Dr. Elaine Mardis is a pioneering leader in genomic medicine and cancer research, currently serving as Co-Executive Director of the Institute for Genomic Medicine at Nationwide Children's Hospital where she also holds the Nationwide Foundation Endowed Chair in Genomic Medicine. She maintains a professorship in the Department of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, bridging cutting-edge genomic research with clinical applications for pediatric patients. Born in North Platte, Nebraska on September 28, 1962, she earned her B.S. in Zoology with Highest Honors and Phi Beta Kappa recognition from the University of Oklahoma in 1984, followed by a Ph.D. in Chemistry and Biochemistry from the same institution in 1989. Prior to her current position at Nationwide Children's Hospital, which she joined in 2016 alongside Dr. Richard Wilson to establish the Institute for Genomic Medicine, she spent over two decades as a faculty member at Washington University School of Medicine where she made foundational contributions to cancer genomics.
Dr. Mardis pioneered the application of next-generation sequencing technologies to cancer research, notably as part of the team that reported the first whole cancer genome sequencing study, which revolutionized the field by enabling comprehensive identification of cancer-specific mutations through comparison with matched normal tissue. Her extensive contributions to The Cancer Genome Atlas and the Pediatric Cancer Genome Project have significantly advanced our understanding of cancer genomics across multiple tumor types, providing critical insights into disease mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets. At Nationwide Children's Hospital, she has developed sophisticated DNA- and RNA-based genomic profiling approaches along with methylation array-based classification systems that translate genomic discoveries into clinical decision-making for cancer patients. With over 350 peer-reviewed publications in prestigious journals including Cell, Journal of Clinical Oncology, and Blood, her work has established new paradigms for integrating genomic information into cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment selection.
Recognized for her leadership and scientific impact, Dr. Mardis served as President of the American Association for Cancer Research during 2019-2020 and was elected to membership in the National Academy of Medicine in 2019, among numerous other honors including the Morton K. Schwartz Award for Significant Contributions in Cancer Research Diagnostics. She founded and serves as Editor-in-Chief of the open-access precision medicine journal Molecular Case Studies, and has held editorial positions with Disease Models & Mechanisms and other prominent publications, shaping the dissemination of genomic medicine research. As one of the most highly cited researchers globally since 2013, her current work focuses on fully integrating genomic medicine into pediatric patient care across multiple specialty clinics, with particular emphasis on developing personalized cancer vaccines and immunotherapy approaches. Under her co-direction, the Institute for Genomic Medicine continues to advance the application of genomic technologies to improve diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment for children with cancer and other genetic disorders.
