UCLA’s Dr. Joann Elmore receives American Cancer Society Research Professor Award
Dr. Joann Elmore, professor in UCLA Fielding's Department of Health Policy and Management, honored for AI-related work.
A UCLA Fielding School of Public Health professor has been recognized by the American Cancer Society with the organization’s “Research Professor Award” because of her study of and advocacy for safe and equitable AI in cancer care.
“There is great potential for improving cancer care by using artificial intelligence to address diagnostic challenges, but there is also – in my view - a healthy skepticism about AI,” said Dr. Joann Elmore, a physician and professor in UCLA Fielding’s Department of Health Policy and Management and professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. “UCLA is working hard to evaluate these technologies rigorously and quickly and I appreciate the Society’s support for my work through this honor.”
A nationally recognized physician-scientist, Elmore has helped shape the evaluation of cancer screening and diagnostic technologies, with a particular focus on improving diagnostic accuracy and ensuring that emerging technologies are rigorously assessed before they are widely adopted in clinical practice. That background is exactly why the American Cancer Society (ACS) made the award, officials said.
"Being named an ACS Professor reflects not only a history of exceptional scientific achievement, but also a sustained commitment to leadership, mentorship, and service to the cancer research community," said Dr. Christina Anunziata, senior vice president for extramural discovery science with the ACS. "We are thrilled to recognize these remarkable investigators and provide the flexibility and support they need to pursue innovative research that can accelerate progress against cancer."
Also honored by the ACS this year are Dr. Stephen M. Ansell, of the Mayo Clinic; Dr. Elaine Fuchs, of Rockefeller University; and Dr. Mary Beth Terry, of Columbia University. At UCLA, Elmore holds the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Endowed Chair in Health Care Delivery and serves as director of the UCLA National Clinician Scholars Program and as a member of the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The ACS award will support Elmore’s work to develop and evaluate AI tools for cancer care, examine how clinicians interact with AI in real-world settings and assess how these technologies perform across diverse patient populations. It will also support training and engagement with researchers, clinicians and communities to help ensure AI is implemented safely, equitably, and effectively.
“This recognition is the ACS's highest grant award and recognizes both distinguished scientific achievement and provides support for future innovation in cancer research,” said Dr. Kristen Cincotta, the ACS’s strategic director for research impact and engagement. “Our new ACS Professors are recognized leaders whose work has transformed our understanding of cancer biology, advanced immunotherapy, improved cancer detection and diagnosis, and expanded knowledge of cancer risk and prevention.”
That level of scientific rigor and service is exactly why Elmore is so highly regarded by her peers, said Dr. Ninez Ponce, chair of the Department of Health Policy and Management at UCLA Fielding.
“Joann has dedicated her career to applying her deep knowledge to improving diagnostic accuracy and ensuring that emerging technologies are rigorously assessed, before they are widely adopted in clinical practice,” Ponce said. “This is an extremely well-deserved recognition by the ACS.”
