UC Davis cancer research will receive nearly $18 million in federal support over five years after the National Cancer Institute renewed the comprehensive designation of UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center. The award will support research infrastructure, clinical trials and efforts addressing disparities among rural, agricultural and historically underserved communities across Northern California and the Central Valley.
Key Takeaways
- The National Cancer Institute renewed UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center’s comprehensive designation.
- The renewal includes a nearly $18 million grant covering five years.
- UC Davis conducts more than 200 active cancer clinical trials, including the region’s only phase 1 cancer clinical trials.
- The funding will support research infrastructure, clinical trials and efforts addressing cancer disparities.
- The center serves more than 100,000 patients each year.
The NCI comprehensive designation recognizes cancer centers that demonstrate strength across laboratory, clinical and population-based research, as well as leadership, community engagement and education. UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center is among 58 comprehensive cancer centers in the United States.
The designation applies to the center’s work in research, clinical care, cancer prevention and education. UC Davis said the renewal will allow the center to continue supporting research and clinical activities serving communities throughout Northern California and the Central Valley.
The center’s director and principal investigator of the grant is Primo “Lucky” Lara Jr. UC Davis said the renewed designation recognizes the work of physicians, researchers, staff and community partners involved in cancer care, prevention and research.
UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center was originally designated as an NCI cancer center in 2002 and received comprehensive status in 2012. Its research areas include precision oncology, immunotherapy, cancer prevention and population health.
The center also serves as the only NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center in the Sacramento region. UC Davis said it is the only NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center from the Bay Area north to Portland and east to Salt Lake City, outside of San Francisco.
Nearly $18 Million Grant Supports Five Years of Research
The federal grant will support research infrastructure and shared resources at UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center. The funding will also support collaborations across the university’s schools and colleges.
UC Davis said the award will help expand access to clinical trials and strengthen research activities connected to cancer prevention and treatment. The grant also supports work addressing cancer disparities among rural, agricultural and historically underserved communities.
The five-year funding period gives the cancer center resources for research infrastructure while maintaining its clinical research activities. UC Davis identified clinical trials, cancer disparities and research collaboration as areas supported through the renewed designation and grant.
The center conducts more than 200 active clinical trials. Those trials include the region’s only phase 1 cancer clinical trials, giving patients access to early-stage studies conducted through the Sacramento cancer center.
UC Davis also manufactures CAR-T cells on site. CAR-T cell therapy is a cancer treatment approach that uses modified immune cells, and on-site manufacturing allows the center to produce the cells as part of its treatment capabilities.
The center’s research and clinical work covers several areas of cancer care. Its programs include precision oncology, immunotherapy, cancer prevention and population health.
The NCI grant is identified by UC Davis as grant number 2P30CA0933373-24. The funding is administered through the National Cancer Institute, which is part of the National Institutes of Health.
California’s universities have also continued producing research in fields spanning medicine and public health, including a UC Riverside gene therapy study that examined an experimental treatment for Fragile X syndrome.
Research and Clinical Trial Capacity
The center’s clinical research infrastructure includes more than 200 active clinical trials. Phase 1 trials are conducted at the center, providing an avenue for early-stage cancer research in the region.
UC Davis also operates research facilities and shared resources that support collaboration among researchers. The renewed grant is intended to strengthen those resources and collaborations across the university.
The center’s work connects laboratory research with clinical care and population-based research. Its comprehensive designation requires strength across those areas, along with community engagement and education.
Clinical Trials Expand Access to Cancer Research in Northern California
UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center conducts more than 200 active clinical trials, making clinical research a major part of its work in Sacramento and the surrounding region.
The center’s phase 1 trials are the only such cancer clinical trials in the region, according to UC Davis. Phase 1 studies are conducted at an early stage of clinical research and are part of the process used to evaluate new cancer treatments.
The center also serves more than 100,000 patients each year. Its patient population extends across Northern California and the Central Valley, including communities outside Sacramento.
UC Davis said the renewed designation will help the center continue delivering research-driven cancer care while expanding clinical research opportunities. The grant specifically supports clinical research infrastructure and shared resources.
