# Mays Cancer Center at UT Health SA

> **NIH NIH P30** · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCIENCE CENTER · 2024 · $336,765

## Abstract

Project Summary—Leadership, Planning and Evaluation
The Mays Cancer Center (MCC) is led by Director, Ruben A. Mesa, M.D. Dr. Mesa is assisted in this role by
the MCC Senior Leadership, comprised of a Deputy Director and five Associate Directors, each of who has
expertise in their area of responsibility. They are: Tim H-M. Huang, Ph.D., Deputy Director; Virginia
Kaklamani, M.D., D.Sc., Associate Director (AD) for Clinical Research; Robin Leach, Ph.D., AD for Education;
Susan Padalecki, Ph.D., AD for Research Administration; Amelie Ramirez, Dr. P.H., AD for Community
Outreach and Engagement; and LuZhe Sun, Ph.D., AD for Basic Research. Members of the Senior Leadership
provide counsel and recommendations to the Director with final authority for decisions on behalf of the MCC
residing with the Director. The Senior Leadership meets on a monthly basis that also includes the Senior Leaders
from the MCC cancer service line, allowing for integration between the two groups. The Senior Leadership also
meets with the Program Leaders as the Research Executive Committee (REC) bi-weekly. Senior Leadership
works directly with the Program Leaders, Shared Resource Directors, and other MCC committees to build
consensus on MCC priorities that span the breadth of the mission (research, cancer care and education),
strategic planning and implementation, and allocation of resources. The Senior Leaders ensure consistency in
the mission, vision, and goals of the MCC and develop synergistic interactions among the basic, translational,
educational and clinical elements of the Center. They provide feedback on the growth and the needs of the MCC
in their area of responsibility. They also plan and implement proactive, integrative approaches for development
of the research base, resources, and the MCC Strategic Plan. Planning and continual evaluation have been
critical for the development of the MCC and its research infrastructure, and alignment of clinical infrastructure to
support our research goals. The Center uses both internal and external sources for review and evaluation,
soliciting input from Cancer Center experts. The MCC External Advisory Board (EAB) is the primary external
mechanism for review and advice on the MCC and its progress in both clinical and basic research. MCC has
also utilized smaller ad hoc advisory groups for Cancer Center Administration, Shared Resources and Programs.
Internal mechanisms for planning and evaluation center around the Senior Leadership Committee (SLC), REC,
as well as the MCC Internal Advisory Board (IAB) and the MCC Shared Resources Oversight Committee
(SROC). The IAB includes Senior Leaders from UT Health San Antonio (UT Health SA) who meet annually to
provide feedback on the MCC's progress in clinical and research arenas at the UT Health SA. The SROC aids
the Center through annual evaluation of the MCC Shared Resources as well as by making recommendations
related to the Shared Resources. A key part of the MCC planning and evaluation ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10891443
- **Project number:** 5P30CA054174-29
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCIENCE CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Ruben A. Mesa
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $336,765
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1997-08-01 → 2026-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10891443

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10891443, Mays Cancer Center at UT Health SA (5P30CA054174-29). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10891443. Licensed CC0.

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