The IASLC–Lancet Commission on Lung Cancer brings together leading clinicians, researchers, policymakers, and patient advocates with diverse expertise and perspectives from across the globe to address one of the world’s most pressing health challenges.
PhD
Dr. David A. Jaffray is a senior vice president and chief technology and digital officer (CTDO) and a Full Professor in Radiation Physics and Imaging Physics at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Before joining MD Anderson, Dr. Jaffray served as executive vice president for Technology and Innovation at the University Health Network (UHN) in Toronto. He designed and led UHN’s digital transformation. In the 17 years there, he also served as Head of Medical Physics, vice chair of Research for the University of Toronto's Department of Radiation Oncology, founding director of the STTARR Innovation Centre, and founding director of the Techna Institute. He was a Full Professor in the Departments of Radiation Oncology, Medical Biophysics, and IBBME at the University of Toronto and was active in strategic planning, teaching, and graduate student supervision.
Dr. Jaffray holds 28 patents and has authored >300 peer-reviewed publications in topics related to cancer, including, the development of new radiation treatment machines, exploring the fundamental limits of imaging system performance, the development of novel nanoparticle formulations for improved detection of cancer, and challenges in global health.
He has received many honors, including the Sylvia Sorkin-Greenfield Award, the Farrington Daniels Award and the Sylvia Fedoruk Award. In 2018, he received the Gold Medal from the American Society for Radiation Oncology and is now a fellow of the American Association of Medical Physicists (FAAPM), the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (FAIMBE), the Canadian Organization of Medical Physics (COMP), and the US National Academy of Inventors (FNAI). Dr. Jaffray has led the development of a variety of commercial products, including software and hardware for safe, high-quality cancer care and including the development of cone-beam CT guided radiation therapy.
Dr. Jaffray earned his B.Sc. in physics from the University of Alberta, and his Ph.D. in medical biophysics from the University of Western Ontario. He is also Board Certified in the discipline of Medical Physics by the American Board of Medical Physics.
MBBS, MD, FRANZCR
Prof Shalini Vinod (MBBS, MD, FRANZCR) is a senior academic radiation oncologist who specialises in the treatment of patients with lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies. She is employed at the Cancer Therapy Centre, Liverpool Hospital, NSW, Australia and is a Conjoint Professor at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Adjunct Professor at University of Sydney and Honorary Professor at University of Wollongong.
She is a board member of Thoracic Oncology Group of Australasia (TOGA), the leading thoracic trials group in Australasia and a member of the Thoracic Oncology Group of the Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group (TROG) devoted to lung cancer trials involving radiotherapy. She is a committee member of IASLC Global Multidisciplinary Practice Standards Committee and an appointed member of the expert advisory group for the National Lung Cancer Screening Program in Australia.
Prof Vinod is the Lead Clinician for the Liverpool & Macarthur Lung Cancer Multidisciplinary Team (MDT). She has particular expertise in health services research including patterns of care studies, radiotherapy utilisation, impact of multidisciplinary care and measurement of quality indicators. She also has a special interest in geriatric oncology.
MD, PhD, EBCR
Rozemarijn Vliegenthart (MD, PhD, EBCR) is a Radiologist and Professor of Cardiothoracic Imaging at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), the Netherlands. Her clinical and research expertise centers on the early detection of cardiothoracic diseases, with a particular focus on imaging of lung cancer, COPD, and cardiovascular disease—the so-called “Big Three.”
She has a strong interest in the application of artificial intelligence to radiological imaging and contributes as an expert in cohort data to the UMCG Data Science Center in Health (DASH). Vliegenthart serves as principal investigator on several major grants in cardiothoracic imaging, including ImaLife, CONCRETE, and B3Care. Since its start, she has been involved in the NELSON lung cancer screening trial, and now leads the NELSON-POP extension project, which integrates genetic data, air quality data, and CT biomarkers to refine participant selection and optimize pulmonary nodule management.
Vliegenthart is the (co-)author of 368 peer-reviewed publications (H-index 58) and currently serves as Deputy Editor of Radiology. She is the immediate past President of the European Society of Cardiovascular Radiology and recently joined the IASLC Early Detection & Screening Committee. She has held invited lectures at numerous international conferences including WCLC, RSNA, ERS and ECR.
