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Cancer Therapeutics 

The Cancer Therapeutics Program consists of a collaborative network of basic scientists and clinical investigators whose interests span from experimental to developmental therapeutics. The Program serves as a hub for translating cancer-related discoveries into clinical trials that seek to ultimately benefit patients in the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center catchment area. The Program's mission is to discover new biomarkers and molecular targets for cancer therapeutics, to accelerate the rate of the new agent development, and to translate basic science and preclinical findings to patient care through clinical trials.

The Program works to develop and apply new tools for discovery of new biomarkers, therapeutic targets, novel imaging techniques, and lead compounds, develop new antineoplastic drugs and innovative drug-deliver modalities, and develop and conduct hypothesis-driven clinical trials based on strong preclinical rationale.

View Cancer Therapeutics members

Membership resources for researchers

Involved in cancer research? Cancer Center membership is open to all UC Davis faculty and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory researchers with a focused interest in cancer or related disciplines, and a commitment to contributing to the Cancer Center mission. Collaborate with like-minded investigators, gain access to resources, and contribute to the only NCI-designated Cancer Center positioned to address the cancer burden in Northern California's Central Valley.

Become a part of the collaborative research community at the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center. Learn more about becoming a member and the valuable resources available to our researchers.


Cancer Therapeutics Program Leaders

Kit S. Lam M.D., Ph.D.

Kit S. Lam M.D., Ph.D.

Distinguished Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine

Expertise: drug discovery and development; combinatorial chemistry; nanotechnology; molecular imaging; chemical biology

Kit S. Lam M.D., Ph.D.

Richard Valicenti, M.D., M.A., FASTRO

Professor and Chair, Department of Radiation Oncology

Expertise: radiation oncologist specializing in prostate cancer; clinical trialist testing new paradigms for multimodality therapies

Cancer Therapeutics Program Research Highlights


A pH-Driven Small-Molecule Nanotransformer Hijacks Lysosomes and Overcomes Autophagy-Induced Resistance in Cancer

A pH-Driven Small-Molecule Nanotransformer Hijacks Lysosomes and Overcomes Autophagy-Induced Resistance in Cancer 

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Nanoradiosensitizer with Good Tissue Penetration and Enhances Oral Cancer Radiotherapeutic Effect

Nanoradiosensitizer with Good Tissue Penetration and Enhances Oral Cancer Radiotherapeutic Effect

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Programmable Bispecific Nano-Immunoengager That Captures T Cells and Reprograms Tumor Microenvironment

Programmable Bispecific Nano-Immunoengager That Captures T Cells and Reprograms Tumor Microenvironment 

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