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National Cancer Institute Designation

The UNM Cancer Center is the only cancer center in the state of New Mexico that is designated by the National Cancer Institute. We are one of only 57 NCI-designated Comprehensive cancer centers in the nation. Comprehensive designation is the highest federal designation and rating for cancer centers.

Director’s Letter

Welcome message from
Yolanda Sanchez, PhD
Director and CEO,
The University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center

Deputy Director

Yolanda Sanchez, PhD, announced the following on June 4, 2026.

Sarah Adams, MD, Named Deputy Director

I am delighted to announce that Sarah Adams, MD, has been appointed Deputy Director of The University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center (UNMCCC), effective July 1^st, 2026. Dr. Adams succeeds Alan Tomkinson, PhD, as Deputy Director.

In her role as Deputy Director, Dr. Adams will work closely with UNMCCC senior leadership to

Develop and implement the Center’s scientific and strategic agenda to maintain NCI-Designation and Comprehensive status
Support the development of cancer research programs including clinical, epidemiological and translational studies. Work with senior leadership to build research programs in UNMCCC priority cancers.
Work with COE on initiatives for community engagement, outreach, cancer prevention, and health equity to ensure UNMCCC scientific initiatives align with community needs and priorities in New Mexico. Build relationships with New Mexico providers to advance innovation in research and clinical care and enable the development of decentralized clinical trials.
Represent the UNMCCC at regional and national meetings and support fundraising efforts.

Dr. Adams is a Professor in the UNM Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology. She is a nationally recognized physician‑scientist focused on ovarian cancer research and care. She currently serves as Associate Director for Translational Science and co-leads the Cancer Therapeutics Research Program for the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Dr. Adams’ research focuses on tumor immunology and novel immunotherapy strategies for ovarian cancer. Her work has helped define mechanisms of therapeutic synergy between PARP inhibition and immune checkpoint blockade, and it has translated directly into investigator‑initiated and national clinical trials for patients with recurrent ovarian cancer. She has served as principal investigator and national study chair on multiple phase I and II trials. Through her Translational Science Director role, she has contributed to the expansion of UNM‑led studies across other NCI‑designated cancer centers.

In addition to her research leadership, Dr. Adams maintains an active clinical practice caring for patients with gynecologic cancers. She is nationally recognized for her commitment to developing clinician‑scientists and advancing collaborative cancer research. She has held leadership roles in national cooperative groups and in nonprofit research organizations that support innovation in ovarian cancer research and care.

Dr. Adams earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Harvard University. She received her medical degree from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine and completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Chicago Hospitals, followed by a fellowship in gynecologic oncology at the University of Pennsylvania. She joined the UNM faculty in 2012.

Dr Adams brings exceptional scientific experience, deep clinical insight and proven leadership to the role of Deputy Director. I am grateful for her continued commitment to the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center and to the people of New Mexico.

We are deeply grateful to Dr. Tomkinson for his steady leadership as Interim Director before I arrived at UNM and as Deputy Director after that. During his tenure in these roles, the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center recruited more than 18 faculty members and applied to renew our NCI designation. Dr. Tomkinson’s lab has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for more than 30 years and has produced more than 100 publications. We are grateful for Dr. Tomkinson’s representation on the UNM HSC Research Strategic Planning Committee and for his ongoing involvement in the strategic planning activities of the UNM Health System.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Adams on her new role.

Sincerely,

Yolanda Sanchez, PhD

Director & CEO, UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center
The Maurice and Marguerite Liberman Distinguished Chair in Cancer Research
Professor, UNM Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Molecular Medicine

Named

Yolanda Sanchez, PhD, announced the following on June 4, 2026.

Sarah Adams, MD, Named Deputy Director

Role

In her role as Deputy Director, Dr. Adams will work closely with UNMCCC senior leadership to

Develop and implement the Center’s scientific and strategic agenda to maintain NCI-Designation and Comprehensive status
Support the development of cancer research programs including clinical, epidemiological and translational studies. Work with senior leadership to build research programs in UNMCCC priority cancers.
Work with COE on initiatives for community engagement, outreach, cancer prevention, and health equity to ensure UNMCCC scientific initiatives align with community needs and priorities in New Mexico. Build relationships with New Mexico providers to advance innovation in research and clinical care and enable the development of decentralized clinical trials.
Represent the UNMCCC at regional and national meetings and support fundraising efforts.

Background

Thanks

Congrats

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Adams on her new role.

