Dear Members of the UCSF Community:

I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of Mayor Ed Lee. He was an extraordinarily decent, upbeat, and dedicated leader of San Francisco, and a staunch ally of UCSF in our mission to provide high-quality health care for all, teach the next generation of innovators and caregivers in the health sciences, and drive breakthroughs in research. I had the pleasure and honor of working closely with Mayor Lee over the past several years on a variety of UCSF-City partnerships.

Among his many contributions, the Mayor played an integral role in working with UCSF to enable us to construct the new UCSF Research and Academic Building at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center and to purchase property at Mission Bay that will serve as the future home of the UCSF Center for Vision Neuroscience.

On behalf of UCSF, I will be sending heartfelt condolences to his family. Indeed, San Francisco has lost a very special person and one of its great champions.

Sincerely,

Sam Hawgood, MBBS
Chancellor
Arthur and Toni Rembe Rock Distinguished Professor