Cancer center interim physician-in-chief

David Tom Cooke is the new interim physician-in-chief for UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center. He leads the development and oversight of the cancer center’s performance targets and metrics, setting standards of care, measuring and improving clinical outcomes and disseminating best practices. Cooke also oversees the medical directors of the inpatient oncology units and outpatient clinics, as well as the cancer center’s disease groups, physicians and prominent clinicians who are leaders in their field.

Cooke is a professor and founding chief of the Division of General Thoracic Surgery, for which his motto is “equality of great quality.” He is an ardent advocate for reducing the cancer burden on marginalized communities, working toward health equity for all. Last year, he was recognized for care and compassion in medicine after the nonprofit organization Physicians for a Healthy California presented him with its 2022 Ethnic Physician Leadership Award. Cancer Health magazine also included him in Cancer Health’s 25: Black Lives Matter list in 2021.

Associate director of IDEAL

Cooke is also stepping into the role of associate director of the cancer center’s Office of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEAL). Cooke will lead the newly appointed IDEAL team that includes assistant directors Miquell Olivia Miller and Luis Godoy. Cooke replaces Luis Carvajal-Carmona as the leader of IDEAL after Carvajal Carmona became the associate vice chancellor for the UC Davis Office of Academic Diversity.

Cooke said he hopes the Office of IDEAL will help achieve a leadership roster that reflects the communities the cancer center serves. Overall objectives include:

  • Promoting pathways for career and leadership development opportunities for under-represented cancer center academicians
  • Developing infrastructure and policies designed to promote a culture of inclusivity, diversity equity and accessibility

“The Office of IDEAL is a mission critical facet of UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, as required for our National Cancer Institute ‘comprehensive’ designation,” said Cooke. “It will lead the development of our plan for enhancing diversity, which includes increasing the number of diverse cancer center members, who are skilled clinical, translational, and basic science cancer researchers.”

Rounding out the Office of IDEAL team are Allyn Fernandez, chief operations officer of the cancer center, and analyst Krandalyn Goodman.