The Chancellor's leadership team consists of key decision-makers that direct the day-to-day operations and set the future direction for the University.
Susan Desmond-Hellmann, MD, MPH
Susan Desmond-Hellmann, MD, MPH became the ninth Chancellor of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) on August 3, 2009. An oncologist and renowned biotechnology leader, Desmond-Hellmann also holds the Arthur and Toni Rembe Rock Distinguished Professor appointment at UCSF. In her role as Chancellor, she oversees all aspects of the university and medical center’s strategy and operations.
Prior to joining UCSF, Desmond-Hellmann spent 14 years at Genentech. From 2004-2009, she served as President, Product Development. In this role, she was responsible for Genentech’s pre- clinical and clinical development, process research and development, business development and product portfolio management. She also served as a member of Genentech’s executive committee, beginning in 1996. During her time at Genentech, several of the company’s therapeutics were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the company became the nation’s No. 1 producer of anti-cancer drug treatments.
Desmond-Hellmann is the recipient of numerous honors and awards. She was named to the Biotech Hall of Fame in 2007 and as the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association Woman of the Year for 2006. In November 2009, Forbes magazine named Desmond-Hellmann as one of the world's seven most "powerful innovators," calling her "a hero to legions of cancer patients." She was listed among Fortune magazine’s “top 50 most powerful women in business” for seven years and, in 2010, was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and was elected to the Institute of Medicine. In June 2011, Princeton University awarded her an honorary Doctor of Science degree.
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost
Jeffrey Bluestone, PhD, was appointed executive vice chancellor and provost at UCSF in March 2010. He joined the faculty in 2000 and has served in a number of leadership posts, including interim vice chancellor of research.
As executive vice chancellor and provost, he serves as chief academic officer, guides the research and academic enterprise at UCSF, advances the campus priorities in close collaboration with the chancellor and the campus leadership team, and oversees the campus ethics and compliance enterprise.
Bluestone holds the A.W. and Mary Margaret Clausen Distinguished Professorship in Metabolism and Endocrinology, and is currently director of the Hormone Research Institute. He is an international leader in the field of immunotherapy, with a stellar record of scholarly achievement and a decade of significant contributions to the research enterprise at UCSF, including the creation and directorship of an integrated UCSF Diabetes Center to focus on translating basic research in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes into improved therapies for patients.
Bluestone also founded and directed the Immune Tolerance Network, a consortium of more than 1,000 of the world’s leading scientific researchers and clinical specialists from nearly 50 institutions, with the mission of testing new therapies to promote immune tolerance in transplantation, autoimmune diseases, asthma and allergic diseases.
David Vlahov, PhD, RN, is an experienced epidemiologist who specializes in working with community partners to improve urban health. He joined the UCSF leadership team in April 2011 as the first male dean of the School of Nursing.
John Featherstone, MSc, PhD, is professor of preventive and restorative dental sciences and dean of the UCSF School of Dentistry.
Sam Hawgood, MBBS, is dean of the UCSF School of Medicine and vice chancellor for medical affairs at UCSF.
Executive Director, UCSF Global Health Sciences
Jaime Sepulveda, MD, MPH, DrSc, is executive director of Global Health Sciences. Previoulsy, Sepulveda was director of special initiatives and a senior fellow for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where he played a central role in shaping the foundation’s overall global health strategy.
B. Joseph Guglielmo, PharmD, was named dean of the UCSF School of Pharmacy in 2013, after serving as the school’s interim dean since July 2012. He previously led the school’s Department of Clinical Pharmacy as the Thomas A. Oliver Chair in Clinical Pharmacy.
Elizabeth Watkins, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Anthropology, History and Social Medicine and became dean of the UCSF Graduate Division in April 2012.
Chief Executive Officer, UCSF Medical Center
Mark R. Laret has been chief executive officer of UCSF Medical Center, including UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, since April 2000.
John Plotts serves as UCSF’s senior vice chancellor of Finance and Administration. He came to UCSF in January 2010 after having spent 14 years at University of California’s Office of the President, where he was assistant vice president for Financial Management.
Barbara J. French is vice chancellor of Strategic Communications and University Relations, a position that is charged with developing and implementing communications programs to champion the University’s mission.
Vice Chancellor, Diversity and Outreach
Renee Navarro, PharmD, MD, was named UCSF’s first vice chancellor of Diversity and Outreach in December 2010. She is charged with creating and maintaining a diverse university environment where everyone has an opportunity to excel.
Greta Schnetzler, JD, was named UCSF’s chief campus counsel in April 2013. She served UCSF as the deputy campus counsel since 2005.
Vice Chancellor, University Development and Alumni Relations
John Ford was named vice chancellor of University Development and Alumni Relations (UDAR) in August 2012. He brought more than 40 years of experience to the position, including 30 years at Stanford University.
Leigh Morgan was appointed associate chancellor, reporting directly to the chancellor, in March 2013. She is a member of the Chancellor’s Executive Cabinet and leads large, enterprise-wide change initiatives at UCSF.
