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PEDIATRICS

A Conversation with

Peter Houghton II, MD

Interviewed by Michelle Vasquez

What drove you or inspired you to go into What do you want the community to know
scientific research? about you?
I was aiming to go into the arts when at boarding school in the I am the director of the Greehey Children’s Cancer Research
United Kingdom, but when I was 15, I participated in a biology Institute and have held a number of senior positions. I guess you
course with a truly inspirational teacher named Mr. Tribe. I did just have to find something that really inspires you in life. For me,
well in my national exams that year and specialized in sciences for that is improving outcomes for kids with cancer.
the remainder of my school career (10-12th grade).
What makes UT Health San Antonio a special
What is your area of expertise? place to do research?
What drove you into this specific area? Collegiality, the work environment and a can-do attitude make
I am a molecular pharmacologist focused on pediatric cancer. UT Health San Antonio a special place to do research. The re-
I think there were two critical events that directed my area of search institute is an amazing facility in which to conduct cutting-
research. The first was the death of a fellow student from a edge research. San Antonio also is a great city.
rare form of lung cancer when I was an undergraduate in phar-
macy school (hence the pediatric focus), and the second was What unique challenges or opportunities do you
reading a book chapter called “Evaluation of Drug Activities: have as a scientist in San Antonio?
Pharmacometrics,” written by Thomas Connors at the Chester I think one real opportunity is to impact the childhood cancer
Beatty Laboratories in Chelsea/Institute of Cancer Research problems in South Texas. In this region, the incidence of cancer is
(ICR) in London. I found his approach to understanding the 16 percent above the state level, and 19 percent greater than that in
molecular mechanisms of anticancer drug action to be both the nation. Further, outcomes for Hispanic children with leukemia
honest and inspiring. I was fortunate to be awarded a Medical are worse. So, we have a duty to focus on health issues that are im-
Research Council graduate fellowship, and studied at ICR with portant to our community. In terms of challenges, obviously, federal
Dr. Connors as my mentor. funding has to increase to support research both at a basic level and
for clinical research. That is not unique to UT Health San Antonio,
What professional accomplishment are you and we have been fortunate to have the Cancer Prevention & Re-
proudest of? search Institute of Texas (CPRIT) to support our studies.
I suppose, from the professional perspective, becoming the In terms of challenges and opportunities for the Greehey Chil-
chair of molecular pharmacology at St. Jude Children’s Research dren’s Cancer Research Institute, I think we have a great oppor-
Hospital was particularly rewarding. From a scientific perspective, tunity to expand our research focus on childhood, adolescent and
we developed the camptothecin class of anticancer drugs that are young adult cancers. The last three years have been amazing as
now part of the standard of care for many pediatric cancers, de- we have recruited outstanding faculty, and have truly built a pow-
veloped the molecular rationale for a combination therapy that erhouse of researchers focused on childhood cancer. I think we
became the standard of care for patients with colon cancer, and have to maintain this trajectory, which will require extending the
our studies rekindled the interest in using rapamycin derivatives research institute, possibly through an additional research build-
as cancer therapeutics. ing. The challenge will be raising the funds to achieve this goal.

20 San Antonio Medicine • June 2018