UCSF Radiology Honors the Career of Enrique Menendez, MD
Enrique Menendez, MD, director of research administration at the UC San Francisco Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging will retire on September 2, 2020. The entire department recognizes Dr. Menendez for his unconditional dedication, compassion and congeniality. He will be deeply missed while we can only feel happy for him after his many years of service. It is difficult, if not impossible, to sum up his achievements over 27 years of dedicated service to the UC community.
Dr. Menendez’s career at UCSF began at the Mount Zion campus as a clinical assistant. Then in 2008, we were fortunate that his path to the department led him to SFVAMC, where he worked with Michael Weiner, MD, professor and senior investigator with a very large research portfolio and an extensive lab.
“Enrique never said no to a request or an idea. He just said, 'I'll do it.' If something needed to be done by a certain date, I could always count on Enrique to get it done. There was nothing too large or small that he wouldn't do. He doesn't shy away from challenges, and he is absolutely thorough, timely, and enthusiastic," says Dr. Weiner.
It was from his SFVAMC experience that in 2013, Dr. Menendez assumed his current position as the director of research for UCSF Radiology. “As a trained physician, Enrique has always understood the science of our research and clinical programs. As a financial and research director, his expertise in program requirements and business principles combined with his medical training has made him a consummate collaborator,” says Sharmila Majumdar, PhD, vice chair for research and Margaret Hart Surbeck Distinguished Professor in Advanced Imaging.
Throughout his career, Dr. Menendez has built highly effective interdisciplinary teams of finance, IT, administrative, and research coordination staff to support the needs of multimillion-dollar, multisite projects for our radiology research programs. One of Dr. Menendez’s colleagues, Lorel Hiramoto, site director for Radiology and OHNS at ZSFG, says "Enrique's outgoing nature serves as a natural foundation for collaboration. Collaboration occurs at many different levels, and Enrique is adept at all of them. When he identifies an issue, he will fill the gap, solve the problem or create a plan. He shares his knowledge and experience whether he's working in a group of two or twenty. Although others recognize him as the leader and he is comfortable with that role, he possesses much humility and has exceptional listening skills."
In addition to his professional accomplishments, Dr. Menendez leads his teams in fun and creative team-building activities: they volunteer with non-profits as a group, they have regular staff picnics (pre-COVID), and they almost always win the China Basin Halloween costume contest with a clever and funny team theme.
“Enrique is innovative and will always be our go-to ‘gadget guy.’ Enrique will be remembered as a hardworking, committed, and compassionate person. He is a true example to look for and follow,” says Dr. Majumdar.
Please join UCSF Radiology in extending our gratitude and warm wishes for the future to Dr. Menendez. The department cannot thank him enough and will most certainly miss his congeniality, friendship and support of research.