Young Leaders Alumni

As of 2023, there are 55 professionals who have completed the Young Leader programme and are now part of the Young Leaders Alumni, a community of change-makers in cancer control.

UICC recognises the contribution of Young Leaders past and present to the cancer community and commits to support and nurture the network as it continues to grow. All Young Leaders who successfully complete the programme become part of the Young Leaders Alumni.

This community will facilitate ongoing collaboration between participants and will provide a resource of emerging experts and cancer leaders for UICC to engage in its core work.

Young Leaders Alumni have gone on to take up influential roles within government, academia and international organisations, including the UICC's Board, and continue working towards improving cancer control globally and regionally in a number of different ways.

Young Leaders Alumni in the news

Two Sarawak NGOs help to close cancer gap for rural communities

Source: The Star Malaysia

“We need to go viral”: the Cameroonian nurse campaigning against cancer

Source: Gavi The Vaccine Alliance

How COVID education programmes were repurposed for cancer

Source: CodeBlue - Health is a human right

How artificial intelligence (AI) can help oncologists and patients in Sub-Saharan Africa

Source: Forbes Africa

Tackling breast cancer in the marginalised population of Borneo

Source: The Borneo Post

The 2021-22 class of Young Leaders calls for greater access to cancer medicines

Source: Cancer Discovery

A podcast with Dr Murallitharan Munisamy, Managing Director of the National Cancer Society of Malaysia

Source: BFM Business Station

Meet the heroic oncologist battling to provide cancer care in Nigeria

Source: Global Citizen

Health Hero: meet Tlotlo Ralefala

Source: BBC News (Life Clinic)

Changing the course of cancer in Mongolia

Source: Think Global Health

How Rwanda could become one of the first countries to wipe out cervical cancer

Source: The Guardian

Young Leaders Alumni in UICC articles and blogs

UICC Young Leader and Technical Fellow Dr Christian Ntizimira champions palliative care in Rwanda

Staff of the African Center for End of Life Care
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Building geriatric oncology collaborations in North America: a visit to Princess Margaret Cancer Centre

Enrique Soto with a patient
By:
Enrique Soto-Pérez-de-Celis MD
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The engagement of survivors is crucial to achieving the targets for cervical cancer elimination

Group of African men and women posing for an aerial shot
By:
Samiratou Ouedraogo
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‘Finding their tribe’: UICC Young Leaders expand their work from local impact to global collaboration

UICC Young Leaders 2019-2020 cohort at the World Cancer Leaders' Summit 2019 in Kazakhstan
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UICC Young Leaders programme: a decade of influencing change in global cancer control

Four UICC Young Leaders, two women, two men, discussing at a round table during UICC World Cancer Leaders' Summit in Kazakhstan, 2019
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Announcing a new cohort of Young Leaders in global cancer control

People cheering
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Meet the Young Leaders Alumni

2021-22 cohort

 Anna Dare (Canada / New Zealand)

Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellow, University of Toronto

Find out more about Anna's work.

Asma Hatoqai (Jordan)

Tobacco Control Specialist, King Hussein Cancer Center 

Find out more about Asma's work.

Diego Gimenez Velilla (Paraguay)

Head of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Institute (INCAN)

Find out more about Diego's work.

Freddy Houehanou Rodrigue Gnangnon (Benin)

Associate Professor of Surgical Oncology, University of Abomey-Calavi 

Find out more about Freddy's work.

Tlotlo Ralefala (Botswana)

Clinical Oncologist and Head of Oncology, Princess Marina Hospital 

Find out more about Tlotlo's work.

Arnaud Bayle (France)

Assistant Professor, Drug Development Department, Gustave Roussy Cancer Center

Find out more about Arnaud's work. 

Chemtai Mungo (USA / Kenya)

Chemtai Mungo, UICC Young Leader, Assistant Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Nort

Assistant Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of North Carolina

Find out more about Chemtai's work.

Enrique Soto Pérez de Celis (Mexico)

Dr Enrique Soto, Researcher in Medical Sciences, Department of Geriatrics, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán

Researcher in Medical Sciences, Department of Geriatrics, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán

Find out more about Enrique's work.

Melissa Lim Siaw Han (Malaysia)

Pharmacist / Researcher / Committee Member, Society for Cancer Advocacy and Awareness Kuching

Find out more about Melissa's work.

Venus Dadirai Mushininga (Zimbabwe)

Program Manager, Department of Non-Communicable Diseases, Ministry of Health and Child Care 

Find out more about Venus's work.

2019-20 cohort

Ahmed Hefnawy (UK / Egypt)

Obstetrics and Gynecology Lecturer, Assiut University 

Find out more about Ahmed's work.

Felipe Roitberg (Switzerland / Brazil)

Consultant, Cancer Control, World Health Organization 

Find out more about Felipe's work.

Kingsley Ndoh (USA / Nigeria)

Clinical Assistant Professor, Global Health, University of Washington and Co-Founder, Hurone AI

Find out more about Kingsley's work.

