Timeline

Lewis Slater, MD, joined UCI under the leadership of Steve Armentrout, MD, becoming the first two members of what would become the Division of Hematology and Oncology.

Hematology and oncology at Veterans Affairs Long Beach Medical Center were under the purview of Drs. Edgar Moran and Padmini Iyer. At that time, LBVAMC was a Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) cooperative group site. 

Dr. Armentrout served as the chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology.

Dr. Slater served as interim chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology.

Frank L. Meyskens Jr., MD, and Hung Fan, PhD, director of the UCI Cancer Research Institute, cofounded UCI’s Cancer Center and began working toward NCI-designation. Dr. Meyskens served as the first director of the cancer center, in addition to serving as division chief of hematology and oncology from 1989-1997.

The Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center receives NCI designation as a comprehensive cancer center. The team spearheads efforts to have UCI included in the SWOG cooperative group.

Randall Holcombe, MD, MBA, served as chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology. During this time, the division expanded to six clinical investigator faculty members, and the LBVAMC faculty grew to four. Holcombe also altered the division’s funding model to support clinical faculty in performing clinical trials and oversaw the original launch of the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant program.

Edward L. Nelson, MD, served as chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology, growing the division from a faculty of 13 to more than 50. The division was reorganized into tumor-specific teams with a concomitant dramatic increase in clinical trial activity and scholarly production.

Richard Van Etten, MD, was named the second director of the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The Hematology and Oncology Fellowship program was retooled to focus on training clinical investigators.

The Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Program, created and overseen by Dr. Stefan Ciurea, was launched. A similar Adoptive Cellular Therapy program was approved, with recruitments placed on hold until the current “good manufacturing practice” cellular production facility was constructed and online in late 2023.

Miguel Villalona, MD, was named chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology, and deputy director of the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.