Naoto Ueno, MD, FACP, PhD

Biography

Naoto T. Ueno, MD, PhD, FACP, is Director of the University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center, an NCI- designated cancer center, holder of the J & M Sullivan Endowed Professorship, and a tenured Professor of Medicine, University of Hawaiʻi. He is an internationally recognized physician-scientist whose career spans fundamental cancer biology, translational breast cancer research, and early-phase clinical trial development. He trained in cancer biology at The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and in medical oncology and stem cell transplantation at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. He subsequently held senior leadership positions at MD Anderson, including Executive Director of the Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, and Section Chief of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Department of Breast Medical Oncology, focusing on aggressive breast cancers, particularly inflammatory breast cancer and triple-negative breast cancer. Dr. Ueno has built a distinguished scientific career investigating treatment-resistant breast cancer, the tumor microenvironment (TME), and molecular therapeutics. His research has advanced the understanding of trastuzumab deruxtecan biology, mechanisms of resistance to antibody-drug conjugates, next-generation ADC strategies designed to overcome treatment failure, and TME modulation to enhance immunotherapy. His research program is currently supported by three NIH R01 grants and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. His work has also contributed to national and international collaborations that connect laboratory discoveries with patient-centered therapeutic innovation. As Cancer Center Director, Dr. Ueno successfully led the renewal of the University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center’s NCI Cancer Center Support Grant, strengthening the Center’s national standing and advancing its mission to serve Hawaiʻi and the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands. He is committed to building precision oncology infrastructure, expanding access to innovative clinical trials, and addressing cancer health disparities through research, education, prevention, and community-centered care. A dedicated mentor, educator, and two-time cancer survivor, Dr. Ueno is widely recognized for developing and inspiring the next generation of clinicians, scientists, and physician-scientists. He brings a distinctive combination of scientific rigor, clinical insight, leadership experience, and personal perspective to his work. Through his mentorship and institutional leadership, he continues to cultivate research talent, strengthen multidisciplinary team science, and build a research-driven cancer center that serves the people of Hawaiʻi, the Pacific, and the broader cancer community.