The UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center (HDFCCC) has over 500 faculty members, many of whom run their own labs within the UCSF Graduate Division. Below is a list of some HDFCCC faculty that are currently accepting graduate students in their labs. If you are interested in cancer research and are looking for either a rotation lab or a thesis lab, consider reaching out to one of the contacts below!
Note: the list above is not all inclusive; we encourage you to check out other faculty lab websites that may have openings listed.
About Our Center
The UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center combines basic science, clinical research, epidemiology/cancer control and patient care from throughout the University of California, San Francisco system. UCSF's long tradition of excellence in cancer research includes the Nobel Prize-winning work of J. Michael Bishop and Harold Varmus, who discovered cancer-causing oncogenes. Their work opened new doors for exploring genetic abnormalities that cause cancer, and formed the basis for some of the most important cancer research happening today.
From understanding normal cellular processes to discovering the underlying molecular and genetic causes of cancer when these processes go awry, UCSF researchers are committed to moving scientific insights forward and pursuing their relevance for clinical oncology and cancer prevention.
Clinical scientists explore how a greater understanding of fundamental biological events can be transformed into clinical tools. New forms of cancer treatment, as well as innovations in diagnosis and prognosis, undergo rigorous evaluation for safety and efficacy. This translates into improved patient outcomes and hope for the future.
The Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center provides exceptional patient care at five San Francisco medical centers: UCSF Medical Center at Mount Zion, UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay, UCSF Medical Center at Parnassus, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, and the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center. UCSF Medical Center has been recognized as one of the nation’s finest hospitals in the U.S. News & World Report 2024-2025 Best Hospitals survey.
Cancer-population sciences at UCSF includes research on the causes of new cancers, and the sickness and death due to the disease. This will help develop ways to improve prevention and early detection of cancer as well as the quality of life following diagnosis and treatment.
Cancer Research Showcase for Graduate Students
This event is designed to introduce the vibrant cancer research community at UCSF to students across PhD and MD/PhD programs who wish to pursue a degree in cancer biology.
September 5, 2025 | 4 - 6pm
Genentech Hall 114