Beyond Cancer Spotlight: Anand Ganesan

Anand Ganesan, MD, PhD (He/Him/His) is a Professor, Dermatology, Biological Chemistry & Surgery and Co-Director, Biotechnology, Imaging & Drug Development (BIDD) program. 

1. What are your career/research interests? 

My research focuses on understanding how melanoma tumors develop and progress, with a goal of developing new ways to treat them. I also focus on understanding how melanocytes (the cells that give our skin color) interact with other cells in the context of normal physiology and skin disease.

2. How did your early life experiences shape your education and career choices? 

I was always fascinated by the idea of patient-driven research- using what you learn from experiences with patients at the bedside to drive new research questions. These types of patient experiences during my medical school and residency have driven my research interests.

3. What brought you to UCI?

I was drawn to UC Irvine because of its interdisciplinary culture and the fact that, when I came, UC Irvine was an open slate that was ideal for someone at the early stages of a translational research career. Since that time, we have built a better infrastructure to develop physician-scientists, while the fundamental promise of our institution remains largely unchanged.

4. How did you connect with others to build your own sense of community and belonging at work? 

It was a real challenge when I came to UC Irvine because I was the only physician doing research in dermatology. I had to build my own research community, but fortunately it was quite easy given the collaborative nature of my colleagues. The effort started by having lunch with as many people as possible, learning about their work, and developing ways to collaborate with them.

5. What motivates you to serve your community and contribute to the CFCCC mission? 

The Cancer Center has always been a home for me, largely because of its culture of interdisciplinary collaboration. Frank Meyskens, Hung Fan, and Marian Waterman were early supporters of me, and Rick has been incredibly supportive and has a great vision for the future. It is that interaction, and the fact that we are all helping each other, which drives me to continue to contribute to the community and mission.

6. What challenges have you experienced in your professional journey? 

It was really challenging being a physician-scientist here when there were so few of us for so long. Fortunately, there were many others in the Cancer Center that saw value in the work that I do and have invested in helping me. Now, fortunately, I have the fun task of helping my young physician-scientist colleagues develop their careers, which is really rewarding.

7. What personal or professional accomplishment are you most proud of? 

I am very proud of the infrastructure we have build to develop physician-scientists at UC Irvine, and am thrilled every time I am able to hear that any of the physicians I have worked with have published a new paper or obtained a new grant/award.

8. What are your interests/hobbies outside of work? 

I like spending time with my wife and three kids and enjoying plays, musicals, and live performances.

9. What is a fun or random fact about you? 

I like to sing karaoke for fun.

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