This has been a year of collaboration, innovation, and accolades at the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. As the year winds down, we take a moment to reflect on some highlights. [read more]

In a Q&A, Drs. Kole Roybal and Brian Schulte discuss the vision for the new UCSF Sarcoma Cellular Therapy Initiative and the power of visionary philanthropy in creating breakthroughs.

Thirty-two UCSF scientists, including 12 current and former members of the Cancer Center, were recognized as Highly Cited Researchers by the science and intellectual property company, Clarivate.

Bank EM, Small EJ, Ashworth A, Hiatt RA. Cancer Research in 2030: A unique strategic planning process at a comprehensive cancer center. Preventive Oncology & Epidemiology, 17 Nov 2023.

Michael Cheng, MD - Member, Molecular Oncology

The UCSF medical centers at Parnassus Heights and Mount Zion each earned the Leapfrog Group’s 2023 Top Hospital award.

Jim Murdoch recently celebrated 30 years of service with UCSF Art for Recovery.

Laurel Bray-Hanin, MA received a 2023 Q3 PRIDE Experience Award.

Shawn Hervey-Jumper, MD was elected Secretary/Treasurer of the Society of Neuro-Oncology (SNO) Board.

Janine Lupo, PhD, Bonnie N. Joe, MD, PhD, and William C. Chen, MD were recognized at the 2023 Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) Annual Meeting.

John Gordan, MD, PhD and team received a grant from the Department of Defense for a project, "In vivo mechanistic characterization of the angiogenic immune checkpoint in liver cancer."

Siren Biotechnology, a startup founded by Nicole Paulk, PhD, was awarded a $4 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) for a project, “Development of an AAV gene therapy immunotherapy for the treatment of

glioblastoma."

Van Loon K, Breithaupt L, Ng D, DeBoer RJ, Buckle GC, Bialous S, Hiatt RA, Volberding P, Hermiston ML, Ashworth A. A Roadmap to Establishing Global Oncology as a Priority Initiative within a National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Center. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2023 Dec 7:djad255. Epub ahead of print. 

Temple WC, Nix MA, Naik A, Izgutdina A, Huang BJ, Wicaksono G, Phojanakong P, Serrano JAC, Young EP, Ramos E, Salangsang F, Steri V, Xirenayi S, Hermiston M, Logan AC, Stieglitz E, Wiita AP. Framework humanization optimizes potency of anti-CD72 nanobody CAR-T cells for B-cell malignancies. J Immunother Cancer. 2023 Nov 24;11(11):e006985.

Valdes G, Scholey J, Nano T, Gennatas ED, Mohindra P, Mohammed N, Zeng J, Kotesha RD, Rosen LR, Chang J, Tsai HK, Urbanic JJ, Vargas CE, Yu NY, Ungar LH, Eaton E, Simone CB 2nd. Predicting the impact of proton beam therapy technology on pulmonary toxicities for locally advanced lung cancer patients enrolled on the Proton Collaborative Group prospective clinical trial. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2023 Nov 22:S0360-3016(23)08154-3.

Upcoming Education & Training Events

Conflict Management in Multi-Disciplinary Teams

Jan 11, 2024 | 2 - 4 pm

Review the steps involved in managing and resolving conflict and the resources available to you on campus.

The HDFCCC Office of Community Engagement, in partnership with Chinese Hospital, recently provided health education and free health screenings for the Northgate Terrace community in Oakland. The team also focused on promoting colorectal cancer screening education and health-related community resources for overall well-being.

Photo: Yushan Zhang, community health educator, holds up a Community Health Fair form in Cantonese.

Dec 15: Cancer Center Friday Seminar in Basic and Translational Research

Andrew Hsieh, MD (Fred Hutch) will present, "mRNA Translation From Two Perspectives in Genitourinary Malignancies."

Dec 18: Oral, Head & Neck Cancer Research Group Seminar Series

Matthew Spitzer, PhD (UCSF) will present, "Immune Responses and Immunotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer."

Jan 10: Breast Oncology Program Seminar

Renée van Amerongen, PhD (University of Amsterdam) will present, "Revisiting the Role of WNT Signaling in Breast (Cancer) Biology."

Jan 12: Generative AI's Role in Cancer Research and Healthcare

Featuring a panel of UCSF experts including Drs. Atul Butte, Eric Collisson, Travis Zack, and Julian Hong.

Jan 18-19: 2024 PSMA Conference

This conference is designed to inform physicians about the latest developments in prostate-specific membrane antigen PET imaging (PSMA PET) and radioligand therapy, including imaging interpretation and patient management.

Jan 22: Multi-Cancer Early Detection Symposium

An all-day symposium focused on the opportunities and challenges of Multi-Cancer Early Detection (MCED) tests.