Cancer CareSeptember 3, 2026

UC Davis cancer leaders selected for national AACI leadership roles

Primo 'Lucky' Lara Jr. joins AACI Board of Directors; Edward Kim named chair-elect of Clinical Research Innovation Steering Committee

(SACRAMENTO)

Two UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center leaders have been selected for prominent national leadership positions with the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI).

Cancer center director Primo “Lucky” Lara Jr. has been elected to the AACI Board of Directors for a three-year term. He’ll begin the role during the organization’s annual meeting in Chicago this fall.

Office of Clinical Research Medical Director Edward Kim has been appointed chair-elect of AACI’s Clinical Research Innovation Steering Committee. His tenure in the role will begin Oct. 1. He will serve one year as chair-elect before assuming the role of committee chair in the fall of 2027.

Academic cancer centers play a critical role in driving discoveries that save and change lives. I look forward to working with colleagues across the country to advance cancer research, strengthen patient access to innovative care and help ensure scientific breakthroughs reach the people and communities who need them most.”—Primo "Lucky" Lara, director, UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center

AACI is the only membership association dedicated to academic cancer centers. It represents more than 100 leading cancer centers in the U.S. and Canada, including UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center. AACI advances cancer research, education, policy and cancer health equity through collaboration among its members.

“Academic cancer centers play a critical role in driving discoveries that save and change lives,” Lara said. “I look forward to working with colleagues across the country to advance cancer research, strengthen patient access to innovative care and help ensure scientific breakthroughs reach the people and communities who need them most.”

Along with serving as director of the National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, Lara is executive associate dean for cancer programs and is a distinguished professor at the UC Davis School of Medicine. An internationally recognized oncologist and researcher, he chairs the University of California Cancer Consortium. Lara is also chair of the SWOG Cancer Research Network, one of the nation’s largest cancer clinical trials organizations.

Expanding access to clinical trials requires a commitment to extending research beyond the walls of the main cancer center, while reducing operational barriers. By leveraging the collective expertise of AACI’s members, we can create a more inclusive and accessible clinical trials ecosystem that benefits patients nationwide.”—Edward Kim, medical director, Office of Clinical Research

Kim is a physician-scientist specializing in gastrointestinal cancers. In addition to directing the Office of Clinical Research, he is interim chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology. He is also the medical director of the UC Davis Cancer Care Network, which improves access to care and clinical trials in communities outside the Sacramento region.

“Expanding access to clinical trials requires a commitment to extending research beyond the walls of the main cancer center, while reducing operational barriers,” Kim said. “By leveraging the collective expertise of AACI’s members, we can create a more inclusive and accessible clinical trials ecosystem that benefits patients nationwide.”

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UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center

UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center is the only National Cancer Institute-designated center serving the Central Valley and inland Northern California, a region of more than 6 million people. Its specialists provide compassionate, comprehensive care for more than 100,000 adults and children every year and access to more than 200 active clinical trials at any given time. Its innovative research program engages more than 240 scientists at UC Davis who work collaboratively to advance discovery of new tools to diagnose and treat cancer. Patients have access to leading-edge care, including immunotherapy and other targeted treatments. Its Office of Community Outreach and Engagement addresses disparities in cancer outcomes across diverse populations, and the cancer center provides comprehensive education and workforce development programs for the next generation of clinicians and scientists. For more information, visit cancer.ucdavis.edu.