Beyond Cancer Spotlight: April Bagaporo

April Bagaporo, MBA (she/her), is the Director of Administrative Programs at the UCI Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.

1. What are your career/research interests? 

As the Director of Administrative Programs, my interest lies in the intersection of research and administration. I oversee all CFCCC programmatic activities including funding opportunities, education and training, fostering an inclusive environment, program development, and new initiatives. My goal is to support Cancer Center members by ensuring they have access to essential resources and collaborative infrastructure, provide support to our eight shared resources, to facilitate translation of cancer discoveries to clinical care.

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

From a young age, my goal was to run my own business. My first career gave me a taste of that experience, but I eventually realized it wasn't the right career path for me. Leveraging what I learned, I found my way into research administration. I enjoy learning and constantly seek ways to improve.

3. What brought you to UCI?

I began at the Institute for Clinical Translational Science (ICTS), where I managed all their funding opportunities. I then joined the Cancer Center overseeing all administrative programs.

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

At the ICTS, I was responsible for recruiting faculty members willing to review pilot grant applications. It was a daunting task but I found the research community happy and available to participate in the grant review process. Over the years, I learned about faculty members' research areas and aligned their expertise with relevant proposals enriching the process.

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

I work with CFCCC leadership who uphold the mission: Discover, Teach, Heal and passionate about serving Orange County. Maintaining our NCI designation as a comprehensive cancer center drives me to contribute to the mission and community.

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

I transitioned from a career in business management, where I focused on P&L, KPIs, performance management, and sales, to a role in research administration. This shift to academia and scientific research was a significant challenge and required a steep learning curve.

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

One professional accomplishment I'm particularly proud of was managing the COVID-19 grant review for UCI. $2M was pooled together to fund innovative research addressing the pandemic. I worked with faculty members across the university and was able to witness the remarkable depth and breadth of expertise at UCI. During such an uncertain time, it was inspiring to see the UCI research community come together so effectively to support research that would impact locally, regionally, and globally.

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

I love traveling to different countries, go to historical places, and museums. I watch true crime, CrossFit, and visiting the Mouse's house (Disneyland).

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

I did Polynesian dancing for 15 years.

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