Walter T. Hughes Jr.’s Followers (1)

Walter T. Hughes Jr.

Born

Cleveland, Tennessee

Died

August 08, 2021

As a pioneer in his field, Walter Hughes, MD, helped position St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as a world leader in pediatric infectious diseases during a remarkable career that deeply influenced countless lives in Memphis and beyond.

He joined St. Jude in 1969 and was one of the first physicians to specialize in pediatric infectious diseases. Hughes helped establish the hospital’s Department of Infectious Diseases and served as the department’s chair from 1969–77 and again from 1981–95.

Hughes initiated pediatric AIDS research at St. Jude and held the Arthur Ashe Chair in Pediatric AIDS Research from 1993–98. He became an emeritus faculty member in 1998. In addition, Hughes was the co-founder and first elected president of the Pediatric As a pioneer in his field, Walter Hughes, MD, helped position St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as a world leader in pediatric infectious diseases during a remarkable career that deeply influenced countless lives in Memphis and beyond.

He joined St. Jude in 1969 and was one of the first physicians to specialize in pediatric infectious diseases. Hughes helped establish the hospital’s Department of Infectious Diseases and served as the department’s chair from 1969–77 and again from 1981–95.

Hughes initiated pediatric AIDS research at St. Jude and held the Arthur Ashe Chair in Pediatric AIDS Research from 1993–98. He became an emeritus faculty member in 1998. In addition, Hughes was the co-founder and first elected president of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society of America.

Hughes played a pivotal role in cancer treatment early into his career with St. Jude. As the Total Therapy studies in the early 1970s increased survival rates for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, preventing and treating infection became the next obstacle to tackle. After the intense cancer therapy, more patients with weakened immune system began to die of infection rather than cancer. In 1973, Hughes led work that identified Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) as a life-threatening infection in pediatric cancer patients. He and his colleagues found that 20% of pediatric cancer patients contracted the fungus.

“Almost single-handedly, Walter used an animal model to develop a therapy that was then applied in St. Jude patients in a classic clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Within a short time, the incidence of PCP in St. Jude patients dropped to zero, allowing a significant improvement in cure rate for pediatric ALL,” said Charles Sherr, MD, PhD, Tumor Cell Biology chair.

The research showed that the drug combination trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) was highly effective for PCP prevention and treatment. In 1981, PCP was the first opportunistic infection identified in patients with HIV/AIDS. The drug combination remains the most commonly used drug to prevent or treat PCP in patients with AIDS.

Hughes authored more than 500 articles in peer-reviewed journals and medical textbooks. He also published seven books, including On Hallowed Ground: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, in which he discussed the hospital’s origins and growth. ...more

Combine Editions
Walter T. Hughes Jr.’s books

Average rating: 4.0 · 3 ratings · 0 reviews · 16 distinct works

	On Hallowed Ground: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	When All God's Children Turned Green it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonitis by Walter T. Hughes Jr., Lowell S. Young it was ok 2.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 1987 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Pediatric procedures 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 1980 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Suffer the Little Children 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2011	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Yellow Martyrs 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2000	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dr. John Henry Erskine: A Yellow Martyr 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Interstitial Lung Diseases in Children by Lourdes R. Laraya-Cuasay, Walter T. Hughes Jr. 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 1988 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Interstitial Lung Diseases in Children: Volume 1 by Lourdes R. Laraya-Cuasay, Walter T. Hughes Jr. 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Interstitial Lung Diseases in Children: Volume 3 by Lourdes R. Laraya-Cuasay, Walter T. Hughes Jr. 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars