St. Jude accelerates childhood cancer research with $1.4 billion investment

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is investing $1.4 billion dollars more in its strategic plan for pediatric cancer research and treatment.

There will be 900 more jobs and $400 million more for construction, renovation, and capital needs.

“It really is an expansion that will allow us to have an impact at a global level.”, said Dr. James Downing, St. Jude Children’s Hospital President, and CEO.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has committed $12.9 billion to research and treatment to advance its efforts to find a cure for pediatric cancer,

“New dollars will go to help us in fundamental science so that we can cure those incurable cancers, new dollars to facilitate collaborations with scientists across the United States and really around the world,” said Downing.

The six-year strategic plan will come with new infrastructure upgrades, adding two new 15-story medical buildings to the St. Jude campus.

Hospital officials said the expansion, mostly funded by donors, will impact scientific operations, clinical care, and medicine globally.

The new money has already sped up the hospital’s rate of growth.

“We initially had planned for it to reach $100 million a year by the year 2027. We know we’re going to reach $100 million a year by the year 2024,” said Downing.

In a statement, the Greater Memphis Chamber shared in the excitement saying:

“Over the past few decades, the Chamber has played a pivotal role in ensuring St. Jude grows in Memphis and today’s announcement is just another brick in the ‘house’ that St. Jude has built.”

Downing said capitalizing on emerging technologies and discoveries will help the hospital tackle unanswered needs in science and medicine.

“We ask if not St. Jude, who? And then we do those problems that need to be tackled to really change the outlook for children everywhere in the world,” said Downing.

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