UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center

UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
Name	UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
Established	1976
Type	Academic Cancer Center
Affiliation	University of California, Los Angeles
City	Los Angeles
State	California
Country	United States
Website	https://cancer.ucla.edu

UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center is a leading National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center located within the University of California, Los Angeles. It integrates pioneering biomedical research with multidisciplinary patient care across a network of facilities in Southern California. The center is renowned for translating scientific discoveries into novel therapies and advancing the standard of oncology treatment globally.

History

The center's origins trace to the 1970s, with its formal establishment in 1976 following a significant philanthropic gift from Frederick and Marion Jorgensen. It was later renamed in honor of Lili Claire and William "Bill" Jonsson after a transformative donation from the Jonsson Foundation in 1998. Achieving its initial National Cancer Institute designation in 1976, it was elevated to "comprehensive" status in 1997, a recognition of its excellence in laboratory, clinical, and population-based research. Key historical leadership came from figures like Dr. Archie B. McLean and Dr. Charles "Chuck" Sawyers, who helped shape its research direction. The center has continually expanded, integrating with the UCLA Health system and establishing major facilities such as the Santa Monica outpatient center.

Research programs

The center's scientific enterprise is organized into eight interdisciplinary research programs that bridge basic, translational, and clinical science. These include the Cancer Cell Biology Program, which investigates fundamental mechanisms of carcinogenesis, and the Cancer Nanotechnology Program, developing novel diagnostic and therapeutic tools. The Immunology, Inflammation, and Cancer Program explores the role of the immune system in tumor development and therapy resistance. The Molecular Pharmacology Program focuses on identifying new drug targets and overcoming drug resistance, while the Prevention and Control Research Program conducts population studies in diverse communities. Research is supported by shared resources like the Flow Cytometry Core and the Translational Pathology Core Laboratory, facilitating collaboration across the David Geffen School of Medicine and the California NanoSystems Institute.

Clinical care

Clinical services are delivered through a patient-centered, multidisciplinary model across the UCLA Health network, including Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica. Specialty clinics address all major cancer types, with renowned teams in melanoma, prostate cancer, gastrointestinal cancers, and hematologic malignancies like leukemia and lymphoma. The center is a national leader in precision medicine, utilizing advanced genomic sequencing to guide therapy through initiatives like the AstraZeneca-collaborated GENIE project. It offers extensive clinical trial access, including pioneering studies in immunotherapy, CAR T-cell therapy, and targeted therapy. Supportive care is provided through the Simms/Mann-UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology, addressing patients' psychosocial and nutritional needs.

Facilities and resources

The center operates across a vast campus and regional network. Primary research facilities are housed in buildings like the Gonda (Goldschmied) Neuroscience and Genetics Research Center and the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center building on the main Westwood campus. Major clinical hubs include the outpatient Santa Monica facility and the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. Key shared resources for investigators include the Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging, the UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute, and the Broad Stem Cell Research Center. These core facilities provide state-of-the-art technologies in biomedical imaging, high-throughput screening, and bioinformatics, enabling collaborative work with institutions like the Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Notable achievements and discoveries

Researchers have made numerous landmark contributions to oncology. Dr. Dennis Slamon's pivotal work led to the development of trastuzumab (Herceptin), a groundbreaking therapy for HER2-positive breast cancer. The center played a key role in the clinical advancement of ipilimumab (Yervoy), the first immune checkpoint inhibitor approved for melanoma. Scientists here also discovered the TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion, a common driver in prostate cancer, and identified BRAF mutations as critical targets in melanoma. Its investigators have been recognized with prestigious awards including the Lasker Award and the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences.

Leadership and organization

The center is an organized research unit of UCLA and is integrated within the David Geffen School of Medicine and UCLA Health. It is led by a director, a position held by notable figures such as Dr. Michael E. Phelps and current director Dr. Michael Teitell. Governance involves oversight from a senior leadership team and advisory boards, including a National Cancer Institute-mandated External Advisory Board. The center fosters collaboration across numerous departments and institutes at UCLA, including the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research and the UCLA Institute for Society and Genetics, ensuring a unified approach to cancer research and care.

Category:University of California, Los Angeles Category:Cancer centers in the United States Category:Medical and health organizations based in Los Angeles Category:1976 establishments in California