Executive Leadership | UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center

A.Ashworth Alan Ashworth, PhD, FRS serves as President of the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and Senior Vice President for Cancer Services, UCSF Health.

> more about Dr. Ashworth

Dr. Ashworth also serves as Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine and holds the E. Dixon Heise Distinguished Professorship in Oncology. As Director of the Cancer Center ORU, Ashworth has authority comparable to academic department chairs in the School of Medicine, and works with his department chair colleagues to organize and resource faculty recruitments. Ashworth spends 50% of his time devoted to the direction, planning, and development of the research activities of the HDFCCC. The remainder of his time is devoted to his responsibilities as Senior Vice President of Cancer Clinical Services in UCSF Health and the leadership of his research laboratory.

Eric Small, MD serves as Deputy Director and Chief Scientific Officer. Dr. Small is Leader of the Prostate Cancer Program.

> more about Dr. Small

Dr. Small holds the Stanford W. Ascherman and Norman R. Ascherman Endowed Chair as well as the Doris and Donald Fisher Distinguished Professorship in Clinical Cancer Research. His responsibilities in the HDFCCC as Deputy Director are to assist Dr. Ashworth in strategic planning for the Center, and to represent the Center both internally and externally in the absence of the Director. Dr. Small assists Dr. Ashworth in the integration of clinical, laboratory and population science across the center. In addition, he is responsible for the oversight of HDFCCC clinical research activities. Dr. Small chairs the Cancer Center Clinical Research Oversight Committee, which develops policy and procedures governing all clinical research in the HDFCCC.

Rahul Aggarwal, MD serves as Associate Director for Clinical Sciences. Dr. Aggwarwal is Associate Professor of Hematology/Oncology, UCSF.

> more about Dr. Aggarwal

In his role as Associate Director for Clinical Sciences, Dr. Aggarwal has responsibility for the integration of clinical research across all Research Programs within the Center and ensures all Research Programs include work focused on clinical science. He participates in the regular review of Research Programs, and works to facilitate opportunities to further integrate clinical sciences where possible. Lastly, Dr. Aggarwal works with administration, Program leaders, fellow senior leaders, and Shared Resource directors and managers to assess and implement the ways in which the HDFCCC can support clinical research, as well as promote related Shared Resource services within programs.

Emily Bergsland, MD serves as Associate Director for Education. Dr. Bergsland is Professor of Clinical Medicine and holds the Ernest Rosenbaum, MD, Endowed Chair in Medical Oncology, UCSF.

> more about Dr. Bergsland

In her role as Associate Director for Education, Dr. Bergsland has responsibility for the integration of training and education of biomedical researchers and health care professionals into programmatic efforts and HDFCCC initiatives. She participates in the regular review of Research Programs, and ensures opportunities to further integrate educational opportunities are taken where possible. Dr. Bergsland works with administration, Program leaders, and fellow senior leaders to assess and implement the ways in which the HDFCCC can support the education of biomedical researchers and health care professionals, as well as promote the coordination of cancer-related educational activities across institutional educational programs.

Benjamin Braun, MD, PhD serves as Associate Director for Shared Resources. Dr. Braun is Associate Professor in Residence, Department of Pediatrics, UCSF and Director of the Laboratory for Cell Analysis Core at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.

> more about Dr. Braun

In his role as Associate Director for Shared Resources, Dr. Braun assists the Director, Deputy Director, and Associate Director for Administration in reviewing HDFCCC Shared Resources and ensuring that they provide access to technologies, services, and scientific consultation that enhance scientific interaction and productivity. He works with HDFCCC Administration to routinely survey membership on Shared Resource usage and needs, and works with Shared Resource directors and managers to review and improve business plans, consider strategic investments, address HDFCCC membership needs, and to promote Shared Resource services among membership.

Charles S. Craik, PhD serves as Associate Director for Translational Laboratory Research. Dr. Craik is Professor in the Departments of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmacology, and Biochemistry/Biophysics, Associate Director for Translational Laboratory Research and Co-Leader of the Molecular Oncology Program, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center

> more about Dr. Craik

As Associate Director for Translational Laboratory Research Dr. Craikʻs role replaces the previous role of CCSG Associate Director for Basic Science held by Dr. Zena Werb. Dr. Craik will enable robust translation of strong basic science into potential intervention and prevention strategies. His primary responsibility is to integrate clinical and laboratory research across all research programs within the HDFCCC and ensure all research programs include work focused on translation from the bench to bedside. Dr. Craik will assist in regular review of research programs, and work to ensure that they take opportunities to further integrate translation from laboratory discovery to clinical application where possible. Dr. Craik will work with administration, program leaders, fellow senior leaders, and shared resource directors and managers to assess and implement the ways in which the HDFCCC can support translational research, as well as promote related shared resource services within programs. Dr. Craik will meet regularly with the HDFCCC President and senior leadership.

R.Hiatt Robert A. Hiatt, MD, PhD, serves as Associate Director for Population Sciences. Dr. Hiatt is Professor of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, UCSF. He also leads the San Francisco Cancer Initiative.

