The mission of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) and UPMC Cancer Centers is to provide excellence in patient care, medical education and cancer research to eliminate deaths and suffering from cancer.
Welcome to UPMC Cancer Centers and the UPCI. UPMC Cancer Centers — one of the largest integrated community networks of cancer clinicians in the nation — comprises the clinical aspects of our cancer care. UPCI — the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in western Pennsylvania — comprises the scientific and research components of our efforts. Together, these two entities work in tandem to improve our fundamental understanding of cancer, to advance the frontiers of cancer prevention, detection, diagnosis and treatment, and to provide the most compassionate, sophisticated care to patients from all over the world.
In 1985, I joined UPCI as the founding director. Throughout its history, UPCI has witnessed tremendous growth and expansion. Our work has resulted in significant achievements that continue to make a difference in fields such as molecular biology, immunotherapy and cancer vaccine design, molecular therapeutics and drug discovery, epidemiology, imaging, surgery, radiation oncology and molecular virology. Our research investigations have given rise to safer, more effective ways to treat cancer and heal patients.
The Hillman Cancer Center, our new state-of-the-art facility, is home to our research enterprise and serves as our flagship for the UPMC Cancer Centers network of community-based clinics. This research and clinical facility reflects the synergy between basic and clinical investigations that allows us to make great strides forward in translational research — meaning “translating” laboratory discoveries into new prevention, detection, or treatment strategies for patients. The opening of the Hillman Cancer Center in October 2002 doubled the amount of space available for research and linked new clinical facilities—clinical outpatient areas that accommodate a higher volume of patients than our older facilities—to our research laboratories. With the close proximity of laboratories and treatment areas in the Hillman Cancer Center, researchers and clinicians can take full advantage of many new opportunities for collaborative endeavors.
With more than 2,100 affiliated clinicians, scientists, administrative staff and other healthcare professionals, UPMC Cancer Centers offers state-of-the-art clinical trials to prevent, diagnose and treat every form of adult cancer. By visiting specialists who are part of the UPMC Cancer Centers network, patients have convenient access to these clinical trials and other leading-edge care, often without leaving their own communities. Many of these clinical trials are available only within the UPMC Cancer Centers network or at a select group of cancer centers around the country. Nationwide, UPMC Cancer Centers and UPCI are held in high regard for outstanding achievements in cancer research and patient care.
These accomplishments have been made possible by long-standing support from the UPMC, the University of Pittsburgh, UPCI's leadership and with many friends and supporters from the Institute, including the UPCI Council. Our progress depends heavily on the impressive leadership provided by these outstanding individuals. Many thanks to everyone at UPMC Cancer Centers, UPCI and within our community who have contributed to our success and growing international stature.
The Council consists of more than 50 of Pittsburgh’s most prominent leaders and provides advice and support to the UPCI and UPMC Cancer Centers’ leadership. Since 1987, Council members have served as our ambassadors to the community and as promoters of our core mission to advance the understanding of cancer; to develop innovative methods for cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment; and to provide state-of-the-art cancer care. Council members annually recognize faculty and staff, who have been nominated by their peers or patients, for their commitment to providing compassionate patient care. Council members also have helped to secure funding to support research and outreach efforts and to facilitate relationships between our faculty and members of the business community who help guide our technology-transfer activities. We deeply appreciate the Council’s long-standing support of our efforts.
Ronald Herberman, MD
Director, UPMC Cancer Centers & University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute
Associate Vice Chancellor for Research, University of Pittsburgh
Hillman Professor of Oncology and Professor of Medicine and Pathology,
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
UPCI Council Membership List |
|
Sy Holzer (Chairman) |
Elsie H. Hillman (Vice Chair) |
|
Curtis Aiken |
Jeffrey Lipton |
* Deceased
