Charles W.M. Roberts, MD, PhD, an internationally recognized physician-scientist, named president and CEO of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Roberts has fostered collaborative, innovative partnerships across disciplines and institutions to accelerate progress against childhood cancer and other catastrophic diseases.

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Aug. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Governors of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital today announced Charles W.M. Roberts, MD, PhD, executive vice president and current director of the St. Jude Comprehensive Cancer Center, as its next president and chief executive officer. The announcement follows an extensive international search led by the firm Spencer Stuart. Roberts will step into the role effective January 1, 2027.

"I'm deeply honored to have been selected to lead this institution at a pivotal moment, when emerging technologies are creating unprecedented opportunities to accelerate discovery," Roberts said. "Meeting this challenge will require collaboration across disciplines, institutions and borders. I look forward to continuing to work with partners around the world to transform outcomes for children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases everywhere."

Over the course of his career, Roberts has published numerous peer-reviewed research papers in high-impact academic journals. His work was done in collaboration with peers from institutions across the world. As cancer center director, Roberts has also developed and launched large-scale scientific collaborations between St. Jude and external partners. This emphasis on finding new discoveries and building bridges with colleagues, according to Judy Habib, chair of the St. Jude Board of Governors, played a significant role in making him the ideal choice to lead the institution into its next era.

"After a global search, Dr. Roberts emerged as the clear choice to lead St. Jude as it continues pursuing its mission of finding cures and saving children," Habib said. "He combines the rigor of a researcher, the care of a clinician, and passion for our mission, making him the perfect person to lead one of the most accomplished pediatric research institutions in the world. I'm excited for the future of St. Jude under his leadership."

A visionary clinician-scientist

Roberts joined St. Jude in 2015 as the Comprehensive Cancer Center director, overseeing the vision, planning and strategic growth in the institution's cancer research, as well as its clinical research enterprise. Over the past decade, he has led the Cancer Center to receiving the top "Exceptional" ranking by the National Cancer Institute in both reviews and to its best score in institutional history each time. 

"I think of the St. Jude Comprehensive Cancer Center as the crown jewel of our research endeavors. When I became CEO in 2014, I knew I had to find the perfect person to lead it. One of the absolute best decisions I made was recruiting Charlie Roberts to become its director," said James R. Downing, MD, who announced in February his plans to step down from the CEO role as part of a planned leadership transition. "More than a decade later, I continue to be impressed by his accomplishments and look forward to seeing him apply his vision and strategic leadership to the full breadth of St. Jude."

In addition to his role leading the Cancer Center's five research programs, Roberts' own research has made field-advancing gains in cancer epigenetics, including work that uncovered tumor-suppressive roles of SMARCAB1/SNF5 in lethal pediatric rhabdoid tumors. His work focuses 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. His work has led to new FDA-approved and investigational cancer therapies for both children and adults.

Roberts' contributions have been recognized by the medical and scientific community, including election as a fellow of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Academy. He received 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 also a member of the Society for Pediatric Research, American Society of Clinical Investigation, American Association of Physicians, and American Pediatric Society. In 2025, he was elected to serve on the AACR Board.

After he received his medical and doctoral degrees from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, Roberts completed his pediatric residency and pediatric hematology/oncology fellowship at Boston Children's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

"I've had the privilege of working alongside Charlie for years and have seen firsthand his passion for children, his commitment to scientific excellence and his belief that every breakthrough should lead to better outcomes for patients and families," said Frederick M. Azar, MD, chair of the Board of Directors for ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude. "As St. Jude enters this exciting new chapter, the Board is confident in Charlie's vision, leadership and unwavering commitment to our mission and to the partnership that brings together St. Jude, ALSAC and our supporters."

A steadfast collaborative leader

During his time as Cancer Center director, Roberts has 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.

As the organization's seventh president and CEO, Roberts will be tasked with overseeing a global organization devoted to advancing cures and means of prevention for pediatric catastrophic diseases around the world.

Ike Anand, president and CEO of ALSAC, said he welcomes Roberts' partnership in working toward the two organizations' shared mission.

"Few people embody the promise of St. Jude quite like Charlie Roberts," Anand said. "He understands the urgency that patients and families feel, the extraordinary possibilities emerging at the intersection of science and technology, and the trust that donors place in this mission every day. I am thrilled to continue partnering with Charlie as we engage supporters, accelerate progress, and help bring hope to children around the globe."

 "We are closer than ever before to realizing my father's dream that no child should die in the dawn of life, thanks in large part to the work of Charlie Roberts over the past decade," said Marlo Thomas, national outreach director for St. Jude. "There is no one more qualified to lead St. Jude into the future than Charlie, a brilliant scientist and dedicated physician who truly embodies our mission of finding cures and saving children. I wish my father were here for this remarkable passing of the torch."

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and cures childhood cancer, sickle cell disease, and other life-threatening disorders. It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Treatments developed at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to 80% since the hospital opened more than 60 years ago. St. Jude shares the breakthroughs it makes to help doctors and researchers at local hospitals and cancer centers around the world improve the quality of treatment and care for even more children. To learn more, visit stjude.org, read Progress: A Digital Magazine, and follow St. Jude on social media at @stjuderesearch.

SOURCE St. Jude Children's Research Hospital