> more about Dr. Hiatt

In his role as Associate Director for Population Sciences, Dr. Hiatt has responsibility for the integration of population science-based research across all Research Programs and across the HDFCCC. Dr. Hiatt participates in regular reviews of Research Programs, and works to facilitate opportunities to further integrate population sciences where possible. Hiatt works with administration, Program leaders, fellow senior leaders, and Shared Resource directors and managers to assess and implement the ways in which the HDFCCC can support population science-based research.

Nynikka Palmer, DrPH serves as Interim Associate Director for Community Outreach and Engagement

> more about Dr. Palmer

Dr. Palmer joined UCSF in 2013 as an assistant professor of Medicine at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, with additional appointments in the departments of Urology and Radiation Oncology. Her research agenda sits at the intersection of multiple fields and methods, including cancer disparities, health services research, health care communication, and community engagement. In 2016, she helped launch and now leads the prostate cancer task force for the San Francisco Cancer Initiative.

Dr. Palmer directs the research education program at UCSF’s Center for Aging in Diverse Communities, mentoring underrepresented junior investigators in health equity and aging research. Since 2019, she has been a certified facilitator in relationship-centered communication through the Academy of Communication in Healthcare, and she is now ACH faculty. She was a 2022 recipient of UCSF’s Mid-Career Development Program for Research Faculty and has also served as assistant director of DEIA for faculty. She recently received the 2025 Claire D. Brindis Award for Community Engagement and Service in Health Policy Research.

Terence Friedlander, MD serves as Associate Director for Cancer Research at ZSGH. Dr. Friedlander is also Chief of Hematology-Oncology at Zuckerberg San Francisco General, and Associate Clinical Professor in the Division of Hematology/Oncology, UCSF

TBD - Associate Director for Developmental Therapeutics.

Alan P. Venook, MD, serves as Shorenstein Associate Director for Program Development. Additionally Dr. Venook is Professor of Clinical Medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology in the Department of Medicine, and holds the Madden Family Distinguished Professorship in Medical Oncology and Translational Research, UCSF.

Sunny Wang, MD serves as Associate Director for Cancer Research at SF-VAMC. Dr. Wang is also Associate Clinical Professor in the Division of Hematology/Oncology in the Department of Medicine, UCSF.

Guiding the executive leadership's work are advisory groups, including an Institutional Advisory Board, External Advisory Board, Cancer Leadership Council, Patient and Family Advisory Council, and Community Advisory Board.

Administration

Kate Shumate, MPA, serves as Chief of Staff; Director, Administration and Planning.

> more about Kate Shumate

Ms. Shumate is responsible for the administration of scientific activities in the Cancer Center, encompassing strategic planning, organizational development and planning, financial and programmatic planning and management of the CCSG grant, and program support for research, education and training within the Center. She is the single point of contact with relevant UCSF organizations, including the Dean’s office and the Office of University Development and Alumni Relations, and represents the HDFCCC to external agencies, in particular the NCI and the Association of American Cancer Institutes.

As the Associate Director of Administration, Ms. Shumate is a member of the HDFCCC Senior Leadership Group, the Cancer Center Clinical Research Oversight Committee (CCCROC), and the HDFCCC Executive Leadership Group. She works with external and internal advisory committees to integrate recommendations and implement alternative approaches to strategic initiatives. She also works closely with the Offices of the Chancellor, School of Medicine Dean, and Chief Executive Officer of UCSF Health.

Thomas Cunningham, PhD, serves as Chief Administrative Officer; Director, Finance and Operations.

> more about Thomas Cunningham

As Chief Administrative Officer and Director of Finance and Operations, Dr. Cunningham is responsible for the HDFCCC financial portfolio, human resources, facilities, and clinical trial operations.

Vicky Agnew, serves as Director of Integrated Marketing and Communications.

UCSF Health

Laurel Bray-Hanin, MA, serves as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Cancer Services.

> more about Laurel Bray-Hanin

Ms. Bray-Hanin is the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Cancer Services at UCSF HDFCCC where she has served in a variety of operational leadership positions for the past 21 years. She joins the Executive Leadership Team with extensive experience in implementing a variety of initiatives for continuous improvement of operations and service delivery to support a complex matrix of clinical and research models to increase clinical impact.

Ms. Bray-Hanin, not only provides programmatic leadership and input for all strategic plan implementation processes, she also directs and leads the work of the Operations Teams supporting Radiation Oncology, Infusion, BMT, Outpatient Services and the Cancer Genetic Programs at all 3 primary UCSF Campuses and satellite locations.

Clinical Operations

The Clinical Cancer Governance Board, chaired by Alan Ashworth, PhD, FRS, comprises departmental chairs of clinical oncology programs at UCSF, as well as representatives from the UCSF Medical Center and School of Medicine.

Multidisciplinary Programs

> View Membership Roster Programmatically, the Cancer Center's work is concentrated among highly multidisciplinary areas, each of which includes lab scientists, clinical investigators, epidemiologists, and providers of patient care. Collaboration across disciplines ensures that insights gained in the lab can move quickly and effectively to cancer patients' bedsides. More about the Cancer Center's program areas can be found in our Research section.