By Brad Cairns, PhD
When I think back to where I came from, I still find it remarkable that I now have the privilege of serving as the CEO of Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah. I grew up in a small town on the Oregon coast, raised by a single mom-a writer who gave me a love for learning and a respect for perseverance. Opportunities were limited, and I was determined to seek a bigger horizon.
A scholarship to Lewis & Clark College opened that door. I studied chemistry and also explored literature, history, and even spent half a year immersed in art and theater in New York City. This blend of science and the humanities shaped how I approach problems to this day, with curiosity, creativity, and a drive to connect ideas.
Finding My Place in Utah
After Lewis & Clark, my journey in science took me from Stanford to Harvard. Along the way, I helped identify a fundamental cellular machine that controls DNA packaging and expression. When I learned that mutations in this machine were involved in nearly one in five human cancers, I knew the work could have direct meaning for patients, which has fueled my research ever since.
I came to Utah almost three decades ago, drawn by the strength of the university's genetics and biochemistry programs and the state's natural beauty.
What impressed me most, though, was the spirit of the people here. Faculty members were bold in their ideas and generous in their collaborations. Huntsman Cancer Institute was just starting, but even then, it exuded a sense of purpose and vision I found irresistible. I took the offer, and I never looked back.
From the Lab to Leadership
I didn't come here to be a CEO. My original plan was simple: combine genetics, genomics, and biochemistry to uncover cancer's secrets. Over time, I was drawn to leadership not out of ambition but to help people and projects reach their full potential.
One early step into leadership was writing a white paper on building genomics and bioinformatics capacity at Huntsman Cancer Institute. When asked to implement it, I jumped in. I saw how building shared resources could accelerate discoveries across dozens of labs. That's when I realized leadership, at its best, is about multiplying impact.
I've carried that perspective with me ever since, recognizing key principles that guide our work:
- Collaboration is central to great science and care.
- Mentorship and training are among our most lasting contributions.
- Stewardship means putting mission, vision, and values at the top of the organization and serving them with everything we do.
Building on a Strong Foundation
I step into this role following the extraordinary leadership of Mary Beckerle, PhD. Over her 20 years as cancer center director and then CEO, she built Huntsman Cancer Institute into a leading cancer center. More importantly, she shaped a culture of collegiality, collaboration, and compassion. I learned a great deal from her, and I'm deeply grateful for her mentorship.
I also want to acknowledge the entire leadership team. Together, we've developed an ambitious strategic plan, which is very much a shared vision. This isn't just my plan. It's something that belongs to all of us. It includes transformative projects like creating a new campus in Vineyard, Utah, and playing a major role in the new Eccles Health Campus and Eccles Hospital in West Valley. These projects will shape us for decades to come, and a first priority is to help us execute them with excellence.
Looking to the Future
The future of cancer care will be defined by innovations in care technology, compassionate care delivery, and ensuring that care services are available and accessible. Huntsman Cancer Institute is uniquely positioned to lead in several areas:
Cancer genetics. More inherited cancer-causing genes have been discovered here than at any other university. That achievement rests on the Utah Population Database, which connects genealogy, health records, and cancer registries. For decades, it has helped us understand why certain families face higher risks of cancer.
The next frontier is finding genes that protect against disease. With new tools in genomics and artificial intelligence, we can uncover the biological resilience in our DNA. Imagine being able to amplify our natural defenses and extend that protection to more people.
Personalized medicine. No two patients or cancers are the same. That is why our scientists are creating tumor "avatars" in the lab. These avatars act as living models of each patient's cancer to test treatments before giving them to the patient. Pairing this approach with artificial intelligence means we'll be able to predict the therapies most likely to succeed, often before the disease progresses.
The long-term goal is to create digital twins of tumors, so that instead of months of trial and error, patients can receive the right treatment the first time. Huntsman Cancer Institute is already a leader in this work and aims to set the national standard for personalized oncology.
Reducing disparities. Cancer doesn't discriminate by geography, but access to care often does. Patients in rural areas across the Mountain West face higher risks and poorer outcomes due to distance from a major cancer center. Our responsibility is to close that gap.
We are expanding telehealth services, deploying mobile screening and treatment units, and working with community partners so patients in remote towns receive the same level of care as those in urban areas. We are also exploring how wearable devices and AI can help us monitor patients at home and intervene earlier.
With nearly one-third of our service region living in rural communities, this is a priority and part of our identity as the cancer center for Utah and our entire region.
These initiatives represent more than scientific progress. They are about:
Reshaping the patient experience to bring discoveries from the lab to the bedside faster.
Ensuring no community is left behind.
Improving survival and quality of life for everyone we serve.
Why I Wake Up Every Morning
Every day I remind myself of the privilege it is to work here. At Huntsman Cancer Institute, we save lives through world-class care, discover the cures of the future, and train the next generation of health professionals. This is work that honors the trust placed in us.
As I begin this new chapter, my commitment is clear: to honor the vision that created Huntsman Cancer Institute, to strengthen the culture that makes us unique, and to lead us into a future where we continue to make discoveries, deliver hope, and extend healing to all who need it.
Brad Cairns, PhD
Brad Cairns serves as CEO of Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah. Cairns is internationally recognized for his National Institutes of Health and Howard Hughes Medical Institute-funded research that helped shape the field of cancer epigenetics and precision oncology. Since joining the institute in 1999, he has served in numerous leadership roles, including chief academic officer, senior director of basic science, chair of the Department of Oncological Sciences, and director of graduate programs in molecular biology at the University of Utah. Cairns is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Royal Society, the world's oldest scientific academy. He received a PhD from Stanford University in cell biology in the lab of Nobel laureate Roger Kornberg, PhD, and later completed postdoctoral training in the lab of Fred Winston, PhD, in the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School.
