On August 1, 2023, Sara Hurvitz, MD, will assume the role of Senior Vice President of the Clinical Research Division at Fred Hutch and as Head of the newly united Division of Hematology and Oncology at the University of Washington Department of Medicine in Seattle. Dr. Hurvitz will report directly to Tom Lynch, Jr, MD, Fred Hutch President and Director, and Barbara Jung, MD, Department of Medicine Chair, University of Washington.
Currently, Dr. Hurvitz directs the Breast Oncology Program at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), co-directs the Santa Monica–UCLA Outpatient Oncology Practice, and serves as Medical Director of the Clinical Research Unit for UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. A graduate of the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, Dr. Hurvitz specializes in breast medical oncology and is a leader in oncology research.
Sara Hurvitz, MD
Tom Lynch, Jr, MD
Barbara Jung, MD
Art and Medicine
Dr. Hurvitz comes from a family of artists—her great-grandfather was a sculptor in Italy who immigrated to California; her brother is an artist in France—and she was the first to step outside the liberal arts to explore science. But she maintains an artist’s eye for identifying potential.
“At Fred Hutch, I see a canvas that is perfectly prepared, with an assortment of gorgeous colors and media from which we can create great works,” she said.
One of Dr. Hurvitz’s areas of focus involves making the process of starting clinical trials more efficient and expanding the number of trials. When she arrived at UCLA, the breast cancer program that she built had three open trials. That number has grown to more than two dozen that are currently enrolling patients.
“Dr. Hurvitz is an internationally renowned clinical trialist, but equally important, she has a reputation of lifting up others around her,” said Dr. Jung.
Ms. Rochman is a staff writer at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. This announcement is adapted with permission from Fred Hutch News Service.
