Drs. Singh and Gottschalk are leading cell and gene therapy researchers at world-class cancer centers.
STAMFORD, Conn., January 14, 2026 — Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy (ACGT) welcomes Sheila Singh, MD, PhD (King’s College London), and Stephen Gottschalk, MD (St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital), to its 22-person Scientific Advisory Council, which includes the most accomplished and innovative thought leaders in the field of cancer cell and gene therapy.
Dr. Singh is a pediatric neurosurgeon and Joint Head of the School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences and Head of the Comprehensive Cancer Centre at King’s College London. Previously, Dr. Singh served as Professor of Surgery and Biochemistry, Director of the Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, and Division Head of Neurosurgery at McMaster University. Dr. Singh received her MD from McMaster University and her PhD from the University of Toronto.
Dr. Singh’s research focus includes aggressive primary brain tumors in children and the dissection of the molecular mechanisms that drive tumor initiation. Her labs have established unique pipelines for discovery from human brain tumor samples and dissecting mechanisms that may be therapeutically targeted for this life-threatening condition. Her therapeutic areas of focus are tailored immunotherapies and molecular therapies, both for primary tumors and brain metastases.
Dr. Singh became an ACGT Research Fellow in 2024 as part of a cross-institution collaboration focused on synthetic T-cell therapy for recurrent pediatric brain tumors, specifically medulloblastoma and ependymoma, a study that also counts Dr. Gottschalk and fellow ACGT SAC member Crystal Mackall, MD (Stanford University) as key collaborators.
Dr. Gottschalk is chair of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. He also serves as a Co-Director of the Center of Excellence for Pediatric Immuno-Oncology and as an Endowed Chair in Bone Marrow Transplantation & Cellular Therapy.
Dr. Gottschalk actively conducts investigator-initiated early-phase clinical studies and, in the laboratory, oversees a team of MD and PhD researchers on peer-reviewed projects aimed at overcoming current limitations of adoptive cell therapies for cancer. He co-leads the translational immuno-oncology and immunotherapy initiative at St. Jude and is committed to training the next generation of scientists and academic physicians.
Dr. Gottschalk earned his MD at Georg-August University in his native Germany before moving to the United States and completing a pediatric residency at Baylor University. He has spent much of his career conducting research on the use of cell therapy to treat sarcomas.
Dr. Gottschalk became an ACGT Research Fellow in 2019 for a study developing an ECM-targeted CAR T-cell therapy for the treatment of pediatric sarcoma, and again in 2024 as part of the cross-institution collaboration focused on synthetic T-cell therapy for recurrent pediatric brain tumors mentioned above.
“Dr. Sheila Singh and Dr. Stephen Gottschalk are thought leaders in the field of cancer cell and gene therapy, and their research continues to make a significant impact in some of the most difficult-to-treat cancers for both adults and children,” says Kevin Honeycutt, ACGT chief executive officer and president. “Their knowledge, energy, and vision are ideal to help our Scientific Advisory Council direct ACGT’s mission of funding leading scientists and biotech companies working to develop novel cell and gene therapies to transform cancer treatment.”
The conscientious and committed members of ACGT’s Scientific Advisory Council bring vision and value to the funding process, which distinguishes the foundation from many other philanthropic organizations.
# # # # #
Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy (ACGT)
Established in 2001, Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy funds scientific research that brings innovative cell and gene therapy treatment options to people living with deadly cancers. New cell and gene therapy treatments are already saving the lives of thousands of blood cancer patients and offering new hope to all people diagnosed with cancer. ACGT is currently focused on funding the very best scientists whose advances are driving the development of groundbreaking cell and gene therapy treatments for solid tumors, including the most difficult-to-treat brain, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers.
100% of all public donations raised by Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy directly support research and programs. For more information, visit acgtfoundation.org, call (203) 358-5055, or join the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy community on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
