Dr. Rachna Shroff, associate director of clinical research, was chosen as the first to hold the new John F. and Valli S. Duval Endowed Professorship for Gastrointestinal Oncology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine–Tucson’s Comprehensive Cancer Center. The Professorship was announced March 18, 2026, established through a $1 million gift from John and Valli Duval to support cancer research and clinical innovation at the University of Arizona Comprehensive Cancer Center. A ceremony on March 12 recognized Shroff and her new professorship.
The endowed professorship honors Dr. Shroff’s career as a “prolific physician-scientist, mentor and national leader in oncology,” the University said.
The gift also aims to support sustained investment in clinical trials and compassionate patient care at the Cancer Center, the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center headquartered in Arizona.
“I’m honored to have been chosen for this inaugural endowed professorship and extremely grateful to the Duvals for their generosity,” Shroff is quoted saying in the press release. “This gift will allow the Cancer Center to continue to invest in clinical trials, which are the only way to move the needle forward in cancer care. Every single cure that we now have for cancer started with a clinical trial.”
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The Duvals’ gift is expected to help accelerate clinical research and expand access to innovative treatments for patients.
“The Duvals have spent a lifetime supporting academic medicine, and I thank them for this gift that will allow the Cancer Center and Dr. Shroff to continue to search for treatments and therapies that will benefit patients,” said Dr. Dan Theodorescu, director of the Cancer Center and the Nancy C. and Craig M. Berge Endowed Chair. “Dr. Shroff’s impact is evident not only in the scientific discoveries she has contributed to the field, but also in her leadership and steadfast determination to advance clinical trials that can lead to better outcomes for Arizonans.”
Shroff, who is also chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the College of Medicine – Tucson and medical director of the oncology service line at Banner – University Medical Center Tucson, “has dedicated her career to advancing immunological therapies and novel drug treatments while never losing sight of the human side of medicine,” the University said. At the U of A, she has built a high-performing gastrointestinal oncology program and works to ensure patients have access to the latest scientific advances, it added.
“Dr. Shroff’s research has helped usher in an era of personalized medicine, where doctors can target cancers based on each patient’s unique biology,” said Tomás Díaz de la Rubia, senior vice president for research and partnerships.
Dr. Shroff is internationally recognized for her work in bile duct cancer, or cholangiocarcinoma. She started focusing on the rare and historically difficult-to-treat disease when few treatment options existed and no Food and Drug Administration-approved therapies were available. “Today, the field has changed dramatically, due in part to the landmark clinical trials Shroff has led as a principal investigator,” the University said.
“Philanthropy plays a critical role in attracting and retaining physician-scientists like Dr. Shroff, whose work touches the lives of patients and their families every day,” said John-Paul Roczniak, president and CEO of the University of Arizona Foundation.