UCSD - University of California - San Diego
02/09/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 02/09/2025 11:20
From Basketball Champion to Surgeon and Leader
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February 09, 2025Article Content
This story is from the 2025 issue of Discoveries, a UC San Diego Health Sciences magazine.
Diane Simeone, MD, credits her fascination with human biology and dedication as a student athlete with instilling in her a strong sense of curiosity, leadership skills and a set of high standards, which have all punctuated her career path.
The college basketball champion initially studied neuroscience but was later drawn to becoming a physician. Through medical school, Simeone studied pancreatic cancer - one of the most fatal cancers. Through this experience, she learned the true benefits of groundbreaking research and high-quality patient care.
Her robust national and international experience as a cancer surgeon and leader led to her current role that, she says, fills her with pride every day. In April 2024, Simeone was named director of Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health and pancreatic surgeon scientist in the Division of Surgical Oncology in the Department of Surgery at UC San Diego School of Medicine.
Simeone is one of seven female directors among the 57 National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the nation and the first female director of Moores Cancer Center.
In this Q&A, she shares her vision to fight cancer from every angle, including early detection, the development of novel therapeutics and ensuring everyone has access to clinical trials.
What inspired you to go into medicine?
I grew up in a tightly knit family in the seaside town of North Kingstown, Rhode Island, with four other siblings. My father was the chair of economics at Providence College, and my mom was initially a homemaker but later went back to get her degree as a nutritionist. Education was always a priority in our family.
I wanted to pursue a career in medicine from an early age. During adolescence, I loved biology and sports. I helped lead my high school basketball team to winning the state championship and was later inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame. Being an active participant in sports was important for learning how to work with a team and set high standards for what we wanted to accomplish together.
I continued to play basketball while studying neuroscience at Brown University, but I ultimately knew I wanted to become a physician. Being a doctor is a wonderful marriage of understanding how things work and advancing new treatments and approaches to help people get better.
As a young, energetic physician, I decided to put my focus on studying pancreatic cancer because I learned quickly it needs more attention and investment, and I felt I could make a difference. Pancreatic cancer tends to spread to other organs early - usually before the patient even knows they have cancer. I witnessed how most patients have advanced disease at the time of diagnosis, and the number of patients we could help surgically was low. Early detection is critical.
Photo of Diane Simeone, MD
When I was at New York University [serving as director of the Pancreatic Cancer Center and associate director of translational research at Perlmutter Cancer Center], I founded PRECEDE, the Pancreatic Cancer Early Detection Consortium. The international project aims for a 50% survival rate in the next 10 years through early detection. The effort is thriving, and I expect the learnings from the study will be transformational for the field.
What are your goals as the director of Moores Cancer Center?
I am proud that my career has led me to be the director of Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health. The opportunity to be able to help guide clinical and scientific innovation, increase access to early therapeutics through clinical trials, and train the next generation of clinicians and researchers is a lifetime opportunity.
Moores Cancer Center is a beacon of hope to communities locally and nationally. I am always thinking about how to continue our legacy of exceeding standards for lifesaving, highly specialized care and supporting our patients and their loved ones through their most difficult life challenges.
Our cancer center is among the top 4% of approximately 1,500 cancer centers in the U.S. Patients have access to physicians who provide personalized care and are setting treatment standards nationwide for more than 200 types of cancer.
"Innovation is central to all we do. What sets us apart in the region is that we are involved in the design and execution of leading-edge clinical trials that bring promising new treatments directly to our patients." Diane Simeone, MD, director of Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health
We are expanding our clinical trial operations to provide faster and better access at multiple sites across our community. We are bringing together physicians and researchers from not only across our system but also from across the nation to work collaboratively to reach better outcomes in a unique and rich scientific environment.
Our cancer services are repeatedly ranked in the top 50 in the nation. My goal is to be in the top 10. We have so many brilliant researchers making discoveries in the lab and talented clinicians delivering state-of-the-art cancer care for our patients. We want to build upon these strengths to treat cancer in the most novel and effective ways.
What excites you about the future of Moores Cancer Center?
I am collaborating with our academic and clinical leaders to rise to the next level of scientific research, education and clinical programs.
Innovation is central to all we do. What sets us apart in the region is that we are involved in the design and execution of leading-edge clinical trials that bring promising new treatments directly to our patients.
Thanks to John M. Carethers, MD, vice chancellor for UC San Diego Health Sciences, and Patty Maysent, chief executive officer of UC San Diego Health, we are extending our cancer services approach and footprint in the community with clinics throughout San Diego County.
The Hillcrest Medical Campus Redevelopment Project is an extraordinary example that represents a reimagining of how academic medicine can better serve our patients and their families.
The first phase of the project includes the opening of the McGrath Outpatient Pavilion, planned for summer 2025. The six-floor, 250,000-square-foot advanced medical facility will house key clinical programs, addressing the region's growing demand for specialized diagnostic, treatment and surgical services, notably in cancer care.
Through a dedicated team, visionary leadership and expertise, we continue to offer the most advanced care and new offerings that will lead this extraordinary cancer center and institution into a bright future.