Rosemary Akhurst

Rosemary Akhurst is a Professor of Anatomy at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), affiliated with the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. Her research focuses on TGFβ signaling in cancer, development, and vascular biology. She leads studies on tumor microenvironment dynamics, cancer immunotherapy, and Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT). As Faculty Director of the NCI-sponsored Preclinical Therapeutics Core (PTC), she oversees advanced imaging and therapeutics technologies for cancer research.

Education includes a BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry from Imperial College London (1975-1978) and a PhD in Molecular Biology from the Beatson Institute for Cancer Research (1978-1981). Awards include the Ewart Stickings Award, EMBO Fellowship, and UCSF Mentoring Award.

Research interests span translational approaches targeting TGFβ signaling in immunotherapy, genetic modifiers of cancer therapies, and vascular stability. Collaborative studies on HHT explore germline mutations and environmental factors influencing disease progression. Her work has contributed to clinical trials of anti-TGFβ agents by Novartis and Pfizer.

Recent grants include leadership roles in NIH-funded initiatives focusing on cellular plasticity, vascular biology, and patient-derived xenograft models. She holds over 20 years of continuous funding for studies on TGFβ's role in cancer and vascular disorders.

Key contributions include defining TGFβ's dual roles in tumor suppression and progression, elucidating mechanisms of EMT and cancer stem cell maintenance, and developing tools for preclinical therapeutics evaluation across UCSF cancer campuses.