University of Hawai‘i Cancer Center launches historic Ho‘ōla Early Phase Clinical Research Center

State’s first dedicated early-phase cancer clinical research center brings groundbreaking clinical trials close to home for Hawai‘i patients

July 6, 2026

A historic new chapter in Hawai‘i cancer care began today, July 6, 2026, as the University of Hawai‘i Cancer Center officially opened the Ho‘ōla Early Phase Clinical Research Center, the first dedicated center in the islands designed to conduct early-phase clinical trials for cancer.

A private grand opening ceremony was attended by more than 200 people: federal, state and university leaders; physicians, researchers, health care partners; donors and community supporters; and faculty, staff and students of the UH Cancer Center and its Ho‘ōla EPCRC — all celebrating years of collaboration to bring the project to fruition. Hula by a hālau of cancer survivors, speeches by dignitaries, a maile-lei untying, and a clinic tour for invited guests were featured at the launch of the center-within-a-center at the UH Cancer Center in Kaka‘ako.

Naoto T. Ueno, Director, UH Cancer Center

Nā Wāhine Hula ʻĀkala

“The Ho‘ōla Early Phase Clinical Research Center will be a new source of hope for cancer patients in Hawai‘i and the Pacific.”
— Naoto T. Ueno

“The opening of the Ho‘ōla Early Phase Clinical Research Center marks a major milestone for cancer care in Hawai'i,” said UH Cancer Center Director Dr. Naoto T. Ueno, who is a researcher and clinical trialist — and a two-time cancer survivor himself. “For the first time in state history, qualifying cancer patients will have the opportunity to access promising investigational therapies here in Hawai‘i, without traveling thousands of miles to medical centers on the U.S. mainland. Patients treated through Ho‘ōla EPCRC will be able to remain close to home and ‘ohana, which is crucial to their healing journey.​

“These patients also will be making invaluable contributions to medical science, as early-phase clinical trials like these are how tomorrow’s standard cancer treatments are developed,” continued Ueno, who is also Medical Director for Ho‘ola EPCRC. “The Ho‘ōla Early Phase Clinical Research Center will be a new source of hope for cancer patients in Hawai‘i and the Pacific.”

Cancer is the second leading cause of death (after cardiovascular disease) in Hawai‘i. Nearly 76,000 people in Hawai‘i are living with cancer, and each year an average of 2,519 Hawai‘i residents die of cancer, says the center’s “Hawai‘i Cancer at a Glance” report. Hawai‘i residents spent at least $230 million on out-of-state care for cancer in 2021 through 2023, a new UH Cancer Center study has found, underscoring the need for enhanced cancer care in the islands.

Early-phase clinical trials — also called Phase 1 and 2 trials — evaluate promising new cancer therapies to determine their safety, appropriate dosing and potential effectiveness. Such clinical trials are conducted under stringent safety protocols. Patients undergoing Phase 1 and 2 clinical trial treatment through Ho‘ola EPCRC will be treated with utmost care, safety and compassion, Ueno said.

Grand opening highlights collaboration, patient needs

The event to launch the Ho‘ōla EPCRC included a hula performance by the center’s hālau of cancer survivors, Nā Wāhine Hula ‘Ākala, followed by blessing by Kahu Kordell Kekoa, and speeches by community leaders. A ceremony to untie a maile lei — the Hawai‘i version of a ribbon cutting — took place in front of the clinic doors, and participants put rainwater handprints on the building to symbolize their support. The Hawaiian word “Ho‘ōla” means “to give life,” or “to heal.”

“These early-phase clinical trials through the Ho‘ōla Early Phase Clinical Research Center are critical, because this is one of the ways that we develop new protocols and new treatments for cancer,” U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono, said in her speech at the event. “If it were not for this kind of research that we support and the kind of clinics that we are opening, then a number of us wouldn’t be here right now. So I'm glad to have been a part of the creation of this center and to be a partner at the federal level.”

“This is what the university does: We bring hope, we find innovative solutions, we drive outcomes, we help people, and we partner in every sector with every person willing to partner with us to find a better future for the people who live here,” UH President Wendy Hensel said in her address. “As we open this tremendous facility today, this truly is a powerful reminder of what can happen when government and health care and industry and the university all work together to put our thoughts, our energy, our funding to really make a difference and make an impact for the people.”

