Myron Evans

Myron Evans, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He serves as a Principal Investigator at Seattle Children's Research Institute's Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders Research and is an Affiliate Assistant Member at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center in the Human Biology Division. Dr. Evans joined Seattle Children's in 2021 after completing postdoctoral training at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Dr. Evans is a basic and translational scientist whose research focuses on understanding the mechanisms underlying both normal brain development and tumor initiation/progression in pediatric central nervous system (CNS) tumors, such as medulloblastoma and diffuse midline glioma. His lab specializes in developmental oncology, studying the epigenetic regulation of CNS development in the post-natal mammalian brain and how these epigenetic mechanisms become deregulated to contribute to pediatric brain tumors. The ultimate goal of his research is to identify tumor-specific vulnerabilities that can be targeted for new therapies while sparing normal developing brain cells.

Dr. Evans' recent publications show a clear research trajectory focused on pediatric brain tumors, particularly medulloblastoma and diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). His work spans multiple approaches including CAR T cell immunotherapy, epigenetic regulation, nucleotide metabolism targeting, and RNA binding protein function. A significant portion of his recent work explores combination therapies to overcome treatment resistance in these aggressive pediatric cancers. His publications frequently investigate how to target MYC-amplified medulloblastoma, which represents the most deadly subgroup with less than 50% five-year survival rates.

As a diversity advocate and champion for children with cancer, Dr. Evans leads the Myron Evans Lab at Seattle Children's Research Institute, which is dedicated to understanding why children get brain tumors and which mutations drive tumor formation. The lab combines 'a love of science, passion, and creativity (and a strong cup of coffee)' to bring hope to patients and their families, with the ultimate goal of developing more targeted brain tumor treatments with fewer side effects.