James Downing, who led St. Jude for 12 years, moves to faculty role
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital announced Tuesday that Dr. Charles W. M. Roberts, currently director of the hospital’s Comprehensive Cancer Center and an executive vice president, will become its next president and chief executive officer.
Roberts will succeed Dr. James R. Downing, who has led the Memphis, Tennessee-based nonprofit for 12 years. Downing will move into a faculty role in St. Jude’s Global Pediatric Medicine department when Roberts assumes the top post on Jan. 1.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Roberts said: “I’m really excited because I think we are at the dawn of a new era. In the next several years, I believe we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to achieve much more of Danny’s dream than ever before. And I’m excited to take us there.”
Roberts pointed to the trajectory of childhood cancer treatment since St. Jude was founded by the actor and philanthropist Danny Thomas in 1962. At the hospital’s founding, the survival rate for childhood cancer patients stood at around 20%. Today, it is more than 80%.
Roberts said the hope is for all childhood cancers to one day be easily treatable, with major strides toward that goal within reach.
The leadership change takes effect at the start of next year, with Roberts transitioning from his current roles as Comprehensive Cancer Center director and executive vice president to lead the institution Thomas founded more than six decades ago.