Sincerely,

Yolanda Sanchez, PhD

In the News

Breaking stories from the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center

NEWSROOM

The Only NCI-Designated Cancer Center in New Mexico

The UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center is the official cancer center of New Mexico, and the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in a 500-mile radius.

Its 136 board-certified oncology specialty physicians include cancer surgeons in every specialty (abdominal, thoracic, bone and soft tissue, neurosurgery, genitourinary, gynecology, and head and neck cancers), adult and pediatric hematologists/medical oncologists, gynecologic oncologists and radiation oncologists. They, along with more than 600 other cancer healthcare professionals (nurses, pharmacists, nutritionists, navigators, psychologists and social workers), provide treatment to 65% of New Mexico’s cancer patients from all across the state. They also partner with community health systems statewide to provide cancer care closer to home.

In 2025, they treated almost 15,000 patients in more than 100,000 ambulatory clinic visits, in addition to in-patient hospitalizations at UNM Hospital. A total of 1,444 patients participated in cancer clinical trials to study new cancer treatments that include tests of novel cancer prevention strategies and cancer genome sequencing.

The more than 120 cancer research scientists affiliated with the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center were awarded $30.5 million in federal and private grants and contracts for cancer research projects in 2025. Since 2015, the physicians, scientists and staff have provided education and training experiences to more than 750 high school, undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral fellowship students in cancer research and cancer health care delivery.

Lastly, UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center maintains strong community partnerships to ensure active engagement in establishing research priorities to address differences in cancer health outcomes.

To learn more about the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center, visit our website or call the UNM Cancer Center Clinic at 505-272-4946.

UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center Community and Media Relations: 505-548-0927.

The UNM Cancer Center is:

The only cancer center in New Mexico to achieve Comprehensive designation by the National Cancer Institute.
Recognized by the New Mexico State Legislature as the state’s official cancer center and received special commendation from the State Legislature in 2003 and 2005.
Expanding our $100 million, 206,432 sq. ft. state-of-the-art Cancer Treatment and Clinical Research Facility to bring new cancer diagnostic and treatment modalities to New Mexico.

Mission, Goals, Accomplishments and Network

The mission of the UNMCCC is to reduce the cancer burden and overcome the differences in cancer risk, incidence, and outcomes in the people of New Mexico and beyond through

ground-breaking transdisciplinary research,
translation of discoveries to clinical and community interventions,
impactful and respectful bi-directional engagement of the communities that we serve,
education and training of the cancer workforce and leadership of tomorrow, and
the delivery of exceptional patient-centered cancer care.

The UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center has identified seven strategic goals for 2026 through 2030. They are:

Accelerate Innovative Discovery in Cancer Research
Improve Cancer Outcomes Through Access and Engagement
Translate Discoveries into Clinical Trials and Improved Treatments
Deliver Exceptional Patient Care and Support Across the Cancer Continuum
Cultivate Education, Training, and Expanding the Workforce for the Future
Leverage Data Science, Technology, and AI to Transform Cancer Care
Strengthen Partnerships and Collaboration

Designated as “the Official cancer center of the state of New Mexico” by the state legislature in 1971 and received special commendation from the state legislature in 2003 and 2005.
Achieved recognition as a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in October 2005. We competitively renewed our NCI designation in 2010.
Achieved designation in 2015 as a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center, the highest designation awarded by the NCI.
Recruited world-class physicians and scientists to New Mexico to form the state’s largest team of cancer specialists, with 130+ board-certified cancer physicians and 120+ research scientists.
Increased the funding from federal, state and private sources for cancer research programs from $22 million to almost $38.2 million annually.
Established formal research partnerships with Sandia National Laboratories (genomics, high speed computing, drug discovery, nanotechnology), Los Alamos National Laboratory (novel radioisotopes), Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute (inhalation therapeutics, lung cancer prevention and research) and New Mexico State University (chemistry, drug discovery).
Treated patients from every county in New Mexico; 45% came from outside Bernalillo county.
Expanded our statewide cancer care network with collaborative clinical programs in Las Cruces (with Memorial Medical Center), Gallup, Santa Fe, Albuquerque and Farmington. We are developing new collaborative programs in Alamogordo and in Roswell/Carlsbad.
Created a wide variety of clinical and educational programs to reach out to all of our state’s multicultural populations, including outreach and training in Native American communities with the UNM Center for Native American health, and outreach to our Hispanic communities with Ventanilla de Salud and other programs.
Introduced the first Theranostics program to New Mexico. Theranostics combines therapeutic and diagnostic nuclear medicine. The drug attaches to cancer cells and, using different types of radioactive atoms, can be used to either image or kill cancer cells.
Led and continue to lead national efforts to address differences in cancer outcomes, particularly in the American Indian Tribes and communities of the Southwest.
Partnered with Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc., to open a radioisotope production center in our Cancer Treatment and Clinical Research Facility. This center allows us to produce medically useful isotopes, which are a critical component of powerful cancer diagnosis and treatment
methods.
Opened a beautiful state-of-the-art Comprehensive Cancer Treatment and Clinical Research Facility in August of 2009. This five-story, $100 million, 206,432 sq. ft. facility is designed to meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of patients and their families in a healing, safe environment.
Introduced or expanded 11 cancer programs to serve New Mexicans. We offer 17 cancer programs, including neuro-oncology, bone marrow and stem cell transplantation, and Theranostics.