PhD, MS
Dr. Joseph Unger is a Professor at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and a Senior Health Services Researcher and Biostatistician with the SWOG Cancer Research Group. He has extensive expertise in clinical trial design, health outcomes, quality of life, and patient-reported outcomes. He has served as lead statistician on numerous high-profile randomized trials evaluating interventions to reduce symptoms and improve patient well-being. Dr. Unger is a recognized leader in research on barriers and disparities in clinical trial access, with a focus on demographic, socioeconomic, and geographic factors that influence participation and outcomes. His work has also defined the broader clinical, scientific, and population-level impacts of the clinical trials enterprise, providing vital evidence that has influenced clinical guidelines, health equity initiatives, and national research priorities.
PhD
Joanna Cohen, PhD, is the Bloomberg Professor of Disease Prevention, Director of the Institute for Global Tobacco Control and Chair of the Department of Health, Behavior and Society at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, USA. She has been involved in tobacco policy research for 30 years. Trained in epidemiology and health policy, her research focuses on factors that affect the adoption and implementation of public health policies and on evaluating their beneficial effects and unintended consequences.
MD, PhD, MBA is an Associate Professor and Radiation Oncologist in the Department of Oncology (Division of Radiation Oncology) at Queen’s University and Kingston Health Sciences Centre in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Fabio Ynoe de Moraes, MD, PhD, MBA is an Associate Professor and Radiation Oncologist in the Department of Oncology (Division of Radiation Oncology) at Queen’s University and Kingston Health Sciences Centre in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. He is also a principal investigator at the Queen’s Cancer Research Institute and Visiting Professor at the University of São Paulo.
Since joining Queen’s in 2019, Dr. Moraes has earned a PhD in Health Sciences, an advanced certificate in Artificial Intelligence, and an MBA. He has published more than 180 peer-reviewed articles in leading journals-including The New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet Oncology, JAMA Oncology, and Nature Medicine -and holds leadership roles in innovation and global oncology.
His research program lies at the intersection of global oncology, health policy, and technological innovation, with a focus on advancing equitable access to cancer care worldwide. Clinically, he specializes in CNS and spine tumors, with expertise in stereotactic body radiotherapy and artificial intelligence applications in radiation oncology.
MD, PhD, FRCP (UK)
Dr Lam is a respiratory physician with research focus on translation research in lung cancer and in respiratory diseases. He is on the International Lung Screening Trial Consortium, steering international multi-center lung screening research. He conducts lung screening studies and lung nodule study for early detection of lung cancer in Hong Kong. In his research laboratory, new lung cancer cell lines and organoids are established and they serve as models for biomarker research.
He belongs to the IASLC Early detection and Screening Committee.
He is Past President of the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology (APSR)(2021-2023) and Past President of the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS)(2023).
He is Deputy Editor of Respirology and Associate Editor of Respirology Case Report.
He was awarded multiple international and local research awards including the Tohoku Medical Society Medal (2019), APSR Woolcock Research Award (2021) and the APSR Medal (2024).
Patient Advocate
Caleb Egwuenu is a passionate advocate for cancer research with more than 17 years of experience in advancing patient-centered initiatives. He serves as a board member of the International Kidney Cancer Coalition (IKCC) and as the deputy chair of the Patient Advocacy Committee at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC).
Caleb has completed the Duke University Accelerating Anticancer Agent Development and Validation Workshop, a program in collaboration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration designed to equip participants with in-depth knowledge of the drug development and approval process to accelerate access to effective cancer treatments.
His commitment to patient advocacy is further demonstrated by his participation in the AACR Scientist–Survivor Program and comprehensive training at Dr. Harold P. Freeman’s Patient Navigation Institute, where he gained expertise in outreach, diagnostic, treatment, and financial navigation.
Caleb is also an alumnus of the IASLC STARS and STARS Scholar programs, initiatives that amplify the voices of patient advocates worldwide. Deeply committed to advancing cancer advocacy and research across Africa, Caleb is a featured panelist this year at the launch of the IASLC–Lancet Lung Cancer Commission during the World Conference on Lung Cancer in Barcelona, Spain.
