Susan Desmond-Hellmann: FORBES Most Powerful Innovator

UCSF’s Chancellor, Susan Desmond-Hellmann, MD, MPH,  was selected by FORBES as one of its 7 Most Powerful Innovators of 2009. You can read the story here. According to the article, Desmond-Hellmann’s  most influential innovations were  the blockbuster cancer drugs Avastin and Herceptin.

Susan Desmond-Hellmann, a physician and cancer researcher, is a hero to legions of cancer patients. While president of product development at Genentech from 2004 to April 2009, she played an integral role in the selection, testing and development of Avastin, a colon cancer drug with annual sales of $9 billion, and Herceptin, a breast cancer drug with sales of $7.8 billion. In August 2009 she became the chancellor of UCSF, a powerhouse in medical research, where she aims to continue fostering innovation in health care and science.

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Susan Desmond-Hellmann Named UCSF Chancellor

Susan Desmond-Hellmann, one of FORTUNE’s Most Powerful Women in Business, will become the first woman to serve as UCSF chancellor. The appointment, unanimously approved by the UC Board of Regents today, takes effect August 3, 2009.

Desmond-Hellmann, 51, brings a deep clinical, research, and executive leadership background and commitment to high-quality patient care to the position of UCSF chancellor.  She is a board-certified physician in internal medicine and medical oncology who has dedicated much of her career to cancer research.  She was with South San Francisco-based Genentech for 14 years – as clinical scientist, chief medical officer, executive vice president and president – where she has overseen successful trials for therapeutic drugs, including Herceptin, Avastin and Rituxan, targeting a range of cancers and other diseases. Says Desmond-Hellman:

I began my career at UCSF, and my heart has never left it..My life’s work has been focused on making a difference for patients, and I cannot think of a better place than UCSF to carry that work forward.  As the health needs of the world continue to change, UCSF will continue to play a pivotal role in developing solutions through its research, teaching and clinical care across all the health disciplines.