Ana Velazquez Manana, MD | UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center

Research Summary

Dr. Ana Velázquez Mañana, MD, MSc, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the UCSF Division of Hematology/Oncology at Zuckerberg San Francisco General and a thoracic oncologist at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. As a Latina and proud Puerto Rican, she is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion. Dr. Velazquez serves as Assistant Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility for Trainees of the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and co-chairs the UCSF Department of Medicine Fellowship Diversity Committee. Her research, advocacy, and education efforts are focused on promoting and advancing health equity and workforce diversity.

Dr. Velazquez completed her MD at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, Master of Biomedical Science at Mayo Clinic Graduate School, and Internal Medicine residency at Mount Sinai Beth Israel, where she was also a Chief Resident. She joined UCSF in 2018 to complete her clinical fellowship in Medical Oncology and a postdoctoral research fellowship at the National Clinician Scholars Program. Dr. Velazquez is a scientist scholar affiliated with the UCSF Center for Aging in Diverse Communities (CADC) and the UCSF Multiethnic Health Equity Research Center. She has been selected as a 2022 UCSF John A. Watson Faculty Scholars.

Dr. Velazquez’s research portfolio centers on the use of health services and cancer disparities research to decrease barriers to clinical trial participation, improve the quality of care delivered to underserved and racial minority patients with cancer, and evaluate the unmet social and supportive care needs of patients with lung cancer from vulnerable backgrounds. Her goals are to develop interventions that improve healthcare access and cancer care delivery for vulnerable populations. Dr. Velazquez’s research is supported by the American Association for Cancer Research, Conquer Cancer Foundation of ASCO, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, LUNGevity, National Institute on Aging, National Cancer Institute, and pilot funds from the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Research Funding:

AACR Career Development Award to Further Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Clinical Cancer Research Title: Lung Cancer Equity Through Screening for Social Needs: The LESSON Study Role: Principal Investigator

12/2022 – 11/2025

2022 LUNGevity Health Equity and Inclusiveness Junior Investigator Research Award Title: Lung cancer Equity Through Social needs SCREENing (LETS SCREEN) Role: Principal Investigator

11/2022 – 10/2024

Conquer Cancer – Women Who Conquer Cancer Young Investigator Award in Recognition of an Outstanding Latina Researcher Title: Longitudinal Evaluation of Health-Related Social Needs in Advanced Lung Cancer

Role: Principal Investigator

07/2022 – 06/2023

Education

University of Puerto Rico; Mayaguez, PR, BS, 06/2009, Pre-Medicine
University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine; San Juan, PR, MD, 06/2014, Doctor in Medicine
Mayo Graduate School; Rochester, MN, MSc, 06/2015, Master’s in Science
Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai Beth Israel; New York, NY, 06/2017, Internal Medicine Residency
Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai Beth Israel, New York, NY, 06/2018, Chief Residency, Fellow in Medical Education
University of California, San Francisco, CA, Medical Oncology Fellowship
University of California, San Francisco, CA, National Clinician Scholar

Honors & Awards

2022
Conquer Cancer Foundation Merit Award, ASCO Quality Care Symposium
2022
University of California, San Francisco John A. Watson Scholar
2021
Women Leaders in Oncology LEAD Rising Star
2021
Conquer Cancer Foundation Merit Award, ASCO Annual Meeting
2021
Conquer Cancer Foundation Merit Award, ASCO Quality Care Symposium
2021
American Association for Cancer Research Student and Early Career Investigator Scholarship
2020
University of California, San Francisco UCSF Health Exceptional Physician Award
2020
American Association for Cancer Research Scholar-in-Training Award, 13th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities
2020
University of California, San Francisco Center for Aging in Diverse Communities Scientists Program (NIA P30AG015272)
2020
Conquer Cancer Foundation Merit Award, ASCO Annual Meeting
2020
Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos Travel Scholarship
2019
Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi Love of Learning Award
2019
American Association for Cancer Research Scholar-in-Training Award, 12th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities
2019
Conquer Cancer Foundation Merit Award, ASCO Quality Care Symposium
2019
Association of Northern California Oncologists ASCO Annual Meeting Travel Award
2017
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Department of Medicine Ira B. Cohen Award
2016
NIDDK/NHMA Academic Career Development Workshop and Travel Award