President and CEO of LUNGevity Foundation
Andrea is President and CEO of LUNGevity Foundation. She became involved with lung cancer advocacy following her mother’s death from the disease in 2008. After receiving a diagnosis of stage IV lung cancer in 2006, Andrea’s mother underwent numerous treatments and clinical trials at several major academic institutions to no avail. Together with her father, Andrea was her mother’s primary caregiver during this time. Determined to drive more money into lung cancer research, Andrea left the successful software company that she helped launch, to found Protect Your Lungs, an organization focused 100% on funding early detection research. In 2010, Andrea merged Protect Your Lungs with LUNGevity, a Chicago based organization, to form the nation’s leading lung cancer focused non-profit.
Andrea’s strong business background combined with her connections to the worlds of research and advocacy have enabled her to build one of the preeminent patient advocacy organization in the lung cancer space. LUNGevity funds translational research into both early detection and more effective treatments of lung cancer as well as a highly coveted Career Development Awards program. LUNGevity also fills unmet needs for people diagnosed with lung cancer by providing education, support and survivorship programs. Recognizing the need to build awareness and understanding about lung cancer, LUNGevity has built the largest grassroots network of events and advocates across the country.
PhD
Andreas Charalambous, BSc, MSc, PGCert (Research), PhD (Oncology Nursing) is the Chair of the Department of Nursing Science at the Cyprus University of Technology and Director of the Research Center for Oncology and Palliative Care, eOncoRise (e-oncorise.eu).
He earned his BSc in Nursing Science from Northumbria University (UK) in 1999, followed by an MSc in Nursing Science in 2002 and a PhD in Oncology Nursing in 2008 from Middlesex University (UK). He also holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Research.
Prof. Charalambous has a longstanding academic track record, active in the field since 2004. He serves as a Board Member of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) and Chair of the Global Policy Committee of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC).
He is the founder and Past-President of the Cyprus Oncology Nursing Society, a Former President of the European Oncology Nursing Society (EONS), and Immediate Past President of the European Cancer Organisation (ECO). Additionally, he is the founder of the Cancer Nursing Fund (cancernurse.eu) and the European Cancer Communities Foundation (europeancancerfoundation.org).
Prof. Charalambous is actively involved in numerous national and international research programs, including HORIZON 2020, ERASMUS+, COST, and EU4HEALTH, with a focus on various aspects of cancer care. Selected externally funded projects include:
He has authored over 200 national and international publications in esteemed journals, including The Lancet Oncology, and has been listed in the Stanford Top 2% of Scientists since 2022. His current H-index is 45, and i10-index is 122.
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=P13f8NsAAAAJ
Senior Knowledge & Advocacy Manager
Yannick is Senior Knowledge & Advocacy Manager within the Knowledge, Advocacy and Policy team at UICC. He dedicates his time to national cancer control planning, which consists of the analysis and evaluation of country cancer plans in the frame of the International Cancer Control Partnership. He is also leading the Lung Cancer Collaboration within UICC, partnering with key stakeholders to increase awareness on the lung cancer care pathway and working toward policy change at the global level. In addition, his work focuses on tobacco control globally, developing and gathering evidence-based information. In the past decade, he has worked in the area of cancer, communicable diseases & genetics with diverse stakeholders. Yannick holds a PhD in Molecular & Cellular Biology from the University of Geneva Medical School.
MD
William N. William Jr., MD is a medical oncologist with a specialization in thoracic and head and neck cancers. He earned his medical degree from the University of São Paulo, Brazil, where he also completed his residency in internal medicine. He pursued a fellowship in medical oncology at Hospital Sírio-Libanês in São Paulo, followed by advanced training at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where he completed both a research fellowship and a clinical fellowship focused on thoracic and head and neck malignancies. Dr. William joined the faculty at MD Anderson, where he served for nearly 12 years in the Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology. His roles included Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Co-Chief of the Head and Neck Medical Oncology Section. During his tenure, he led numerous clinical and translational research initiatives in the prevention and treatment of lung and head and neck cancers. His achievements include conducting the first molecularly-guided oral cancer prevention study, leading multiple targeted therapy trials for head and neck cancers, and developing novel targeted and immunotherapy-based strategies for neoadjuvant treatment in these disease areas.