Senator Mazie Hirono

UH President Wendy Hensel

Center supporter Peter Hirano in his speech told the story of his wife, Susan Hirano, a metastatic breast cancer patient who was offered the opportunity to participate in a clinical trial on the U.S. mainland. Despite her hope that a clinical trial would extend her life and allow her to see her son graduate from high school, she declined the trial so she could stay home in Honolulu surrounded by her ʻohana. Susan Hirano, a Hope Ambassador for the UH Cancer Center and the founder of the Susan C. Hirano Cancer CARE Community, passed away in April 2025. “Sue was always a big advocate for the UH Cancer Center and all that it can do,” Peter Hirano said. “She was convinced that the opening of Ho‘ōla would give cancer patients hope. It would allow them to do what she couldn’t: participate in a clinical trial while staying home with ‘ohana. I know she'd be smiling ear to ear if she were here today, full of hope — if not for herself, then for others who will benefit from this amazing resource.”

Other featured speakers also voicing insights on and support for the Ho‘ōla EPCRC included Dr. Jack Lewin, Administrator, State Health Planning and Development Agency (SHPDA), and Senior Advisor to Gov. Josh Green on Healthcare Innovation; Jason Chang, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Queen’s Health Systems; Dr. Leslie Chun, Chief Executive Officer, Hawai‘i Pacific Health Medical Group.

The lei untying ceremony, led by Kahu Kordell Kekoa, included all seven speakers, plus: state Sen. Sharon Moriwaki; UH Board of Regents 1st Vice Chair Gabriel Lee; Tim Dolan, Vice President of Advancement for the UH System, and CEO of UH Foundation; Vassilis Syrmos, UH Mānoa Chancellor; David Lassner, UH President Emeritus; Dr. Thomas Shomaker, Dean, UH John A. Burns School of Medicine; Derek Wong, Chief Executive Officer, University Health Partners of Hawaii; and Francis Blanco, UH Cancer Center Director of Facilities Management.

Vision for rising impact over time

The Ho‘ōla EPCRC includes dedicated patient treatment areas, specialized clinical research space, a certified pharmacy, and highly trained staff who will work closely with investigators, referring physicians, and research sponsors to safely conduct complex early-phase studies. A pilot Phase I clinical trial, with one patient already enrolled, is underway to confirm that the center can safely deliver treatment and conduct the required clinical research operations. To date, the pilot study, launched in 2025, has successfully demonstrated the clinic’s readiness to receive a growing portfolio of studies and patients. The goal is to have 30 active early-phase clinical trials at Ho‘ōla EPCRC by 2031, Ueno said. Each Phase I or II study will typically enroll no more than three participants from Hawai‘i, ensuring that the safety of investigational therapies is closely monitored.

Audience receiving Kahu Kordell's blessing

Untying the lei

For the 7,500-square-foot Ho‘ōla EPCRC, located in the ‘ewa-makai (west-ocean) side of the UH Cancer Center (details about the facility in “At a glance” box below), University Health Partners (UHP) will handle staffing and operations. UHP is the faculty practice of University of Hawai‘i Health Sciences, including the UH Cancer Center. The UH Cancer Center collaborates on clinical trial operations with member organizations of the Hawai‘i Cancer Consortium. The consortium includes The Queen’s Health Systems, Hawai‘i Pacific Health, Kuakini Medical Center, Adventist Health Castle, Hilo Benioff Medical Center, Hawai‘i Medical Service Association (HMSA), and the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM). Approximately $19.5 million in federal and state funding, plus support from donors and organizations, including more than $1 million from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, have contributed to the clinic’s construction and launch. In addition, numerous community donors have contributed over many years to the UH Cancer Center’s success.

“By establishing the specialized clinical research infrastructure needed to conduct early-phase studies in Hawai‘i, the University of Hawai‘i Cancer Center will provide opportunities for patients to participate in innovative Phase I and II clinical trials, while strengthening the state’s role in developing tomorrow’s cancer therapies,” Ueno said. “Ho‘ōla EPCRC is expected to attract additional clinical trials to Hawai‘i, strengthen collaboration with pharmaceutical companies and research and academic partners, and expand opportunities for physicians and scientists to bring innovative research to our islands.

“Our goal is not only to provide access to promising therapies to patients, but to ensure that discoveries and treatments are informed by the rich variety of Hawai‘i’s unique people, so that future cancer treatments work better for everyone in Hawai‘i, the Pacific and worldwide,” Ueno said.