The UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center is proud to announce that Dr. Vatche Agopian, Associate Program Director for the General Surgery training program, has been appointed Director of the Dumont-UCLA Liver Cancer Center.
An accomplished surgeon-scientist, Dr. Agopian received his medical degree from Columbia University and was trained in General Surgery, Multiorgan Transplantation and Hepatobiliary Surgery at UCLA. He was recruited to the Division of Liver and Pancreas Transplantation faculty in 2012 and is currently an Associate Professor of Surgery. Dr. Agopian also is an incoming Deputy Editor for Liver Transplantation.
Dr. Agopian’s clinical interests are focused on liver transplantation and the surgical management of primary and secondary liver malignancies. Additionally, Vatche has established a robust translational research program to develop liquid-biopsy based biomarkers for hepatocellular carcinoma, which has received significant funding from the National Institutes of Health, the American Surgical Association, and the Jonsson Cancer Center.
Founded in 2000, the Dumont-UCLA Liver Cancer Center is a comprehensive center dedicated to the care of patients with primary and secondary liver malignancies, which include hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, gallbladder cancer, and metastatic colorectal and neuroendocrine tumors. The multidisciplinary team includes expert surgeons, hepatologists, medical oncologists, diagnostic and interventional radiologists, interventional gastroenterologists, radiation oncologists, and pathologists who have been at the forefront in providing state-of-the-art treatment and research.
In his new role, Dr. Agopian will lead the efforts of the Dumont-UCLA Liver Cancer Center, and will work closely with health care practitioners across UCLA Health and the Jonsson Cancer Center to expand the reach of the Dumont-UCLA Liver Cancer Center in providing high-quality, personalized cancer care and cutting-edge research to patients in the Los Angeles community.