In 2017, Dr. William returned to Brazil, where he was appointed Director of Medical Oncology and Hematology at Hospital BP in São Paulo. He currently serves as the National Leader for Thoracic Oncology and National Co-Leader for Head and Neck Oncology at Oncoclínicas, the largest oncology care network in South America. Recognized as one of Latin America’s foremost medical oncologists, Dr. William continues his research efforts through the Latin American Cooperative Oncology Group and international collaborations, with a mission to reduce the cancer burden in Brazil, Latin America, and beyond.
Conjoint Associate Professor Mei Ling Yap, Head of the Cancer Program at The George Institute for Global Health and UNSW Sydney
Associate Professor Mei Ling Yap MBBS BSc FRANZCR PhD is a radiation oncologist clinician researcher based in South-Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, Australia. She is Head of the Cancer Program at the George Institute for Global Health, UNSW and Lead of the Collaboration for Cancer Outcomes, Research and Evaluation (CCORE), the Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research. Her research focuses on advancing equity in cancer control, both within Australia and globally.
A/Prof Yap underwent a fellowship at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto (2011-2013), where she developed specialty interest in lung cancer. She currently holds a National Health and Medical Research Council Emerging Leader Fellowship, investigating cancer control in migrant and refugee populations in Australia.
A/Prof Yap co-chairs the Asia-Pacific Special Interest Group of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (APROSIG), which supports the capacity building of radiation oncology workforce in the region. She is currently leading an International Atomic Energy Agency Regional Cooperation Agreement project to strengthen oncology data collection in the Asia-Pacific region.
MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine National Taiwan University
Dr. Yang is Chair Professor of National Taiwan University. He is member of Academia Sinica, World Academic of Science and the National Academy of Inventors of USA. His research interests are lung cancer genomics and precision cancer therapy. He received the 2020 IASLC Joseph W. Cullen Distinguished Award because of his contributions in leading the TALENT study for lung cancer screening in non-smokers and implementation of national lung cancer screening in Taiwan, which may improve the survival of lung cancer patients. Their recent works of proteogenomics have revealed distinct pathogenic mechanisms of non-smoking lung cancer and pathways involved in early lung cancer progression. Dr. Yang is actively involved in developing novel strategies to improve diagnosis and therapy for lung cancer patients.
President of Izumi City General Hospital
Since April 2024, Dr. Mitsudomi has served as President of Izumi City General Hospital and Specially Invited Research Professor at the Kindai University Faculty of Medicine. Until 2022, he was a Professor in the Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, at the Kindai University Faculty of Medicine in Osaka, Japan, where he held the position for 10 years.
His research focuses on the surgical treatment and perioperative management of lung cancer, as well as individualized targeted drug therapies based on cancer genotypes, such as EGFR mutations and ALK translocations. He has published more than 400 articles, including in international peer-reviewed journals. His notable contributions include studies on KRAS and TP53 molecular correlative studies, the characterization of EGFR-mutated tumors and resistance mechanisms to EGFR-TKIs, the first clinical trial of gefitinib with patient selection based on EGFR mutations, and investigations into resistance mechanisms in lung cancer with KRAS G12C mutations and MET exon 14 skipping. He has also co-authored clinical trials, including CheckMate 816, AEGEAN, IMPACT, and others.
Dr. Mitsudomi served as President of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) from 2019 to 2021 and is an active member of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), and the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO). Additionally, he was President of the Japanese Lung Cancer Society from 2014 to 2018.
He has received numerous accolades, including the Shinoi-Kawai Award from the Japan Lung Cancer Society (2001), the JCA–Mauvernay Award from the Japanese Cancer Association (2005), the Mary Matthews Award from the IASLC (2013), and the Kiyoko and Paul Bourdarie-Goto Scientific Prize (2014).
