Hope S. Rugo

Hope S. Rugo, MD, is a Professor of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) and a Principal Investigator at the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. She leads the Breast Oncology and Clinical Trials Education programs and has been instrumental in advancing breast cancer research through clinical trials involving targeted therapies and immunotherapy.

• MD from University of Pennsylvania (1984)
• Residency and fellowship at UCSF in Internal Medicine and Hematology/Oncology
• Postdoctoral Immunology Fellowship at Stanford University (1988-1990)

Her research focuses on overcoming therapeutic resistance in breast cancer via combinations of targeted agents, with recent work on PARP inhibitors, CDK4/6 inhibitors, and antibody-drug conjugates. She investigates supportive care strategies to reduce treatment toxicity, including scalp cooling and steroid mouthwash protocols.

Dr. Rugo serves on the steering committees of major trials (EMBRACE, ABRAZO) and leads safety initiatives in the I-SPY2 trial. Her 2025 publications highlight trends in

• HER2-low and HR+/HER2- breast cancer treatment
• real-world evidence integration
• quality-of-life analyses

Awardee of the Bank of America Gianini Foundation and Cancer Care National Organization, she also chairs the Triple Negative Working Group within the Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium (TBCRC).