Dr. Richard Gilbertson trained as a pediatric oncologist in the United Kingdom, where he earned his M.D. (1992) and Ph.D. (1998) degrees, becoming a member of the Royal College of Physicians in 1995. He moved in 2000 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,  where he is Director of the Comprehensive Cancer Center, Executive Vice President, and Director of the Division of Brain Tumor Research. He holds the Lillian R. Cannon Comprehensive Cancer Center Director Endowed Chair. Dr. Gilbertson’s laboratory research is focused on understanding the link between normal development and the origins of cancer, particularly brain tumors. His lab was the first to describe a cancer stem cell niche in brain tumors; demonstrate that a solid cancer can arise from tissue-specific stem cells; use innovative cross-species genomics to trace the developmental origins of pediatric brain tumors; and use whole genome sequencing to identify novel subgroup-specific mutations in medulloblastoma. His research has been translated into numerous diagnostic tests and innovative clinical trials for children with cancer.