Dr. William E. Evans is a distinguished pharmaceutical scientist and former Director and Chief Executive Officer of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, where he served from 2004 to 2014. A native of Clarksville, Tennessee, he received his BSc and Pharm.D. degrees from the University of Tennessee in 1973 and 1975, respectively, and began his career at St. Jude as a student in 1972. He established himself as a leading authority in pediatric pharmacology during his tenure as Chair of the St. Jude Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences from 1986 to 2002, and subsequently served as Scientific Director and Executive Vice President from 2002 to 2004. Currently, he holds the St. Jude Endowed Chair of Pharmacogenomics at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and is a Professor at the University of Tennessee Colleges of Pharmacy and Medicine, where his academic journey began over five decades ago.
Dr. Evans' pioneering research has fundamentally transformed the understanding of pharmacogenomics in pediatric oncology, with a specific focus on childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. His investigations into the genetic and biochemical mechanisms underlying differential drug responses among children have directly contributed to increasing cure rates for childhood ALL from 50% in the 1970s to over 90% today through precision medicine approaches. He notably discovered the genomic basis of resistance to glucocorticoids in leukemia treatment, a breakthrough that has informed clinical protocols worldwide. His extensive scholarly contributions include over 450 scientific publications in prestigious journals such as New England Journal of Medicine, Nature, and Science, and he has received three consecutive NCI MERIT Awards from the National Institutes of Health for his exceptional research on antileukemic agents in children.
Beyond his research achievements, Dr. Evans has been instrumental in shaping the landscape of pediatric cancer research through visionary leadership and strategic expansion of St. Jude's capabilities during his decade-long tenure as CEO. Under his direction, the hospital established the Pediatric Cancer Genome Project, expanded annual fundraising to over $1 billion, and created the world's only Proton Beam radiation therapy center devoted solely to children. His leadership transformed St. Jude into the sole NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center dedicated exclusively to children, earning consistent recognition as the #1 Children's Cancer Hospital by US News and World Report and Parents Magazine. Currently chairing the Scientific Advisory Board of the Princess Maxima Children's Cancer Center in The Netherlands, Dr. Evans continues to influence global pediatric oncology research while mentoring the next generation of scientists dedicated to advancing precision medicine for childhood cancers.