Our Statewide Network Serving Patients Across New Mexico

Image: Map with number of patients from each NM county.

Patients Treated in Fiscal Year 2025 (July 2024 to June 2025).

Bear-Graphic The Mudjekeewis (the Grizzly Bear), Spirit Keeper of the West and Chief Council of all Spirit Keepers and Animal Totems, is an indigenous Native American spirit symbol signifying responsibility, resourcefulness, intelligence, wisdom, introspection, physical and spiritual strength, and expertise.

A problem solver, Mudjekeewis uses his hands and his heart to find ways to do things that will benefit both himself and all of his brothers and sisters.

The UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center has chosen the Mudjekeewis as our symbol because this Great Spirit Keeper represents our commitment to using our hands and our hearts to serve those whose lives have been touched by cancer with courage, knowledge, grace, and great ability.

Mission, Goals, Accomplishments and Network

Mission Statement

The mission of the UNMCCC is to reduce the cancer burden and overcome the differences in cancer risk, incidence, and outcomes in the people of New Mexico and beyond through

ground-breaking transdisciplinary research,
translation of discoveries to clinical and community interventions,
impactful and respectful bi-directional engagement of the communities that we serve,
education and training of the cancer workforce and leadership of tomorrow, and
the delivery of exceptional patient-centered cancer care.

Goals

The UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center has identified seven strategic goals for 2026 through 2030. They are:

Accelerate Innovative Discovery in Cancer Research
Improve Cancer Outcomes Through Access and Engagement
Translate Discoveries into Clinical Trials and Improved Treatments
Deliver Exceptional Patient Care and Support Across the Cancer Continuum
Cultivate Education, Training, and Expanding the Workforce for the Future
Leverage Data Science, Technology, and AI to Transform Cancer Care
Strengthen Partnerships and Collaboration

Accomplishments

Statewide Network

Our Statewide Network Serving Patients Across New Mexico

Patients Treated in Fiscal Year 2025 (July 2024 to June 2025).

Our Commitment

The Mudjekeewis (the Grizzly Bear), Spirit Keeper of the West and Chief Council of all Spirit Keepers and Animal Totems, is an indigenous Native American spirit symbol signifying responsibility, resourcefulness, intelligence, wisdom, introspection, physical and spiritual strength, and expertise.

A problem solver, Mudjekeewis uses his hands and his heart to find ways to do things that will benefit both himself and all of his brothers and sisters.

Senior Leadership

Yolanda Sanchez, PhD

The Maurice and Marguerite Liberman Distinguished Chair in Cancer Research
Director and CEO, UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center
Professor, Department of Internal Medicine

Dr. Yolanda (Yoli) Sanchez is the first Hispanic/Latine woman to lead a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. She is responsible for all cancer research and cancer clinical programs at the University of New Mexico, covering all schools, colleges, departments, and facilities. Dr. Sanchez has authority over all basic, translational, clinical, and population-based research; all cancer clinical trials; and all ambulatory and inpatient cancer clinical services, which include the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMCCC) clinical building and 30 dedicated beds at UNM Hospital. Dr. Sanchez is an international expert in DNA damage response pathways. Her work focuses on exploring oncology targets and drug development for clinical trials.

Read the full biography on the Director's Message page.

Alan Tomkinson, PhD

The Victor and Ruby Hansen Surface Endowed Chair in Cancer Research
Deputy Director, UNM Cancer Center
Associate Director for Basic Research, UNM Cancer Center
Professor, Division of Molecular Medicine, UNM Department of Internal Medicine

Trained in Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics at the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne in England, the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, and UC-Berkeley, Dr. Tomkinson is an international expert in the DNA repair mechanisms that prevent cancer by maintaining genome stability and in understanding how these pathways are perturbed in cancer cells. His work is leading to the development of new therapies which target these alterations in cancer cells. At UNM, he leads teams of laboratory scientists focused on fundamental cancer research.