 

Murallitharan Munisamy (Malaysia)

Director, National Cancer Society Malaysia 

Find out more about Murallitharan's work

Alexandra Tamas (Belgium / Romania)

Director of Public Affairs, European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) 

Find out more about Alexandra's work.

Ishtar Espejo Castella (Spain)

Director, Fundacion Aladina

Find out more about Ishtar's work.

Manjuh Florence (Cameroon)

Women's Health Program Supervisor, Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Service 

Find out more about Manjuh's work.

Omolola Salako (Nigeria)

Radiation Oncologist, Entrepeneur and Lecturer, Sebeccly Cancer Care, Oncopadi, University of Lagos

Find out more about Omolola's work.

2017-18 cohort

Dauren Adilbay (USA / Kazakhstan)

Dauren Adilbay

Clinical Fellow, Louisiana State University Shreveport

Kelechi Eguzo (Canada / Nigeria)

General Practitioner in Oncology and President, Marjorie Bash Foundation 

Supriya Jayant Sastri (India)

Supriya Jayant Sastri

Professor, Radiation Oncology, Tata Memorial Centre 

Youssef Zeidan (USA / Lebanon)

Youssef Zeidan

Radiation Oncologist, Eugene M. & Christine E. Lynn Cancer Institute 

François Uwinkindi (Rwanda)

François Uwinkindi

Manager of Non Communicable Diseases Division, Rwanda Biomedical Centre 

Paul Ebusu (Uganda)

Paul Ebusu

Tobacco Control Officer, World Health Organization 

Roberta Marques (Brazil)

Director of Philanthropy, Instituto D'Or de Pesquisa e Ensino 

Ami Bhatt (USA)

Associate Professor of Medicine & Genetics, Stanford University

Christian R. Ntizimira (Rwanda)

Founder & Executive Director, African Center for Research on End of Life Care (ACREOL) 

Fabio Ynoe Moraes (Canada / Brazil)

Assistant Professor, Queen's University

Gevorg Tamamyan (Armenia)

Head of the Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Armenia, Hematology Center R. Yeolyan

Hanna Tervonen (Finland)

Chief Specialist, Finnish Social and Health Data Permit Authority (Findata)

Laura Mendoza (Paraguay)

Researcher, Research Institute for Health Sciences, National University of Asuncion

Maria Celeste Diaz (Argentina)

Technical Consultant, Secretariat of Medication and Strategic Information, Ministry of Health

Miriam Mutebi (Kenya)

Breast Surgical Oncologist and Assistant Professor, Aga Khan University Hospital, President-elect, African Organisation for Research & Training in Cancer (AORTIC), and Board Member, Union for International Cancer Control (UICC)

Shekinah Elmore (USA)

Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina

Tsetsegsaikhan Batmunkh (Mongolia)

Founder and CEO, National Cancer Council of Mongolia

fsan Bhadelia (USA)

Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health, Purdue University

André Ilbawi (Switzerland / USA)

Technical Officer, Cancer Control, World Health Organization

Cristian A. Herrera (USA / Chile)

Senior Health Specialist, World Bank

Mandi Pratt-Chapman (USA)

Associate Professor of Medicine, The George Washington University

Mauricio Maza (El Salvador)

Advisor, Cancer Prevention and Control, Pan American Health Organization

Mei Ling Yap (Australia)

Radiation Oncologist, Liverpool and Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centres

Runcie Chikeruba Wilson Chidebe (Nigeria)

Founder and Executive Director, Project PINK BLUE

Temidayo Fadelu (USA)

Medical Oncologist, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Chukwuma Oraegbunam (UK / Nigeria)

Old Age Psychiatrist, NHS

Elizabeth Ayoo (Kenya)

Lawyer, Ayoo-See & Co Associates

Han Win Htun (Myanmar)

Family Medicine and Public Health Physician, Family Medicine Clinic of Mandalay

Mellany Murgor (Kenya)

Occupational Safety and Health Services Physician, Ministry of Labour

Nauman Jadoon (Pakistan)

Endocrinology Fellow, College of Physicians and Surgeons

Neha Tripathi (India)

Director, Cancer Aid Society

Xiao-Jian Qin (China)

Professor, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center

Yetty Movieta Nency (Indonesia)

Pediatrician, Kariadi Hospital, Diponegoro University

Danielle Rodin (Canada)

Director, Global Cancer Program, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Board Member, Union for International Cancer control (UICC)

Leana May (USA)

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine

Oluwafunmilola James (Nigeria)

Public Health professional

Zoe Wainer (Australia)

Deputy Secretary, Public Health, Victorian Department of Health

Alumni photo album

Click the photos below

Contact us

UICC is eager to hear from our Young Leader Alumni and receive updates on their current activities. We are actively looking for alumni stories to feature on our website.

Email us now
Young Leader at workshop

The Young Leaders programme is a unique opportunity to be part of a global network of inspiring and ambitious young leaders in cancer control.

NCSM covid response providing PPE to health workers

Our Young Leaders include frontline workers and cancer advocates who are at the forefront of protecting and supporting cancer patients during the current pandemic.

Last update

Friday 02 February 2024

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