The passing of Amy Lin, MD, professor of medicine
Dear Colleagues:
We are saddened to announce the passing of Dr. Amy Lin, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology at UCSF Health, on December 5th, 2025. During her two decades of service, leadership, and patient care at UCSF, first as a Hematology/Oncology fellow and then as a faculty member, Dr. Lin made many indelible and lasting contributions to the Division of Hematology/Oncology, the Department of Medicine, and the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Amy received her undergraduate degree from Harvard and her MD from the University of Chicago, followed by an Internal Medicine residency at Cornell. After fellowship training at UCSF, she joined our Genitourinary Oncology program as a faculty member in 2005, providing meticulous and compassionate care to patients at both UCSF Health and the SF VA Medical Center.
In 2018, Amy shifted her clinical focus to help build and oversee our inpatient Hospital-Based Oncology program, an innovative program that ensures the best possible care for our hospitalized cancer patients. With her myriad talents and interests, she also turned her attention to healthcare technology and informatics, taking on the role of Medical Director of Clinical Informatics and Data Analytics for Adult Cancer Services at UCSF. In this role, she tirelessly sought ways to improve data collection, access, display, and integration across our institution. She retired in 2023 to focus on her health after being diagnosed with cancer.
All who had the opportunity to work with Dr. Lin recognized her as an exceptional individual in many ways, both personally and professionally. She was smart, practical, kind, and dedicated, blending great intelligence with equanimity and a wry sense of humor. She was deeply adored by her patients and colleagues, and she leaves behind a rich and lasting legacy at UCSF.
Dr. Lin is survived by her longtime partner, Dr. Eric Small (UCSF Professor of Medicine and Urology, Deputy Director of the Cancer Center, and former Chief of the Division Hematology/Oncology at UCSF Health), her sister Francie Lin, her beloved niece and nephew Lucy and Eliot Platt, and her father. In lieu of flowers, gifts in Dr. Lin’s name can be made to one of her favorite charities, Muttville, a senior dog rescue organization in San Francisco.
Krishna Komanduri, MD
Professor and Chief, UCSF Health Division of Hematology/Oncology
Physician-in-Chief, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
Bob Wachter, MD
Professor and Chair, Department of Medicine