Terence Friedlander

Terence Friedlander, MD, is a Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine. He serves as the Chief of the Hematology and Oncology Division at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFG), where he leads a major clinical research program focused on urologic cancers. His work bridges clinical care and translational research, with a primary focus on developing novel therapies for patients with bladder, prostate, and kidney cancers.

Friedlander earned his BA in Biology from Brown University (1999) and his MD from New York University Medical School (2003), where he was inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha and graduated with honors. He completed his Internal Medicine internship and residency at UCSF, followed by fellowships in Hematology/Oncology and Urologic Oncology at the same institution. He also holds an MA in Medical Ethics from Utrecht University (2007), reflecting his interdisciplinary approach to patient care and research.

His research is centered on understanding the biology of urologic malignancies and developing innovative treatments. Key areas of interest include clinical trials, immunotherapy, genomics, circulating tumor cells, and hormonal therapy. His work has significantly contributed to the development and evaluation of novel agents such as enfortumab vedotin and combination immunotherapies. He is a principal investigator on multiple clinical trials and is deeply involved in national efforts to improve cancer care, including serving on the NCCN Bladder Cancer Guidelines Panel.

His recent publications (2023-2025) show a strong trend toward evaluating cutting-edge combination therapies—particularly immunotherapy-based regimens—for advanced urothelial and prostate cancers. He is also actively exploring digital health tools to improve patient education and engagement, as well as advanced imaging techniques like 68Ga-FAP-2286 PET for better tumor detection. His work frequently appears in high-impact journals such as Clinical Cancer Research, Lancet Oncology, and JAMA Oncology.

Friedlander has received numerous scientific awards that underscore his excellence and leadership in the field:

• Herman Goldman Scholarship, NYU (2000)
• Spiegel Award for Academic Excellence, NYU (2003)
• Alpha Omega Alpha, NYU (2003)
• Fulbright Scholarship in Medical Ethics (2006)
• ASCO Young Investigator Award (2010)
• Prostate Cancer Foundation Young Investigator Award (2012)
• DoD Physician Research Training Award (2012)
• UCSF Teaching Award (2019)

As a clinical academic oncologist and division chief, Friedlander mentors junior faculty and trainees, fosters cross-campus collaborations at UCSF, and leads initiatives to reduce barriers to clinical trial participation. His lab and research team are integral to the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, where they work on biomarker development and therapeutic innovation. Future work is likely to focus on personalized treatment strategies, liquid biopsies, and expanding access to novel therapies for underserved populations.