Nancy Ascher Receives Chancellor Diversity Award for the Advancement of Women

UCSF News reports on the celebration of Diversity Month 2015 at UCSF and the award of the Chancellor Diversity Award for the Advancement of Women to Nancy L. Ascher, M.D., Ph.D.:

Nancy Ascher, MD, has been chair of the UCSF Department of Surgery for the past 16 years. Ascher completed her undergraduate and medical education at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She completed a general surgery residency and clinical transplantation fellowship at the University of Minnesota after which she joined the faculty.
She was recruited in 1988 by the UCSF Department of Surgery to build a liver transplantation program. In 1991, she was appointed chief of Transplantation, an expanded role that included liver, kidney and pancreas transplants. In 1993, she was appointed vice chair of the UCSF Department of Surgery, and in 1999, was appointed department chair.

Under her leadership, NIH funding has flourished the department is made up of 35 percent women and one-half the residents are women.

“Winning this award is the thrill of a lifetime,” Ascher said.