Dr. Rachna Shroff, an internationally recognized cancer researcher and associate dean at the University of Arizona, died Sunday following a diagnosis of terminal adenocarcinoma, according to reporting by Tucson.com. She was 47.
Shroff spent her professional career studying gastrointestinal, pancreatic, and bile duct cancers, serving as associate director of clinical investigations and co-leader of the Gastrointestinal Clinical Research Team at the UA Comprehensive Cancer Center. Her death comes months after she discovered a swollen lymph node in May that doctors initially suspected to be lymphoma before confirming it as terminal adenocarcinoma.
Career and Academic Contributions
Born in Tucson and educated at Brown University and Thomas Jefferson University, Shroff completed her fellowship at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. She worked as an associate professor there until 2018, when she returned to her hometown to join the University of Arizona. Her academic journey began early; she won the 1993 Osler Fellowship in high school and worked in a UA Cancer Center laboratory before pursuing higher education.
During her tenure at UA, Shroff authored more than 80 publications, spoke at over 130 professional engagements, and chaired major sessions for the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Colleagues noted her instrumental role in expanding clinical trials across Southern Arizona to give patients access to advanced scientific therapies. Dan Theodorescu, director of the cancer center, praised her work in advancing clinical trials and recruiting bright young medical professionals to the institution.
Final Wishes and Legacy
In her final weeks, Shroff established the Conquer Cancer — Rachna Shroff, MD, MS, FASCO Endowed Young Investigator Award in Biliary Cancers. The initiative quickly raised more than $1.35 million to support future cancer innovation and ensure ongoing support for early-career investigators.
She is survived by her husband, Dr. Puneet Shroff, her children Simran and Sachin, her parents, Devendar Trivedi and Dr. Amita Trivedi, and her sister, Neema Sahni. Tributes from academic institutions, medical foundations, and colleagues highlighted both her rigorous scientific contributions and her compassionate approach to patient care, noting her unique ability to bring joy and positivity even through difficult circumstances.