James F. Amatruda

James F. Amatruda, MD, PhD is the Chief of the Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Director of the Cancer and Blood Disease Institute (CBDI), and the Alfred E. Mann Family Foundation Chair in Cancer Research at Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA). He is a tenured Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and the Associate Director for Pediatric Oncology in the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Dr. Amatruda received his Bachelor's degree in Biochemical Sciences from Harvard University and his MD, PhD from Washington University School of Medicine. He completed his internship and residency training in Internal Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, MA, followed by fellowship training in Medical Oncology at Dana-Farber/Partners Cancer Care in Boston, MA. He was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Leonard Zon at Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School. From 2005-2019, Dr. Amatruda was on the faculty of UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, TX before joining CHLA in 2019.

Dr. Amatruda is a physician-scientist with a primary research and clinical focus on solid tumors of childhood including sarcomas, germ cell tumors and Wilms tumor. His lab has developed zebrafish models of genetic subtypes of pediatric solid tumors to better define their biology and to use that knowledge to identify and validate novel approaches for improved therapies. He has held leadership positions in the Children's Oncology Group, serving as Chair for the Germ Cell Tumor Biology Committee and the Rare Tumors Biology Committee. Dr. Amatruda co-founded the international Zebrafish Disease Models Society in 2014 and served as its first president.

His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on germ cell tumors, with significant contributions to understanding their genetics, biomarkers, and treatment protocols. His research frequently employs zebrafish models to investigate molecular mechanisms underlying pediatric cancers, particularly sarcomas and germ cell tumors. Much of his work involves large collaborative efforts through the Children's Oncology Group and international consortia, examining genetic factors, treatment efficacy, and molecular pathways in pediatric solid tumors.

Scientific Awards and Recognition

• Scholar Award, William Guy Forbeck Foundation
• Horchow Endowed Scholar in Pediatrics, UT Southwestern Medical Center
• Outstanding Pre-Clinical Teacher, 1st-year Medical School Class, UT Southwestern Medical Center
• Keynote Speaker, MS1 Orientation Weekend, UT Southwestern Medical Center
• Health Care Heroes Award, Academic Researcher, Dallas Business Journal
• Regent's Outstanding Teaching Award, University of Texas System
• Pediatric Residency Faculty Teaching Award, Children's Hospital Los Angeles

Dr. Amatruda serves on the Scientific Advisory Boards of the William Guy Forbeck Foundation, the Sam Day Foundation, the Pablove Foundation, and Curing Kids Cancer. He is also the Editor of the journal Disease Models & Mechanisms and serves on the Steering Committee for the National Cancer Institute's FusOnC2 Fusion Oncogene Consortium. At CHLA, Dr. Amatruda leads the Amatruda Lab which focuses on pediatric sarcomas driven by fusion oncogenes, germ cell tumors of the ovary and testis, and DICER1-related cancers including Wilms tumor of the kidney.