Young Leaders Alumni
Between 2013 and 2024, 65 professionals completed the UICC's Young Leaders programme and are now part of the Young Leaders Alumni network, a community of change-makers in cancer control.

UICC recognises the many contributions of Young Leaders Alumni to global cancer cancer control and commits to support and nurture the community going forward.
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
Conquer Cancer Announces Recipients of the Advanced Clinical Research Award in Breast Cancer Research
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Conquer Cancer
A Father’s Advice Plus a Desire to Help Spur a Career in Oncology and a Leadership Role in African Cancer Care
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The ASCO Post
Treating cancer globally starts with treating cancer locally
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University of Colorado, Cancer Centre
Two Sarawak NGOs help to close cancer gap for rural communities
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The Star Malaysia
“We need to go viral”: the Cameroonian nurse campaigning against cancer
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Gavi The Vaccine Alliance
'Health care is a fundamental human right'
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The Persistent Pursuit by Purdue University
How COVID education programmes were repurposed for cancer
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CodeBlue - Health is a human right
Rolling out HPV vaccine in Burkina Faso
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Gavi The Vaccine Alliance
How artificial intelligence (AI) can help oncologists and patients in Sub-Saharan Africa
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Forbes Africa
Tackling breast cancer in the marginalised population of Borneo
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The Borneo Post
The 2021-22 class of Young Leaders calls for greater access to cancer medicines
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Cancer Discovery
A podcast with Dr Murallitharan Munisamy, Managing Director of the National Cancer Society of Malaysia
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BFM Business Station
How Rwanda could become one of the first countries to wipe out cervical cancer
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The Guardian
Meet the heroic oncologist battling to provide cancer care in Nigeria
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Global Citizen
Health Hero: meet Tlotlo Ralefala
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BBC News (Life Clinic)
Changing the course of cancer in Mongolia
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Think Global Health
Young Leaders Alumni in UICC articles and blogs
Streamlining women's health in low-resource settings: the promise and pitfalls of integrating breast and cervical cancer screening

How mathematical modelling shapes public health policies: cervical cancer prevention

The missing piece: integrating holistic care in cancer treatment in resource-limited settings

Privileging community voices to close the gap on lung cancer

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

Building geriatric oncology collaborations in North America: a visit to Princess Margaret Cancer Centre

Meet the Young Leaders Alumni
2023-24 cohort

Amanda Drury (Ireland)
Associate Professor in General Nursing, Dublin City University | Board Member, European Oncology Nursing Society | Member, European Union Cancer Mission Board

Cherie Tulloch (Antigua and Barbuda)
Chairperson, The Cervical Cancer Task Force, The Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment | Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre

Kate Simms (Australia)
Senior Research Fellow, The Daffodil Centre

Nguyen Huong Giang (Vietnam)
Head of Cancer Epidemiology, Vietnam Cancer Institute | Sub-Committee Member, Asian National Cancer Centers Alliance

Samiratou Ouedraogo (Burkina Faso)
Junior Lecturer in Public Health, University Joseph KI-ZERBO and National Public Health Institute | Co-Chair for the Oliver Reginald Tambo Africa Research Chair

Biniyam Deressa (Ethiopia)
Clinical Oncologist, Adama Hospital Medical College | Vice President, Ethiopian Society of Hematology and Oncology (ESHO

Kate Meerkerk (New Zealand)
Registrar, Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand), Waikato

Lily Gutnik (United States)
Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham | Assistant Professor, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham | Associate Vice Chair, Global Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Saleh Alessy (Saudi Arabia)
Adjunct Post-doctoral Research Associate of Cancer Epidemiology, Centre for Cancer, Society & Public Health, King’s College London | Founding Board Member, Saudi Society for Oncology Research

Sithabiso Masuku (Zimbabwe / South Africa)
Research Associate, University of Sheffield | Wellcome Early-Career Award, The Wellcome Trust
2021-22 cohort
Anna Dare (Canada / New Zealand)

Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellow, University of Toronto
Asma Hatoqai (Jordan)

Tobacco Control Specialist, King Hussein Cancer Center
Diego Gimenez Velilla (Paraguay)

Head of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Institute (INCAN)
Freddy Houehanou Rodrigue Gnangnon (Benin)

Associate Professor of Surgical Oncology, University of Abomey-Calavi
Tlotlo Ralefala (Botswana)

Clinical Oncologist and Head of Oncology, Princess Marina Hospital
Arnaud Bayle (France)

Assistant Professor, Drug Development Department, Gustave Roussy Cancer Center
Chemtai Mungo (USA / Kenya)

Assistant Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of North Carolina
Enrique Soto Pérez de Celis (Mexico)

Researcher in Medical Sciences, Department of Geriatrics, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán
Melissa Lim Siaw Han (Malaysia)

Pharmacist / Researcher / Committee Member, Society for Cancer Advocacy and Awareness Kuching
Venus Dadirai Mushininga (Zimbabwe)

Program Manager, Department of Non-Communicable Diseases, Ministry of Health and Child Care
2019-20 cohort
Ahmed Hefnawy (UK / Egypt)

Obstetrics and Gynecology Lecturer, Assiut University
Felipe Roitberg (Switzerland / Brazil)

Consultant, Cancer Control, World Health Organization
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
Alexandra Tamas (Belgium / Romania)

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

Women's Health Program Supervisor, Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Service
Omolola Salako (Nigeria)

Radiation Oncologist, Entrepeneur and Lecturer, Sebeccly Cancer Care, Oncopadi, University of Lagos
2017-18 cohort
Dauren Adilbay (USA / Kazakhstan)

Clinical Fellow, Louisiana State University Shreveport
Kelechi Eguzo (Canada / Nigeria)

General Practitioner in Oncology and President, Marjorie Bash Foundation
Supriya Jayant Sastri (India)

Professor, Radiation Oncology, Tata Memorial Centre
Youssef Zeidan (USA / Lebanon)

Radiation Oncologist, Eugene M. & Christine E. Lynn Cancer Institute
François Uwinkindi (Rwanda)

Manager of Non Communicable Diseases Division, Rwanda Biomedical Centre
Paul Ebusu (Uganda)

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

Since 2013, the Young Leaders programme has been supporting emerging cancer control professionals to become successful leaders in cancer control and the wider global health community.
Young Leaders programme

Our Young Leaders include frontline workers and cancer advocates who are at the forefront of protecting and supporting cancer patients during the current pandemic.
Young Leaders responding to COVID-19
Last update
Wednesday 04 June 2025