Rebecca DeBoer

Rebecca (Becky) DeBoer, MD, MA is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) and an attending medical oncologist at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH). She combines clinical practice with academic roles, including teaching global health ethics at UC Berkeley and medical ethics at UCSF. Her research focuses on implementation science to improve equitable cancer care delivery in diverse settings, particularly in Rwanda, Tanzania, and San Francisco's public health system. Key areas include patient-clinician communication, resource allocation ethics, and clinical practice evaluation.

Education:

• B.A. in Human Biology, Stanford University (2005)
• M.D., Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (2011)
• M.A. in Medical Humanities and Bioethics, Northwestern University (2014)
• Internal Medicine Residency, University of Chicago (2014)
• Clinical Medical Ethics Fellowship, MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics (2016)
• Medical Oncology Fellowship, UCSF (2019)

Research Interests: Dr. DeBoer's work bridges implementation science and bioethics to address systemic barriers in cancer care delivery. She emphasizes culturally adapted interventions for patient communication, equitable resource allocation frameworks, and quality improvement strategies in low-resource settings. Her projects often involve collaborations with NGOs like Partners In Health and institutions in sub-Saharan Africa.

Grants & Awards:

• NIH/NCI K08CA279874 (Validation of Quality Measures for Patient-Centered Cancer Communication in Rwanda)
• UCSF Society of Hellman Fellows Award (Pilot Study of Palliative Care Quality Indicators in Rwanda)
• National Palliative Care Research Center Kornfeld Scholars Program Award
• Rachel Pearline Award for Patient Care Excellence (UCSF)

Clinical Work: She runs general oncology and breast oncology clinics at SFGH, focusing on underserved populations. Her practice integrates evidence-based care with cultural competency.

Labs/Teams: Collaborates closely with UCSF's Global Oncology programs and the University of Rwanda's oncology teams to implement scalable care models.