More than just bragging rights

Rebecca Tweedell, PhD

Being highly cited means your research gets published in high-impact journals and reaches more people.

Patenting ideas from bench to bedside
Patenting ideas from bench to bedside
Outreach

The agents of discovery: patenting and licensing ideas from bench to bedside

Gary Bridgman

Meet St. Jude’s tech transfer experts who patent and license researchers’ basic science discoveries to help patients worldwide.

Building a global neuro-oncology collaborative for pediatric CNS tumors
Building a global neuro-oncology collaborative for pediatric CNS tumors
Outreach

For new ideas and collaboration, St. Jude Global hosts neuro-oncology training seminar

Lance Wiedower

St. Jude Global Academy hosted a neuro-oncology seminar to generate new ideas for high-impact interventions and share experiences. Read more.

Ending the HIV epidemic: A national plan to reduce HIV infections
Ending the HIV epidemic: A national plan to reduce HIV infections
Clinical

Ending the HIV epidemic: A national plan to reduce HIV infections

Michael Sheffield

Ending the HIV Epidemic is a bold plan to reduce HIV infections by 90 percent nationally. On a local level, St. Jude aims to have no new HIV cases by 2030.

Smithsonian honors St. Jude visionaries for ‘bubble boy’ cure
Smithsonian honors St. Jude visionaries for ‘bubble boy’ cure
Research

Smithsonian honors St. Jude visionaries for ‘bubble boy’ cure

Mary Powers

Read how St. Jude researchers and clinicians used gene therapy to cure the diabolical bubble boy disease.

Proteins: Playing with molecular rubber duckies
Proteins: Playing with molecular rubber duckies
Research

Proteins: Playing with molecular rubber duckies

Marcus Fischer, PhD

Are you a match? Read how this molecule’s affinity to proteins can change according to water.

New analytical technique reveals the subtle genetic differences among cancer cells
New analytical technique reveals the subtle genetic differences among cancer cells
Research

New analytical technique reveals the subtle genetic differences among cancer cells

Xiang Chen, PhD

Sequencing data gives insights into what’s going on in a cell. It’s a lot of information. Read how scientists are finding ways to cut through the information and find causes for disease.

Genetic sequencing: How do we put out the fires of genetically driven cancers?
Genetic sequencing: How do we put out the fires of genetically driven cancers?
Research

Genetic sequencing: How do we put out the fires of genetically driven cancers?

Jill Bouchard, PhD

Too much of a good thing? Read how genetic sequencing offers insights into the causes of some cancers, but the avalance of data creates a new set of issues.

Childhood cancer survivorship studies dig in on data to increase understanding
Childhood cancer survivorship studies dig in on data to increase understanding
Research

Survivorship studies dig in on data

Kirsten Ness, PT, PhD, FAPTA

Read how cancer survivorship research reveals more about the late effects of treatment on children – and how the data can paint a more complete picture.

Having those critical conversations about fertility after cancer
Having those critical conversations about fertility after cancer
Clinical

Having those critical conversations about fertility after cancer

Maggie Besler, MD

As clinicians learn more about the late effects of pediatric cancer treatments, these important discussions with patients are changing.