Radiation Oncologist
Professor Suresh Senan is a radiation oncologist at the Amsterdam University Medical Centers in The Netherlands. His research has focused on trials of systemic agents and radiation for lung malignancies, new radiotherapy techniques and the study of treatment outcomes in populations. He is an active member of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, and also a faculty member for thoracic malignancies at the European Society of Medical Oncology.
MD, PhD
Deputy Head, Branch of Cancer Surveillance International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
Isabelle Soerjomataram is deputy head of the Cancer Surveillance Branch and a medical epidemiologist with a special interest in causes, and prevention of cancer. She took a position at IARC in 2011 where she is currently assessing international variation of the cancer burden and survival using mainly population-based datasets and how policy can mitigate the rising burden of cancer and rising gap of cancer burden between sub-populations. She leads national, regional, and global data collection and estimation of attributable fraction for cancers related various risk factors. Finally, she coordinates the IARC Initiative of Resilience in Cancer Control assessing the impact of crises on cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and outcome. Using cancer survival data, she leads global assessment of health system effectiveness She also co-chairs the Lancet Commission on Women and Cancer, and also leads working groups in the Lancet Oncology Commission for Cancers in the Common Wealth and Ovarian Cancers.
Thoracic Medical Oncologist, tenured professor of pulmonology and faculty-in-charge of the Lung Cancer Clinic at Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India.
Dr. Navneet Singh is a thoracic medical oncologist, tenured professor of pulmonology and faculty-in-charge of the Lung Cancer Clinic at Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India. His primary area of clinical expertise & research is thoracic oncology especially targeted therapies and immunotherapy for treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). He is the coordinator & convener for PGIMER's multidisciplinary thoracic oncology group that received the Lung Cancer Care Team Award (Overall Winner) of the International Association for Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) at its 2019 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) in Barcelona, Spain. He was recently conferred the IASLC Clifton Mountain Lectureship Award for staging at 2023 WCLC at Singapore.
Prof. Singh has 250+ publications in peer reviewed medical journals, authored several book chapters and was a nominated member of IASLC's Publications Committee for two successive terms. He is/has been member of IASLC's Staging & Prognostic Factors Committee, Education and Membership Committees as well as invited faculty & program committee member for its annual WCLC. Currently, he co-chairs the IASLC Partners for Thoracic Cancer Care initiative.
A past recipient of the International Development & Education Award (IDEA) of American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), Prof. Singh was Chair (2018-20) of the IDEA steering committee. He has been an invited member of ASCO's Thoracic Cancer Guideline Advisory Group and Special Awards Selection Committee. In 2023, he became one of the few select oncologists from the Asia-Pacific region to be conferred lifetime Fellow of ASCO (FASCO) distinction and is among the 1st two from this region to have received both the IDEA and FASCO.
Consultant Medical Oncologist
Dr Mary O’Brien is a Consultant Medical Oncologist at the Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK and former head of the Royal Marsden Lung Unit.
She received her medical degree from the Trinity College Dublin, Ireland and was a Professor in Thoracic Oncology at Imperial College London.
Her research interest focuses on treatment development through clinical trials for Lung Cancer particularly adjuvant immunotherapy, supportive treatment of cancer patients including acupuntcure and early diagnosis of all stages of cancer.
She is the past Chair in Lung Cancer Group of the EORTC and a member of the IASLC and a number of UK groups including a subchair of the NCRI lung study group.
She has published over 250 scientific papers and articles on lung neoplasms, Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma, antineoplastic agents, quinazolines, breast neoplasms, viscera, taxoids, carboplatin, etoposide, neoplasm staging, adenocarcinoma, antineoplastic agents and antineoplastic combined chemotherapy protocols.
She is a past Editor of the lung section of the European Journal of Cancer and reviewer for many journals.
MD, PhD, FETCS
Born in Barcelona, Spain. Graduated from Barcelona University Medical School. Specialty training in thoracic surgery at the Jimenez Diaz Foundation, Madrid, Spain. Board-certified in thoracic surgery in 1985. PhD degree in 1986 from the Autonomous University of Madrid. Attending thoracic surgeon at Mutua Terrassa University Hospital, in Spain, since 1989, and clinical chief since 2017. Chair of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer Staging and Prognostic Factors Committee from 2009 to 2016, Past-Chair of this Committee from 2017 to 2024, and present Senior Advisor. He has authored over 200 articles in indexed journals. Major interests: lung cancer staging and multidisciplinary management of thoracic malignancies.
