.jpg "Jessica A. Gartrell, MD photo")
Instructor
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
I am currently in my second year as an instructor on the Clinician Scientist Track at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a world leader in the research and treatment of pediatric malignancies. In my first year of pediatric hematology/oncology fellowship at St. Jude, I became passionate about seeking ways to improve outcomes in patients with high risk sarcoma. This passion led me to join Dr. Anang Shelat’s lab where I completed a project examining EWSR1-translocated sarcomas and PARP inhibitor sensitivity, specifically examining SLFN11 as a biomarker for sensitivity to DNA damaging agents. I then completed a solid tumor fellowship under the mentorship of Dr. Alberto Pappo where I deepened my clinical knowledge of solid tumors and began to be mentored in clinical trial design which led me to accept my current position as an instructor in the solid tumor department.
My research interests are focused on developing early phase clinical trials that lead to the identification of therapeutic biomarkers and novel combination therapies for high risk sarcomas. I have spent approximately 2 years in Anang Shelat’s lab where I led a large collaborative project with Anang Shelat PhD, Sara Federico MD, Elizabeth Stewart MD, Christopher Tinkle MD/PhD, Armita Bahrami MD, and Michael Clay MD, to study SLFN11 and its role in pediatric sarcomas. This project highlighted the limits of chemotherapy and directed us toward identifying mechanisms of resistance to these therapies in pediatric sarcomas. My goal is to continue these collaborations with basic, translational, and clinician scientists to develop rational early phase clinical trials that combine different therapeutic strategies to target vulnerabilities in these tumors. These trials will include correlative biology studies that can inform future combination studies and move the field forward.