From scientific discovery to collaboration, the 2026 Moores Cancer Center Annual Scientific Retreat brought our research community together. Hear from Moores leaders Elena Martinez, PhD, MPH, J. Silvio Gutkind, PhD, Judith Varner, PhD, and Dwayne Stupack, PhD, in our retreat recap. Read more: bit.ly/4yz9Ddj

"One of the most important things to realize about gynecologic cancers is they are uncommon malignancies that require care in specialized centers.” This Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month, hear from Ramez N. Eskander, MD, Julie St. John Endowed Chair in Gynecologic Oncology, about the importance of patient-reported outcomes and clinical research in advancing gynecologic cancer care. Watch the video and explore open gynecologic cancer clinical trials at UC San Diego: Watch Dr. Eskander’s video and explore open clinical trials: ↳ Video: bit.ly/44fzjxB ↳ Gynecologic cancer trials: bit.ly/3VL4nEz #GynecologicCancerAwarenessMonth

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness and support those affected by prostate cancer. Join us next year for the UC San Diego Prostate Cancer Patient Summit to connect with experts, patients and advocates and learn more about prostate cancer research, treatment and care. Learn more: bit.ly/4yeDaZB #ProstateCancerAwarenessMonth #ProstateCancer

This Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we’re highlighting efforts to bring new therapies to children with cancer. Praveen Raju, MD, PhD, is advancing pediatric cancer care and research, including innovative approaches to deliver medicines to brain tumors. Read the full story: bit.ly/4hnsbFZ #ChildhoodCancerAwarenessMonth

Moores Cancer Center Director Diane Simeone, MD, recently joined the Becker’s Healthcare Podcast to discuss innovative strategies for transforming cancer clinical trials and accelerating progress in cancer care. Listen Here» bit.ly/4gY95qZ

After three cancer diagnoses, UC San Diego surf coach and Legends of Science and Surfing 2026 Co-Chair Tyler Callaway shares his journey of resilience, gratitude and the lifesaving care he received at Moores Cancer Center. Learn More: bit.ly/4AA09jp

Moores Cancer Center member Ludmil Alexandrov, PhD, shares his research and vision for the future of cancer prevention in a new Q&A with Cancer Grand Challenges. Learn more about his work and the global initiative advancing cancer research. Full Article: bit.ly/4xAzOih

In this episode of the Researcher Spotlight, get to know Moores Member Peter Vu, MD! Dr. Vu is a medical oncologist and Associate Professor in the UC San Diego, School of Medicine who specializes in gastrointestinal cancers, with an emphasis on clinical trials and immunotherapy biomarkers. Board certified in internal medicine and medical oncology, Dr. Vu trains the next generation of physicians, and he enjoys surfing, guitar, travel and photography. Watch Video: bit.ly/4yhYLzL

Researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine, including Moores Cancer Center member Moores member Hojun Li, MD, PhD, have been awarded up to $11.312 million from DARPA to develop "smart" red blood cells capable of temporarily boosting oxygen delivery and performance in unforgiving environments. The three-year project will explore applications for improving performance in military personnel. Read More: bit.ly/4gKrnL0

At Moores Cancer Center, our greatest strength is our people. We're excited to launch People Behind the Mission, a new monthly feature spotlighting individuals across our Cancer Center. Our first spotlight features Britani Quindoza from the Clinical Trials Office, whose personal connection to cancer care brought her to Moores in 2022. Read More: bit.ly/4gwPCgK

KRAS was once considered “undruggable.” Today, targeting KRAS has opened new possibilities for cancer treatment. At the Legends of Science Industry and Academia Oncology Symposium, keynote speaker Kevan M. Shokat, PhD, discussed the discoveries that helped make the once-unreachable target druggable. Watch his interview from #LegendsOfScienceAndSurfing.

September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month. At Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health, our cancer specialists provide personalized care for people with leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma and other blood cancers while advancing new treatments through research and clinical trials. Learn more: bit.ly/3T3eow1

Save the date for the 2026 Cervical Cancer Patient Summit! Join us to connect with cervical cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, advocates and leading experts in cervical cancer care and survivorship. Learn about the latest information and resources, hear from experts and community members and come together to share experiences and build support. Date: Saturday, September 19th Time: 9AM-2PM PT Location: Comer Commons, 2nd Floor, Moores Cancer Center, 3855 Health Sciences Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037 Register now: bit.ly/3Saajpx

The waves, community and spirit of Legends of Surfing came together once again for the 33rd annual Legends of Surfing Invitational at Scripps Pier. Surfers, friends and supporters gathered for a day celebrating the sport while helping advance the mission of Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health. From longtime legends to the next generation of surfers, the event brought together a community united by a shared commitment to advancing cancer research and improving outcomes for patients. Thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s Legends of Surfing Invitational a memorable day of connection, competition and community in support of cancer research and care. Read more about this year’s Legends of Science and Surfing: bit.ly/3UsdbyK

The 2026 Legends of Science Industry and Academia Oncology Symposium brought together scientists, clinicians, innovators and industry leaders with a shared goal: accelerating progress in cancer research. Hosted by Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health, the symposium created a forum for leaders across academia and industry to exchange ideas, discuss emerging advances and explore new opportunities to translate scientific discovery into better outcomes for patients. Thank you to our speakers, partners and attendees for contributing their expertise, perspectives and energy to a meaningful day of scientific exchange and collaboration. Read more about this year’s Legends of Science and Surfing: bit.ly/3UsdbyK

New in ASCO Publications: Moores Cancer Center researchers Gregory Botta, MD, PhD, Shumei Kato, MD, and Karen Messer, PhD, led a prospective phase II trial testing cemiplimab plus gemcitabine in SWI/SNF-altered metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), a subtype that may be uniquely responsive to immunotherapy despite PDAC's historically poor track record with checkpoint inhibitors. The trial builds on earlier findings that ICI therapy in SWI/SNF-altered mPDAC was linked to an 89% objective response rate and improved survival. Read the full study in ASCO Publications: bit.ly/4wL76uv

A major milestone in pancreatic cancer treatment: Daraxonrasib is now FDA approved for certain patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer after clinical trial results nearly doubled median overall survival compared with chemotherapy. Hear from Diane M. Simeone, MD, Director of Moores Cancer Center, in this SurvivorNet feature about the breakthrough and what it means for patients. Read and watch: bit.ly/4wOW9rV #PancreaticCancer #CancerResearch

On this episode of the Science Of Podcast, Blanca Equihua-Félix, MD, MS, discusses the science of oncofertility, exploring how cancer treatments affect fertility, the importance of including Spanish-speaking patients in clinical trials and the challenges facing underserved communities. Listen now: bit.ly/45JzLW3

Moores Cancer Center's Gregory Botta, MD, PhD, joined the BackTable Tumor Board podcast to discuss metastatic pancreatic cancer treatment. In this episode, "Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer: Treatment Options & Trials," Dr. Botta and GI medical oncologist Dr. Dawood Findakly cover current treatment approaches, the role of emotional support in care, and strategies for overcoming barriers like insurance delays. They also discuss personalized care from diagnosis through genomic profiling, and the expanding role of clinical trials and targeted therapies. Listen now: bit.ly/4gsdwIT

New from Moores Cancer Center: Barrett's esophagus may begin decades earlier than previously thought. In a Medscape video interview, Kathleen (Kit) Curtius, PhD, and PhD student Samuel Reynolds discuss their published findings showing the condition often starts in a patient's 20s, well before diagnosis. Their work supports a shift toward personalized, potentially sex-specific screening rather than a strict age-50 cutoff. Watch the interview: bit.ly/4gBm3JH