MD, FRCPC, FRSC, FCAHS
Dr. Tsao is Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology and Professor of Medical Biophysics at the University of Toronto, a Senior Scientist and Consultant Thoracic Pathologist at the University Health Network and Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, Canada, He has published extensively in molecular pathology of lung cancer, and prognostic and predictive biomarkers for non-small cell lung cancer. He was a member of the Standing Editorial Board for the 5th Edition of the WHO Classification, Chair (2006-23) of the Correlative Science and Tumor Biology Committee at the Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG), Secretary and member of the Board of Directors (2022-25), member and past-Chair of the Pathology Committee, and member of the Staging and Prognostic Project of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC). He is internationally known as a leader in molecular testing for lung cancer and has led several multi-center projects to standardize lung cancer biomarker assays internationally and in Canada. Dr. Tsao received the Canadian Cancer Society O. Harold Warwick Award, IASLC Mary Matthew Pathology and Translational Research Award, and the CCTG Dr. Joseph Pater Founder's Award for Excellence in Clinical Trials Research. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.
MD
Marina Chiara Garassino, MD, is Professor of Medicine and Director of the Thoracic Programs in the Section of Hematology/Oncology at the University of Chicago. Trained at the University of Milan with a fellowship at Christie’s Hospital (Manchester), she previously led the Medical Thoracic Oncology Unit at the Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori in Milan.
An internationally recognized thoracic oncologist, Dr. Garassino has helped define standards of care in lung cancer as global Principal Investigator of KEYNOTE-189, a steering-committee leader and co-first author for KEYNOTE-671, and an investigator in PACIFIC; earlier, her phase III TAILOR trial reshaped second-line therapy in EGFR–wild-type NSCLC.
She has authored 310+ peer-reviewed publications and leads innovative, AI-enabled research initiatives including the EU-funded I3LUNG project; she also founded the international TERAVOLT consortium to study COVID-19 in thoracic cancers and is the founder and president of Women for Oncology Italy. Her work spans immuno-oncology, precision medicine, and biomarker discovery to improve outcomes across NSCLC and SCLC.
Her leadership has been recognized through invited discussant roles at AACR, ASCO, ESMO plenaries and service as Italy’s National Representative to ESMO; she also founded TYME, the Italan collaborative group for thymic malignancies.
She advances AI in oncology, including work on deep-learning–generated synthetic histology for education and explainability and she is actively working of AI drug discovery processes.
President of the Cancer Hospital at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Director, National Cancer Center of China
Professor Jie He is a world-renowned, outstanding leader in medicine, widely acclaimed for his pioneering contributions to cancer research, public health, medical education, and patient care. As Director of the National Cancer Center, President of the Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and Director of the National Cancer Quality Control Center, he has played a pivotal role in advancing cancer treatment and research in China and globally-particularly in the field of lung cancer.
Professor He has achieved remarkable success in lung cancer translational research and established the world’s largest population-based lung cancer screening registry network. This network has effectively transformed the paradigms of lung cancer monitoring, standardized lung cancer treatment, and especially perioperative management of early-stage lung cancer. These initiatives have generated critical data to inform public health policies, enhanced global cancer treatment protocols, significantly improved cancer patients’ survival rates, addressed key research challenges, and fostered close international collaboration.
MD
Mansoor Saleh, MD began his early education in the Aga Khan School system in East Africa and pursued his medical degree at the University of Heidelberg in Germany. He completed his doctoral research at the prestigious Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg. Dr. Saleh went on to receive his internal medicine training at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, followed by subspecialty training in Hematology and Oncology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Comprehensive Cancer Center.
At UAB, he served as a tenured Professor of Medicine and Pathology and was the Director of the First-in-Human Early Drug Development Program. His research and clinical work have centred on the targeted therapy of cancer, with a strong focus on translating novel agents from bench to bedside.
