Critical Care

Short Biography

Adolfo Cardenas-Aguirre, MD, is a Program Manager, Global Critical Care Transversal Program for the department of Global Pediatric Medicine.

Adolfo was born in Guadalajara, Mexico where he trained as a pediatrician and pediatric intensivist. In his role as department head in a pediatric children's cancer center, Adolfo began collaborating with St. Jude Global on Proyecto EVAT and other Critical Care Initiatives. He became captivated by the vision of Global Pediatric Medicine and interested in the implementation of quality improvement initiatives globally. 

Since joining the GPM team, Adolfo now works diligently in supporting the various critical care related initiatives to improve supportive care for children with cancer along our partner hospitals throughout Latin America and the world. He is particularly interested in Huma Factors, Quality improvement, Patient Safety, Early Recognition of Clinical Deterioration and Simulation & Education of Healthcare providers.  Adolfo hopes that with these tools he can contribute to the mission of GPM and bring quality care to every child, everywhere and make the world a better place. 

Short Biography

Maria Lamia is the Program Manager of the Global Critical Care Program at St. Jude Global. Originally from Colombia and holding a degree in Foreign Trade, Maria brings a unique perspective shaped by her experience in finance and importations prior to joining St. Jude. In her current role, she oversees education, research, assessment, and international collaboration initiatives, working closely with multidisciplinary teams to improve pediatric critical care in resource-limited settings. Maria is also responsible for managing the program’s budget and supporting the training and onboarding of new employees.

Maria is passionate about sharing knowledge and fostering talent development within global healthcare networks. She is dedicated to problem solving and leading quality improvement efforts, ensuring that best practices are effectively implemented across diverse contexts. Through her leadership, Maria helps cultivate a culture of continuous learning and collaboration, advancing St. Jude’s mission to provide every child with access to high-quality critical care, regardless of where they live.

Short Biography

Stacey Wiedower is a Program Coordinator with the Global Critical Care Transversal Program for the department of Global Pediatric Medicine. She has been with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital since October 2019.

Stacey began her work at St. Jude in the Office of Quality and Patient Safety as communication and education specialist. In this role, she managed communication strategy and execution, planned education events, and developed tools, programs and publications to support the hospital’s Safe and Sound Strategic Plan. She also collaborated with departments across the institution to produce informational and educational content for multiple audiences as a senior medical content writer for Strategic Communication, Education and Outreach.

In her role, Stacey supports the development and delivery of educational curricula for the St. Jude Global Academy, coordinates the St. Jude PICU Observership program, facilitates other program initiatives, and develops communication tools, resources and publications to aid in the global dissemination of pediatric onco-critical care research.

Short Biography

Samantha Hayes is a Program Specialist with the Global Critical Care Transversal Program for the Department of Global Pediatric Medicine. 

Samantha received a Bachelor of Science in biology from Southern Illinois University and a Master of Public Health with a concentration in epidemiology and biosecurity disaster preparedness from Saint Louis University. While at Saint Louis University, Samantha co-led the COVID-19 contact tracing program. She also collaborated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Washington University in St. Louis to evaluate COVID-19 transmission within K-12 school settings.

She furthered her career in research as a Clinical Research Coordinator II at Washington University in St. Louis, where she led a cluster-randomized trial that sought to assess COVID-19 testing strategies within five K-12 school districts. As her focus shifted to data analysis and management, she began examining epidemiological trends of staphylococcus aureus, developing databases for longitudinal research studies, and overseeing datasets from various studies.

Samantha is excited to bring her expertise in project management and data analysis to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the Global Critical Care Transversal Program.

Short Biography

Amela earned a Bachelor of Science in Epidemiology and a Master of Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology from Saint Louis University. While at SLU, she played an integral role as a Clinical Research Assistant at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where she helped lead research on decision-making tools designed to support pediatric cancer patients and their families.

Amela has a rich cultural background shaped by her roots in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as her experiences in Spain. These diverse cultural influences inform both her personal perspective and her professional work, particularly in advancing global pediatric cancer care—a cause deeply meaningful to her. Her unique background and unwavering dedication drive her commitment to improving cancer care for children worldwide.

Short Biography

Megan Coe, PhD, RN is a pediatric nurse and implementation researcher. She completed a PhD in Nursing Science at the University of Washington in 2024, where her dissertation focused on the design and evaluation of an implementation strategy to improve care for hospitalized children with severe acute malnutrition in Kenya. Most recently, she has been a Postdoctoral Scholar in the UW Department of Global Health, establishing the Child Health Implementation Science Research and Evaluation Support (CHIMES) Unit. The CHIMES Unit provides scientific consulting services to Ministries of Health and local implementers in low- and middle-income countries, serving as scientific partners to advance child health. 

Megan holds a BS in International Studies and Sociology from Johns Hopkins University and an MSN in Clinical Nurse Leadership from the University of Virginia. She began her career coordinating training programs for health workers with Operation Smile, which led her to pursue additional training as a nurse. She worked as a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit nurse at New York Presbyterian. She then joined the Global Health Service Partnership (Peace Corps/Seed Global Health) and taught nursing students at Kamuzu College of Nursing in Lilongwe, Malawi for two years, followed by nearly two years piloting a Clinical Nurse Specialist role in the pediatric ward at Kamuzu Central Hospital. 

Megan is passionate about improving the quality of care for critically ill pediatric patients. Her research focuses on the experiences of front-line health workers and developing implementation strategies that work for them. She is excited to join the Global Critical Care Program and looks forward to collaborating with many members of the team.

Short Biography

Rebekah Daniel brings over a decade of experience in global health, with a focus on program design, strategic coordination, and operational management in cross-cultural settings. She holds dual master’s degrees in public health and social work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she specialized in maternal and child health, community-centered research, and global systems of care.

Before joining St. Jude, Rebekah most recently served at a community-based organization in the Portland metropolitan area, where she focused on promoting self-sufficiency, integration, and long-term success among African immigrants and refugees. In this role, she led sustainability planning, workforce development, and capacity-building efforts. Prior to that, she held several roles at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), where she managed HIV/AIDS programs across South Sudan, India, Nepal, and Southeast Asia under the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Her work consistently emphasized sustainable systems development, cross-sector collaboration, and equitable program implementation.

Rebekah’s commitment to advancing pediatric health equity is deeply personal and ultimately what led her to St. Jude. As someone who grew up navigating chronic illness and time in pediatric ICUs, she is driven by a mission to ensure that children everywhere, regardless of geography or circumstance, have access to high-quality, coordinated, and compassionate care. This lived experience continues to fuel her passion for strengthening interdisciplinary, culturally responsive health systems.