Dr Meghan Ward spends her days at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital working on a problem that hits close to home. She lost a close friend’s younger sibling to a brain tumor. That loss changed her path. Now, she is focused on finding better options for kids with brain cancer.
Ward is not just a scientist. She is also a student. She works in Giedre Krenciute’s lab, pushing forward new CAR T cell therapies. At the same time, she is earning a master’s degree in Clinical Investigations at the St. Jude Graduate School. Her goal is clear. She wants to turn lab discoveries into real treatments for children.
Giedre Krenciute at St. Jude holds an active grant of $503,626 for research on genetically engineered T cells targeting DIPG, a highly aggressive pediatric brain tumor.
Bridging the lab and the clinic
Ward saw a problem. Many scientific breakthroughs never reach patients. She decided to fix that. She joined the Clinical Investigations program to learn how to design and run clinical trials. Krenciute backed her right away. "I immediately supported her, because I know what she’s capable of. She’s highly motivated, and I never questioned that she would be successful."
Ward juggles a full-time research job, manuscript edits, and graduate classes. It is a heavy load. Every new skill brings her closer to her goal. She wants to see CAR T cell therapies tested in children with brain tumors. She is not slowing down.
Translational ambitions in a shifting field
St. Jude has made cellular therapy for pediatric brain tumors a top priority. Ward’s work sits at the crossroads of urgent need and new science. The hospital has a strong record in pediatric neuro-oncology. CAR T cell research is now a key part of its plan to fight childhood brain cancers. Recent research summaries confirm this focus.
China has moved fast on in vivo CAR-T trials, as reported earlier. Ward takes a different approach. She wants every step, from lab to clinic, to be grounded in careful training and a focus on patients. She is building the skills to guide therapies through the maze of clinical trials.
By October 2026, BrainChild Bio had raised $116 million in Series A funding to support CAR T therapy development for pediatric CNS tumors, including a pivotal Phase 2 trial for DIPG and further work on BCB-214.
Ward’s path shows a new way forward for translational research. She is not leaving the move from lab to clinic up to chance. She is learning how to make it happen. This is more than a personal step. It is a model for the next wave of scientists who want to speed up new therapies for patients who need them.
Industry reports from 2026 show that pediatric CAR T research for brain tumors is moving fast. More programs are shifting from lab work to clinical trials. A project summary on ConductScience says St. Jude has strong funding and infrastructure for CAR T work on DIPG and other pediatric brain tumors. There is no official word yet on a clinical trial led by Meghan Ward.
