One of the world's premier pediatric cancer research centers, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital was founded in 1962 by entertainer Danny Thomas and is located in Memphis, Tennessee. Its mission is to find cures for children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases through research and treatment.

The current basic and clinical research at St. Jude includes work in gene therapy, bone marrow transplantation, chemotherapy, the biochemistry of normal and cancerous cells, radiation treatment, blood diseases, resistance to therapy, viruses, hereditary diseases, influenza, pediatric AIDS and psychological effects of catastrophic illnesses. St. Jude also conducts long-term biostatistical investigations on the long-term outcomes of its patients and is the only pediatric research hospital that has been awarded a National Cancer Institute cancer center support grant.

Featuring 78 beds for patients requiring hospitalization during treatment and 2.5 million square feet of research, clinical and administrative space, St. Jude treats about 5,400 patients annually and has treated children from all 50 states and from around the world.

Patients at St. Jude are referred by a physician, and nearly all have a disease currently under study and are eligible for a research protocol. St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance. No child is ever denied treatment because of the family's inability to pay.