Meet Dr. James Amatruda, MD, PhD
James Amatruda, MD, PhD, a native of New Haven, CT, was inspired by his 7th-grade teacher to become a scientist. He studied biochemistry at Harvard University and went to Washington University in St. Louis for his MD/PhD degree, where he worked with John Cooper on the genetics of the yeast actin cytoskeleton. He did a residency in Internal Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, after which he and his wife spent nearly two years in Rome, where he worked on mechanisms of chemotherapy resistance and appeared on Italian TV, among other adventures. Returning to Boston, he completed a fellowship in Medical Oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, before joining Len Zon's lab at Boston Children's Hospital where he began his work using zebrafish as a model of human cancer.
In 2005 Amatruda joined the faculty at UTSW. He is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Molecular Biology and Internal Medicine, and an Attending Physician at Children's Medical Center. His laboratory focuses on understanding the genetic causes of childhood cancers including germ cell tumor, Wilms tumor and Ewing's Sarcoma, using zebrafish models and human genomic approaches. He is Chair of the Rare Tumors Biology Committee of the Children's Oncology Group, the national organization that oversees clinical and biological studies of pediatric cancers. In 2009 he received a Health Care Heroes award from the Dallas Business Journal, and he has been selected as an outstanding lecturer by the MS1 class 5 times. In his spare time he enjoys reading, cycling and exploring Texas on hiking and camping trips with his son.
Source: http://thinkingmed.tumblr.com/post/16956116388
Dr. James Amatruda
Teaching philosophyAs a teacher, I believe all students have the capacity within themselves to do great things, and my job is to inspire them with the confidence to take on the really big problems that our patients face."
Other honorsHe has been named an Outstanding Teacher by four classes of first-year medical students and a Health Care Hero by the Dallas Business Journal.
Endowed titlesNearburg Family Professorship in Pediatric Oncology Research; Horchow Family Scholar in Pediatrics
Hometown: New Haven, CT
Education: A.B. in Biochemical Sciences, Harvard University; M.D., Ph.D., Washington University in St. Louis; Residency in Internal Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston; Hematology-Oncology Fellowship, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/MGH.
When I'm in the Lab: I write a lot of grants and papers, and borrow space on people's benches to do some experiments. I spend part of my time at Children's Medical Center caring for children with cancer and blood disorders. My major interest is in bridging the gap between the clinic and the lab.
When I'm not in the Lab: I enjoy running, cycling, camping, reading, and most of all spending time with my wife and son.
Fishing for a Cure: The Challenge of Childhood Cancer (2013, ThinkingBig - UTSouthwestern).
James Amatruda, MD, PhD, a native of New Haven, CT, was inspired by his 7th-grade teacher to become a scientist. He studied biochemistry at Harvard University and went to Washington University in St. Louis for his MD/PhD degree, where he worked with John Cooper on the genetics of the yeast actin cytoskeleton. He did a residency in Internal Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, after which he and his wife spent nearly two years in Rome, where he worked on mechanisms of chemotherapy resistance and appeared on Italian TV, among other adventures. Returning to Boston, he completed a fellowship in Medical Oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, before joining Len Zon's lab at Boston Children's Hospital where he began his work using zebrafish as a model of human cancer.
In 2005 Amatruda joined the faculty at UTSW. He is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Molecular Biology and Internal Medicine, and an Attending Physician at Children's Medical Center. His laboratory focuses on understanding the genetic causes of childhood cancers including germ cell tumor, Wilms tumor and Ewing's Sarcoma, using zebrafish models and human genomic approaches. He is Chair of the Rare Tumors Biology Committee of the Children's Oncology Group, the national organization that oversees clinical and biological studies of pediatric cancers. In 2009 he received a Health Care Heroes award from the Dallas Business Journal, and he has been selected as an outstanding lecturer by the MS1 class 5 times. In his spare time he enjoys reading, cycling and exploring Texas on hiking and camping trips with his son.
Source: http://www.thinkingmed.com/#!amatruda/c1t8q