Selected Publications

Costas-Muniz R, Torres-Blasco N, Gany F, Gonzalez CJ, Galindo-Vazquez O, Bergerot CD, Rocha-Cadman X, Lui F, Lichtenthal WG, Velázquez-Mañana AI, Tergas AI, Castro-Figueroa EM. Cultural adaptation process of cancer-related interventions: A step-by-step guide. Psychooncology. 2022 Nov 28. View on PubMed
Kwon DH, Velazquez AI, de Kouchkovsky I. PSMA PET Scan. JAMA Oncol. 2022 Oct 06. View on PubMed
Desai A, Velazquez AI, West HJ. Perioperative Therapy in Early-Stage Lung Cancer. JAMA Oncol. 2022 09 01; 8(9):1364. View on PubMed
Patel MI, Wood EH, Charlot M, Florez N, Duron Y, Jeames SE, Taparra KA, Velazquez Manana A, Jain S. Do no harm: A call to action on COVID-19 and mask requirements. Cancer. 2022 10 01; 128(19):3438-3440. View on PubMed
Velazquez AI, Florez N. Electronic Monitoring of Patient-Reported Outcomes-Ready for Prime Time? JAMA Oncol. 2022 08 01; 8(8):1099-1100. View on PubMed
Nodora J, Velazquez AI. Are Quality Cancer Prevention and Treatment Along the Texas US-Mexico Border Achievable? JCO Oncol Pract. 2022 05; 18(5):385-387. View on PubMed
Duma N, Velazquez AI, Franco I, Kiel L, Levit LA, Schenkel C, Kirkwood K, Green S, Rodriguez G. Dónde Están? Latinx/Hispanic Representation in the Oncology Workforce: Present and Future. JCO Oncol Pract. 2022 05; 18(5):388-395. View on PubMed
Espinoza-Gutarra MR, Duma N, Aristizabal P, Segarra-Vazquez B, Borno H, Halbert CH, Simon MA, Velazquez AI. The Problem of Hispanic/Latinx Under-Representation in Cancer Clinical Trials. JCO Oncol Pract. 2022 05; 18(5):380-384. View on PubMed
Lowenstein M, Karliner L, Livaudais-Toman J, Gregorich S, Velazquez AI, Vijayaraghavan M, Walsh JME, Kaplan CP. Barriers and Facilitators to Lung Cancer Screening: A Physician Survey. Am J Health Promot. 2022 09; 36(7):1208-1212. View on PubMed
Velazquez AI, Gilligan TD, Kiel LL, Graff J, Duma N. Microaggressions, Bias, and Equity in the Workplace: Why Does It Matter, and What Can Oncologists Do? Am Soc Clin Oncol Educ Book. 2022 Apr; 42:1-12. View on PubMed
Bernabe-Ramirez C, Velazquez AI, Olazagasti C, Decat Bergerot C, Bergerot PG, Corona Cruz J, Riano I, Adaniel C, Ramirez F, Anampa J, Cajina C, Mena E, Gracia E, Menendez A, Idrovo H, Bezares R, Castillo Fernandez OO, Duque L, Corrales-Rodríguez L, Ramos G, Kihn-Alarcón AJ, Schlam I, Bruno X, Umanzor G, Castro JL, Losco F, Ubillos L, Richardet E, Soto-Perez-de-Celis E, Duma N, HOLA COVID-19 Study Group. HOLA COVID-19 Study: Evaluating the Impact of Caring for Patients With COVID-19 on Cancer Care Delivery in Latin America. JCO Glob Oncol. 2022 03; 8:e2100251. View on PubMed
Dizman N, Velazquez AI, Duma N. Immune checkpoint inhibitors and timing of administration. Lancet Oncol. 2022 02; 23(2):e56. View on PubMed
Velazquez AI, Durani U, Weeks LD, Major A, Reynolds R, Kumbamu A, Das DG, Murphy MC, Henry E, Lee AI, Marshall AL. Impact of COVID-19 on Hematology-Oncology Fellowship Programs: A Quantitative and Qualitative Survey Assessment of Fellowship Program Directors. JCO Oncol Pract. 2022 04; 18(4):e551-e563. View on PubMed
Durani U, Major A, Velazquez AI, May J, Nelson M, Zheng Z, Hall AG, Alam ST, Reynolds R, Thompson JC, Kumbamu A, Das DG, Murphy MC, Henry E, Lee AI, Marshall AL, Wun T, Weeks LD. Impact of COVID-19 on Hematology-Oncology Trainees: A Quantitative and Qualitative Assessment. JCO Oncol Pract. 2022 04; 18(4):e586-e599. View on PubMed
Sam Brondfield
Claire K. Mulvey
Rahul Banerjee
Ana I. Velazquez
Swetha Kambhampati
Anna L. Parks
Ann Griffin
Pelin Cinar. Got Stage Fright? A Fellow-Led Initiative to Improve Cancer Staging Documentation. International Journal of Cancer Care and Delivery. 2021; 11 05. View on PubMed
Velazquez AI, Hayward JH, Gregory B, Dixit N. Trends in Breast Cancer Screening in a Safety-Net Hospital During the COVID-19 Pandemic. JAMA Netw Open. 2021 08 02; 4(8):e2119929. View on PubMed
Budhu JA, Velazquez AI, Said RR, Jordan JT. Opinion & Special Articles: Maximizing Inclusiveness and Diversity Through Virtual Residency Applications and Interviews. Neurology. 2021 09 28; 97(13):647-650. View on PubMed
Patel SR, St Pierre F, Velazquez AI, Ananth S, Durani U, Anampa-Guzmán A, Castillo K, Dhawan N, Oxentenko AS, Duma N. The Matilda Effect: Underrecognition of Women in Hematology and Oncology Awards. Oncologist. 2021 09; 26(9):779-786. View on PubMed
Bernabe-Ramirez C, Velazquez AI, Olazagasti C, Bergerot CD, Bergerot PG, Soto-Perez-de-Celis E, Duma N. The HOLA COVID-19 Study: An International Effort to Determine How COVID-19 Has Impacted Oncology Practices in Latin America. Cancer Cell. 2020 11 09; 38(5):605-608. View on PubMed
Velazquez AI, McCoach CE. Tumor evolution in epidermal growth factor receptor mutated non-small cell lung cancer. J Thorac Dis. 2020 May; 12(5):2896-2909. View on PubMed