Sarah Adams, MD

The Victor and Ruby Hansen Surface Endowed Professor in Ovarian Cancer Research
Associate Director for Translational Research, UNM Cancer Center
Professor, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, UNM Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

A gynecologic oncologist and cancer research scientist, Dr. Adams’ lab focuses on tumor immunology and the development of novel treatment strategies for ovarian cancer. Her lab recently demonstrated that PARP inhibition synergizes with CTLA4 immune checkpoint blockade in BRCA1 deficient ovarian cancer models. This work resulted in an investigator-initiated clinical trial in 2016, which has since been expanded nationally through NRG. The translation of this work to clinical testing has spurred ongoing mechanistic studies in the lab focused on understanding tumor-tumor microenvironment interactions that modulate the efficacy of tumor-directed agents.

Zoneddy Dayao, MD

Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology
Deputy Director of Clinical Operations and Chief Medical Officer
Chief of Division of Hematology/Oncology
Associate Director for Clinical Operations

Dr. Dayao serves in clinical and administrative functions at UNMCCC. Her areas of research interest are breast cancer, barriers to health care, and clinical trial accruals and symptom control. Her practice is almost exclusively devoted to breast cancer. Dr. Dayao serves as a local PI for multiple NCI cooperative group, pharmaceutical, and investigator-initiated clinical trials, and she serves on several national clinical research committees focused on breast cancer and quality of life. She has chaired the UNMH Cancer Committee, in which she oversees the Center-wide implementation and completion of standards of the Commission on Cancer.

Carolyn Muller, MD, FACOG

The Judy Putman Dirks Endowed Professor in Gynecologic Cancer Care
Associate Director for Clinical Research, UNM Cancer Center
Professor & Director, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology

Trained at the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Muller is a physician-scientist who conducts research primarily focusing on ovarian cancer. She collaborates with basic scientists at UNM to find a novel component of a repurposed drug, R-ketorolac, that impedes cancerous cell growth and the spread of ovarian cancer. She and her colleagues developed the clinical trials that have recently reported on this novel component. Dr. Muller also serves as the principal investigator of the NCI NCORP grant that helps to support the UNM Cancer Center research clinical trials network.

Andrew Sussman, PhD, MCRP

Associate Director for Community Outreach and Engagement, UNM Cancer Center
Associate Professor Family Community Medicine

Trained as a cultural anthropologist at The University of New Mexico, Dr. Sussman serves as Associate Director for Community Outreach and Engagement at the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Sussman has expertise in qualitative and mixed method research, formative assessment and process evaluation. His research has concentrated on cancer care delivery research, patient-provider communication, clinical decision making, health service delivery, and community-based participatory research.

Jennifer Gillette, PhD

Associate Director for Education, Training and Mentoring, UNM Cancer Center
Professor, UNM Department of Pathology

Dr. Gillette received her doctorate in Cellular and Developmental Biology from the University of Colorado Health Science Center and completed her Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the National Institute of Health. Over the course of her career, she has received many awards and honors. Most recently, she was awarded a UNM Health Sciences Center Regents Lectureship, and received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).

Christopher Amos, PhD

Associate Director for Population and Data Science, UNM Cancer Center
Director of Data Science Initiative, UNM Health Sciences Center
Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Preventive Medicine

Dr Amos assists in building the UNM Cancer Center’s research programs in cancer population sciences, cancer control, community engagement, and cancer-relevant behavioral intervention. He holds a doctorate in Biometry from LSU Medical Center in New Orleans, and his postdoctoral training included a fellowship at the National Cancer Institute, where he focused on family studies and environmental epidemiology. Dr. Amos’ research focuses on the genetic epidemiology of cancer. His work has identified genetic factors that influence lung cancer risk and nicotine addiction, and he has published extensively on the genetic underpinnings of cancer.

Sabrina Samudio-Ruiz, PhD

Associate Director for Shared Resources, UNM Cancer Center
Research Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Molecular Medicine

Dr. Samudio-Ruiz oversees the development of all eight shared resources, set the direction for new technological acquisitions, and help to procure new equipment to carry out UNM Cancer Center research initiatives. She previously held the position of Senior Lab Operations Manager at the UNM Cancer Research Facility and served as a Research Assistant Professor in the UNM College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology from the University of Colorado Boulder and a doctorate in Biomedical Sciences from the University of New Mexico. Her research focused on cancer epigenetics, particularly epigenetic alterations associated with the development of platinum resistance in ovarian cancer.