In January 2020, Dr. Saleh returned to East Africa to join the Aga Khan University in Nairobi, Kenya, where he currently serves as the Founding Chair of the Department of Hematology-Oncology and Founding Director of the AKU-Nairobi Cancer Center.
Mansoor Saleh, MD earned his medical degree from the University of Heidelberg in Germany and conducted his doctoral research at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research. He trained in internal medicine at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and completed his Hematology-Oncology fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), where he became a tenured Professor and Director of the First-in-Human Early Drug Development Program. His research focuses on targeted cancer therapies and translational oncology. In 2020, he joined Aga Khan University in Nairobi as Founding Chair of Hematology-Oncology and Founding Director of the University’s Cancer Center.
MBBS, PDipMDPath, MRCP(UK), FRCP Edin, FHKCP, FHKAM(Medicine), FASCO
Dr. Herbert H. Loong holds conjoint appointments of Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical Oncology and Medical Director (Oncology) of the Phase 1 Clinical Trials Centre of The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Dr. Loong obtained his medical degree with a Distinction in Surgery from The University of Hong Kong in 2003. He has completed a Fellowship in Drug Development at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, Canada with a focus on Experimental Therapeutics. His clinical and research interests include Thoracic Oncology and Sarcoma Medical Oncology. He was elected as a Fellow of ASCO (FASCO) in 2024.
Dr. Loong is a recipient of the European Cancer Congress Fellowship Grant (2013), the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting Merit Award (2014), the Hong Kong College of Physicians Young Investigators’ Award (2014). Dr. Loong led the Lung Cancer Team at CUHK to be bestowed the IASLC Foundation Cancer Care Team Award in recognition for providing the best thoracic oncology care in “Asia & Rest of the World” in 2018.In recent years, Dr. Loong has co-founded the Asia Pacific Oncology Drug Development Consortium (APODDC) and the Asia Pacific Coalition Against Lung Cancer (APCLC).
Dr. Loong has served or continues to serve in various capacities in various professional international oncology bodies, including the International Affairs Committee (IAC) and the Asia-Pacific Regional Council of ASCO. After completing his role as the Chair of the IAC of ASCO (2024-25), He current serves as the Immediate Past Chair (2025-2026). He has also served in the Membership, Education and Communications Committees of the IASLC. He has been elected as a Board Member of the Connective Tissue Oncology Society (CTOS) for 2022-2024. Dr. Loong is a current Steering Committee member of the Lung Cancer Policy Network (LCPN). In his prior appointment as a member of Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong, he oversaw the registration of medicinal products and clinical trials in the territory.
MD, MBChB FASCO
Dr. Asirwa is the CEO of International Cancer Institute, a non-profit organization based in Eldoret, Kenya, dedicated to advancing cancer care, education, and research across sub-Saharan Africa. He is the founder and past President of the College of Oncology of East, Central and Southern Africa (ECSACO) and senate member for ECSA Health Community.
Dr. Asirwa is a medical oncologist and hematologist, PD/PI of several access to personalized cancer care and research initiatives in several African countries, all geared towards enhancing early detection, promoting primary HPV screening, providing SOC diagnostics & therapeutics cancer research. He has also developed several training programs for various oncology clinical care stakeholder groups including physician assistants, oncology nurses, medical oncologists, and oncology pharmacists. He was previously (2011-2019), the Director of Academic Model Providing Access to Health Care (AMPATH Oncology & Hematology Consortium) in Kenya- a consortium of a dozen Universities in the United States in partnership with Moi University and Moi Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya.. He has assisted in establishing 17 screening and early detection centers for breast and cervical cancers in Kenya working closely with the counties Ministry of Health and other local partners named EMPOWER clinics. Dr. Asirwa is also the PI of over 25 global multi-center Oncology and Hematology Clinical Trials in SSA.
Dr. Asirwa has been an active member of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), ASCO, ESMO, and KESHO through service on various committees and volunteer groups. He has been recognized for his work through various awards including the United States' National Cancer Institute's Pearline Global Cancer Research Humanitarian Award (2020), and The Children’s Place International’s 2018 Hero Award for his pioneering work in Kenya. He was also awarded the 2023 Distinguished Leadership in Global Health Award by the Consortium Universities for Global Health. He is a Professor of Clinical Medicine & Oncology Pharmacy and the Academic Leader -Masters in Oncology Pharmacy Program, Kabarak University.
