2005 RELL SUNN AWARDEE

Dr. David Tarin has devoted his life to the research and treatment of cancer.  From research to clinical programs, he has been involved in all aspects of the battle against the disease.

Dr. Tarin is the immediate past Director of the Rebecca and John Moores UCSD Cancer Center.  During his tenure, the Center was designated as a "Comprehensive Cancer Center" by the National Cancer Institute (NCI).  This is the highest federal designation bestowed upon cancer centers, and of the nearly 2,500 centers providing cancer care in the U.S., there are only 41 that hold this distinction.  As Director, Dr. Tarin provided leadership to nearly 250 specialists who are affiliated with the Cancer Center and are working to conquer the disease.  He was instrumental in the approval, planning, and groundbreaking for the new Cancer Center building, which brings together scientists, clinical care specialists, and educators to provide a comprehensive center for research into, treatment of, and education about cancer in all its forms.

In 2004, Dr. Tarin returned full-time to his laboratory where his research focuses on two primary topics: early detection of cancer, and the methods by which cancer spreads in the body to establish seedling tumors in other organs.  The capability to spread and establish satellite colonies is the major clinical problem in the treatment of patients with cancer.  Dr. Tarin's lab is attempting to find a marker, or pattern of markers, that constitutes a "signature" of the presence of cancer cells.  He and his researchers are also attempting to identify the internal programs that are activated to make a tumor spread to establish secondary tumors in distant organs.  Success in unraveling this process could lead to clinical tests that would reveal whether a tumor was going to spread.  Such information would enable clinicians to tailor therapy to the expected behavior of the tumor in each patient.

Dr. Tarin earned his medical degree from Oxford in 1963, after which he specialized in the microscopic diagnosis of cancer in biopsy specimens.  He founded and served as chairman and coordinator of the Oxford Breast Diseases Group for 15 years before coming to UCSD.  He established a similar group at UCSD that brings together a caring, coordinated, and multidisciplinary team on a weekly basis to decide upon the best and most appropriate treatment for each patient seen by the group.   Among his many honors, in 1996 the NCI appointed Dr. Tarin as a Master Agreement Holder in the early cancer detection category.  At the time of this award, there were only four Master Agreement Holders in this category in the world.

David has also been an ardent supporter of the UCSD Cancer Center Luau & Longboard Invitational.  He has attended and spoken at the event on numerous occasions, and while he doesn't surf, his aloha spirit is undeniably evident in his support of the event and its contestants and, most importantly, in his dedication to the treatment and eradication of cancer.

The Board of Authority of the 2005 Luau & Longboard Invitational and the Moores UCSD Cancer Center are pleased to recognize the life, work, and aloha spirit of Dr. David Tarin by awarding him the 2005 Rell Sunn "Queen of Makaha" Award.

Thank you to our 2008 or 2009 Luau & Longboard Invitational’s title sponsor, Pfizer La Jolla.