Julie M. Gastier-Foster, PhD, FACMG
- Cancer and Blood Disorders
Director of Laboratory and Pathology, Global Hematology/Oncology Pediatric Excellence (HOPE)
Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology/Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine
Office location:
6621 Fannin Street
Houston, TX 77030
Get to know Julie M. Gastier-Foster, PhD, FACMG
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
Education
| School | Education | Degree | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stanford University School of Medicine | Post-doctoral Fellowship | Clinical Molecular Genetics and Clinical Cytogenetics | 1999 |
| Harvard Medical School | PhD | Doctor of Philosophy, Genetics | 1996 |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | Bachelors | Bachelor of Science, Biotechnology | 1991 |
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 of Genetic Technologists | Member |
| Association for Molecular Pathology | Member |
| Cancer Genomics Consortium | Member |
| Children's Oncology Group (COG) | Member |
| Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute | Member |
Board Certification
American Board of Medical Genetics - Clinical Genetics
Honors and awards
- 2018
-
Invited Scientific Advisor and Reviewer, Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF) Scientific Advisory Committee (Cooperative Japan-US Research Organization)
* 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.
Highlights
Research Area:
Leukemia
Genetics and Genomics
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.