Ching-Hon Pui

Ching-Hon Pui, MD holds the Arthur Nienhuis Endowed Chair in Hematology at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and is one of the most decorated and influential pediatric oncologists in the world. He has spent his entire career at St. Jude, where he has led the institution's legendary Total Therapy studies for childhood ALL from Total Therapy X through Total Therapy XVI, producing a systematic progression of protocol refinements that collectively elevated pediatric ALL cure rates to approximately 94% in the modern era. Dr. Pui made the transformative discovery that intrathecal chemotherapy alone can replace cranial radiation for CNS prophylaxis in virtually all children with ALL without compromising outcomes, eliminating a major source of neurocognitive late effects for millions of children. His research has also addressed the unique biology and treatment needs of ALL in children with Down syndrome, documenting the hypersensitivity to methotrexate and the need for treatment modifications to prevent toxicity while maintaining efficacy. Dr. Pui is a champion for global equity in childhood cancer care, leading international collaborations to bring modern ALL treatment to low- and middle-income countries, particularly in China and Southeast Asia, through capacity-building programs with St. Jude's VIVA Forum.