The center’s treatment capabilities include CAR-T cell manufacturing on site. UC Davis has also developed cancer research tools and technologies through its broader research programs.
One example is EXPLORER, described by UC Davis as the world’s first total-body PET scanner. The center has also combined robotic bronchoscopy with 3D imaging in work focused on earlier lung cancer detection.
These technologies are part of the center’s broader research portfolio in cancer diagnosis and treatment. The renewed NCI designation covers the integration of research, clinical care, prevention and education rather than a single treatment or research area.
The center’s work also includes a comparative oncology program with the UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine. The program connects human and veterinary oncology research involving cancer in people and companion animals.
UC Davis Programs Address Cancer Disparities Across the Region
The nearly $18 million grant includes support for efforts addressing cancer disparities among rural, agricultural and historically underserved communities across Northern California and the Central Valley.
Those communities are part of the cancer center’s population-health and prevention work. UC Davis said the renewed funding will strengthen efforts to reduce disparities and expand research and care for populations throughout the region.
The center’s geographic role is tied to Sacramento’s position as a regional medical and research center. UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center is the only NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center in the Sacramento region.
The center’s patient volume also extends beyond the Sacramento area. UC Davis reports that it cares for more than 100,000 patients each year.
Cancer prevention and population health are among the center’s nationally recognized research areas. The renewed comprehensive designation covers those activities alongside laboratory and clinical research.
Community engagement and education are also requirements of the NCI comprehensive designation. UC Davis said its cancer center works with community partners as part of its cancer care and prevention efforts.
Research conducted by California universities also covers other public-health issues, including a UC Berkeley health research study examining dengue risk in parts of the state.
The funding therefore covers more than laboratory research. It also supports infrastructure and activities connected to clinical trials, prevention, population health and efforts to address disparities among specific California communities.
Aggie Square Supports Sacramento Cancer Research Infrastructure
UC Davis cancer research is also connected to the university’s Aggie Square innovation district in Sacramento. In 2025, cancer researchers moved into the district’s cancer research hub.
The research hub is part of the $1 billion Aggie Square innovation district. UC Davis said the cancer research facility is intended to accelerate discoveries through work involving industry partners.
The facility provides an additional location for cancer researchers within Sacramento’s university and research infrastructure. Its connection to Aggie Square places cancer research alongside other university activities and industry collaboration within the district.
The renewed NCI designation follows the opening of the cancer research hub and provides continued federal support for the cancer center’s research infrastructure and shared resources.
UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center has also received other recent institutional recognition. UC Davis Medical Center was ranked the No. 1 hospital in the Sacramento region in the 2026-2027 U.S. News & World Report rankings, according to UC Davis. The medical center was also ranked first in Sacramento and 10th in California for cancer treatment.
The center’s work connects laboratory research with clinical care and population-based research. Its work with the UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine adds comparative oncology to the center’s research activities.
The California university research landscape includes multiple institutions involved in medical and scientific research, with UC Davis contributing through its cancer center and broader health sciences programs.
The renewed designation continues a sequence of NCI recognition that began when UC Davis became an NCI-designated cancer center in 2002. Comprehensive status followed in 2012.
The latest renewal provides nearly $18 million over five years for the center’s research infrastructure and related activities. It also maintains UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center’s status as one of 58 NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center?
UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center is the Sacramento region’s NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center. Its work includes cancer research, clinical care, prevention, education, population health and clinical trials.
How much funding did UC Davis receive for cancer research?
The National Cancer Institute renewed a nearly $18 million grant for UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center. The funding covers a five-year period and supports research infrastructure, shared resources, clinical trials and programs addressing cancer disparities.
What does the NCI comprehensive designation mean for UC Davis?
The designation recognizes strength across laboratory, clinical and population-based cancer research, along with leadership, community engagement and education. UC Davis is among 58 comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute.
How many cancer clinical trials does UC Davis currently conduct?
UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center conducts more than 200 active cancer clinical trials. The center also offers the region’s only phase 1 cancer clinical trials.
Which California communities does UC Davis cancer research serve?
The center serves patients across Northern California and the Central Valley. Its funded programs specifically include efforts addressing cancer disparities among rural, agricultural and historically underserved communities.
