About Us

Our Research Impact: 

• Care across 20 oncology clinics across Northern and Southern California
• 17,000+ new patient visits
• 172,500+ return visits
• Herceptin (trastuzumab): Developed by a UCLA team led by Dennis J. Slamon, MD, Herceptin was the first FDA-approved gene-based targeted therapy for HER2-positive breast cancer. Herceptin works by binding to the HER2 protein —which is over expressed in aggressive breast cancers — blocking growth signals and enhancing immune-mediated tumor destruction. Initial clinical trials conducted at UCLA demonstrated marked survival improvements, transforming the treatment landscape and saving millions of lives since its introduction in 1998. This breakthrough pioneered molecularly targeted cancer therapies and earned Dr. Slamon prestigious awards recognizing the paradigm shift it created in oncology.
• Keytruda (pembrolizumab): UCLA played a pivotal role in the development and clinical testing of Keytruda, particularly through the work of Antoni Ribas, MD, who led the largest Phase 1 oncology study demonstrating significant and durable tumor responses in advanced melanoma. This research was instrumental in the FDA’s accelerated approval of Keytruda in 2014, establishing immunotherapy targeting PD-1 as a new paradigm in cancer treatment. UCLA also contributed to combination therapy studies that improved progression-free survival in melanoma and helped expand Keytruda’s indications to other cancers such as lung cancer, solidifying its role in cancer immunotherapy.
• Ibrance (palbociclib): UCLA researchers, including Dr. Slamon and Richard Finn, MD, were instrumental in identifying and developing palbociclib, the first CDK4/6 inhibitor approved for estrogen receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer. Their research demonstrated that palbociclib effectively slows cancer cell division and, when combined with hormonal therapy, significantly improves progression-free survival, doubling it in clinical trials led by UCLA. This led to FDA breakthrough designation and approval in 2015, establishing palbociclib as a standard of care for advanced ER+/HER2- breast cancer and prompting ongoing studies in early-stage disease.
• Kisqali (ribociclib): UCLA led the discovery and clinical development of ribociclib, another CDK4/6 inhibitor effective in hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer. The NATALEE trial, spearheaded by UCLA investigators, demonstrated that adding ribociclib to endocrine therapy significantly reduces the risk of recurrence in early-stage breast cancer, including node-negative disease, leading to FDA approval in 2024. Additionally, the MONALEESA-7 trial showed that ribociclib improves overall survival in premenopausal women with advanced breast cancer. These findings have established Kisqali as a preferred first-line treatment option, expanding therapeutic choices for a broad patient population.
• Cyramza (ramucirumab): UCLA was a principal site in the pivotal phase 3 clinical trial that led to FDA approval of Cyramza for non-small cell lung cancer in 2014. The drug, an antibody targeting VEGFR-2, inhibits tumor angiogenesis and, when combined with docetaxel chemotherapy, demonstrated improved survival in patients with advanced NSCLC who had progressed after first-line treatment. Edward Garon, MD, MS at UCLA served as the principal investigator, and the trial’s success has led to Cyramza’s use in multiple cancer types with ongoing evaluation in combination therapies, offering new hope for patients with limited treatment options.

Recent Awards

• King Hussein Young Investigator Award: Mina Sedrak, MD, MS, director of the Cancer and Aging Program and co-director of Cancer Control and Survivorship Research at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, received the prestigious King Hussein Cancer Research Award’s Young Investigator Award in 2025. This international honor, one of the Arab world’s most esteemed, recognizes early-career scientists driving innovative advances in cancer prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment and survivorship. Dr. Sedrak was selected for his groundbreaking research on the biological mechanisms of accelerated aging in cancer patients, investigating how treatments like chemotherapy and radiation induce cellular changes that lead to frailty and chronic conditions. His work aims to develop interventions that not only help patients survive cancer but also maintain their strength, independence and quality of life. The award reflects his commitment to improving both lifespan and health span for cancer survivors, with broader implications for age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s and heart disease. Dr. Sedrak leads a translational research team at UCLA bridging laboratory discoveries with clinical trials, redefining survivorship to focus on healthy, active years free from disability. His prior accolades include awards from the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute on Aging, underscoring his leadership in the field of cancer and aging research.
• Distinguished Non-Senate Faculty Award: Diana Márquez-Garbán, MD was awarded the Distinguished Non-Senate Faculty Teaching Award in 2025. She enjoys having the opportunity to get to know students and see them grow throughout their academic careers, from grasping new lab techniques to developing a passion for research that pushes them to pursue graduate study. “I think when you know someone personally, you can help them succeed and do whatever it is they want to do,” Dr. Márquez-Garbán shared. “For me, teaching is the most rewarding thing of what I do.”
• Precision Medicine World Conference 2026 Pioneer Award: Dr. Dennis Slamon, director of Clinical and Translational Research at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and chief of hematology/oncology at the David Geffen School of Medicine, was honored with the Precision Medicine World Conference (PMWC) 2026 Pioneer Award in recognition of his groundbreaking contributions to precision medicine that have fundamentally transformed cancer understanding and treatment.