Preclinical Therapeutics Location & Contacts

PTC Main Location

UCSF Helen Diller Cancer Research Building
1450 3rd St, San Francisco, CA 94143
415.476.0419 (voice, office), 415.502.7228 (voice, lab)

PTC Facility

The Preclinical Therapeutics Core (PTC) has laboratory and animal housing space within the Helen Diller Family Cancer Research Building (HDFCRB) at the Mission Bay campus, and provides management and oversight of preclinical imaging devices on two other campuses (Parnassus and Mt Zion).

The HDFCRB laboratory consists of approximately 600 sq ft of space, including wet lab bench space for four investigators. Shared resources include a tissue culture room equipped with CO2-incubators, hoods, microscope, tabletop centrifuge and 37° water bath, and 4°C, -20°C and -80°C and liquid N2 storage refrigerators/freezers.

The PTC has office space at HDFCRB (200sq. feet) to facilitate discussions with PIs.

Animals used in these studies are housed in state-of-the-art BSL2 specific-pathogen free rodent barrier facility, which is staffed by eight personnel from the Laboratory for Animal Resource Center. The rodent barrier follows strict barrier protocols to minimize pathogen outbreaks, and includes well-equipped procedure rooms with hoods and instruments for xenograft implantation and small animal survival surgery.

PTC Staff

Rosemary Akurst, PhD undertook her doctoral thesis studies at the Beatson Institute for Cancer Research in Glasgow, UK, followed by post doctoral training at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, USA. She has served as the Director of the Preclinical Therapeutics Core since 2006 and her broad experience focuses on studies on tumor microenvironment and  cancer therapeutics.

Veronica Steri, PhD received her education in Italy (Master Degree in Biotechnology) and UK (PhD in Biomolecular Science). After post-doctoral training at UCSF, she joined the Preclinical Therapeutics core in 2018. Her expertise focuses on GEMM and tumor angiogenesis. She oversees experimental projects, imaging service and is responsible for clients’ communications. 

Juan Antonio Camara Serrano, DVM, PhD is the PTC Imaging Specialist. He joined our Core in 2021, after working at the internationally renowned Val d’Hebron Research Institute in Barcelona, Spain, where he ran a small animal imaging core. Juan Antonio trained as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at Universidad Computense de Madrid, before obtaining a PhD in small animal imaging from the same Institution.  

Yan Zeng is a highly motivated research associate with extensive hands-on experience in a molecular oncology lab, including exceptional skills in in vivo murine therapeutic studies. She handles all animal dosing, measurements and minor procedures, including PDX passaging and implantation.

Paul Phojanakong has a strong background in administration and project management. He acts to coordinate scheduling, core’s day-to-day operations, and study billing. He is also directly involved with hands-on aspects of study execution, including in vivo imaging. 

PTC Contacts

• Rosemary J. Akhurst, PhD, PTC Director: [email protected]
• Veronica Steri, PTC Manager: [email protected]
• Paul Phojanakong, PTC Lab Manager: [email protected]
• Juan Antonio Camara Serrano, PTC Imaging Specialist: [email protected]
• Yan Zeng, PTC Animal Specialist: [email protected]