Professor of Cancer Services and Systems Research at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine/ Consultant Clinical Oncologist at Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Trust, London
Ajay Aggarwal is a Consultant Clinical Oncologist at Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, and Professor of Cancer Services and Systems Research at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the Faculty of Public Health and Policy. His main research areas are cancer policy, performance assessment of cancer care and Global Health. He was appointed Clinical Director of the ten National Cancer Audits in England and Wales in 2023, which is one of the largest national cancer quality assurance and improvement programs in the world. He is the current Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Cancer Policy. The results of his research have contributed significantly to national and international policy discussions around the affordability of cancer care and the value of new technologies in cancer medicine. As Co-Chair of the Health Economics in Radiation Oncology (HERO) group within European Society for Radiation Oncology (ESTRO), he is one of the leads of the value-based healthcare initiative. He is the Chief Investigator of the NIH funded ARCHERY study, the first prospective international multicentre trial across India, Jordan, Malaysia and South Africa evaluating the role of AI in radiotherapy.
Senior Executive Editor
Vania Wisdom is a Senior Executive Editor at The Lancet, where she oversees the Fast-Track peer-review service and is involved in the overall strategy of the journal. Dr Wisdom editorial work includes a broad range of health topics, but her main area of interest is cancer. She oversees the oncology strategy for the journal as the Oncology Ambassador. As an Oncology Ambassador at The Lancet Dr. Wisdom believes that stimulating conversation and facilitating information exchange, amongst all the stakeholders in the Oncology community, is a strong tool to transform the knowledge created, into social action. Dr Wisdom has been the editorial lead for several Lancet Commissions including the Lancet Commission on Women, Power and Cancer launched in 2023, the Lancet Commission on Prostate Cancer launched in 2024 and the ongoing Lancet Commission on Cancer and Healthcare Systems. Before joining The Lancet, she had a strong academic and award-winning scientific career as a researcher in oncology, in the UK, Germany and Portugal. She is now based in London, UK.
Tata Memorial Hospital
Director of the Tata Memorial Hospital
Dr. C S Pramesh is the Director of the Tata Memorial Hospital and Professor and Head of Thoracic Surgery at the Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai. He serves on the UICC Board of Directors. He is the convener for the National Cancer Grid, a large network of close to 400 cancer centres in India and several other countries (https://ncgindia.org). Pramesh is highly committed to reducing inequities in cancer control and making cancer treatment accessible to all geographic regions and strata of society. He is visiting professor at the Division of Cancer Studies, King’s College London and the Institute of Cancer Policy, King’s Health Partners, London. He serves on the advisory boards of several global organizations including WHO, ASCO, ESMO and the UICC. His research interests include health services research, value-based care, addressing barriers to access, and cancer policy.
University of Oxford
International expert in epidemiology and cancer prevention
David Hunter is the Richard Doll Professor of Epidemiology and Medicine, and director of the Harvard-Oxford Program in Epidemiology. His early research was on HIV transmission in East Africa, and subsequently he was involved in collaborative studies of nutrition and HIV pathogenesis, while also studying diet and cancer etiology in large scale prospective studies and founding the Pooling Project of Prospective Studies of Diet and Cancer.
As Director of the Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention David developed a sample handling and genotyping laboratory to explore genetic associations with cancer, and gene-environment interactions. He founded the Program in Genetic Epidemiology and Statistical Genetics at Harvard.
IASLC
Renowned oncologist and global leader in lung cancer research and policy
Dr. Kelly, a renowned medical oncologist, is an active, long-standing member of the IASLC and a former member of the IASLC Board of Directors. She is recognized internationally for her expertise in lung cancer research and her career has been dedicated to providing enhanced cancer care through cutting-edge clinical trials. Dr. Kelly’s lung cancer research has involved all aspects of the disease from risk reduction and screening to treatment. She has been at the forefront of drug development to treat lung cancer throughout her career.