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Location

Texas Medical Center

Specialty
Cancer and Hematology
Phone: 832-822-3173
Fax: 832-825-1105
Email

jxgastie@texaschildrens.org

Address

6621 Fannin St., Ste. 1170
Houston, TX 77030

Julie M. Gastier-Foster, PhD, FACMG

Director of Laboratory and Pathology, Global Hematology/Oncology Pediatric Excellence (HOPE)
Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology/Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine

Education

School Education Degree Year
Stanford University School of Medicine Post-doctoral Fellow Clinical Molecular Genetics and Clinical Cytogenetics 1999
Harvard University/Harvard Medical School PhD Doctor of Philosophy, Genetics 1996
Rochester Institute of Technology Bachelors Bachelor of Science, Biotechnology 1991

About

Dr. Julie Gastier-Foster has more than 20 years' experience directing a clinical genetics laboratory. She believes that high quality laboratory testing is critical to optimal patient diagnosis, care, and outcomes.

Dr. Gastier-Foster's role as the Director of Laboratory and Pathology for Global Hematology/Oncology Pediatric Excellence (HOPE) is to use her experience in clinical laboratory testing, centralized testing for the Children's Oncology group trials,  biorepositories, and large cancer sequencing projects to help build infrastructure for better pediatric cancer care in Africa.

Dr. Gastier-Foster has been an integral part of the Children's Oncology Group disease committees for nearly two decades. She has participated in the development and review of protocols, conversion of new biomarkers into clinical trials, and translational research related to prognostic factors. She will utilize this expertise to support efforts to build African pediatric oncology networks. She is an invited member of several grant review committees, permanent and ad hoc, related to her work in cancer biomarkers and biorepository best practices.

Board Certifications
American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ABMGG), Clinical Medical Genetics
American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ABMGG), Clinical Cytogenetics

Organizations

Organization Name Role
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Member
American College of Medical Genetics Member
American Society for Clinical Pathology Member
American Society of Hematology (ASH) Member
American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) Member
Association for Molecular Pathology Member
Association of Genetic Technologists Member
Cancer Genomics Consortium Member
Children's Oncology Group (COG) Member
Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute Member

Research Statement

Dr. Gastier-Foster is interested in developing better methods for the screening, diagnosis,  and treatment monitoring for pediatric hematology/oncology patients in underserved populations. She is interested in field-ready applications and technology that would allow for better clinical capabilities in regions with limited resources.

Dr. Gastier-Foster was involved in the team science effort to identify the fusion genes associated with Ph-like ALL, and the incorporation of testing for the fusions into clinical trials and routine practice. Her research team was also responsible for the tissue processing and quality control of tumor samples for large-scale cancer genomics sequencing projects such as The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), TARGET, and the Pediatric MATCH trial.

Selected Publications

Awards & Honors

2018    Invited Scientific Advisor and Reviewer, Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF) Scientific Advisory Committee (Cooperative Japan-US Research Organization)

Language

English



* Texas Children's Hospital physicians' licenses and credentials are reviewed prior to practicing at any of our facilities. Sections titled From the Doctor, Professional Organizations and Publications were provided by the physician's office and were not verified by Texas Children's Hospital.