Satish Gopal, M.D., M.P.H. was appointed Director of the Center for Global Health (CGH) at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in 2020. In this role, he oversees the development of initiatives and collaborations with other NCI and NIH partners, NCI-designated cancer centers, and other governmental and non-governmental organizations to support cancer research, promote science-based cancer control, and build research capacity in low- and middle-income countries. Before coming to NCI, Dr. Gopal was the Cancer Program Director for the University of North Carolina collaboration with the Malawi Ministry of Health.

Jean Hunleth, PhD, MPH, is a medical anthropologist and Associate Professor in the Division of Public Health Science, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. She began her career in public health as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Eastern Province, Zambia in the late 1990s, where she gained insight into the contextual processes that led public health programs to succeed and also to fail. Her experiences during that time - which co-occurred with an absence of accessible treatment for HIV and a loss of funding for TB treatment- led her back to the U.S. to Northwestern University to study anthropology, while also pursuing an MPH, studies that took her back to Zambia to carry out ethnographic research on children's caregiving for parents with TB. She has published this research as a book, Children as Caregivers: The Global Fight against Tuberculosis and HIV in Zambia, and launched comparative research in the U.S. with children whose parents have cancer. She leads a lab at Washington University that foregrounds ethnographic methods and local knowledge, as well as attention to how power circulate. Her current projects in Zambia include a study to integrate HPV Vaccination into HIV care settings, specifically drawing on the experiences and perspectives of adolescents, and a study on the costs of childhood cancer caregiving, especially for caregivers coming from far distances. She places emphasis on cross-cultural learning from collaborators and on capacity building that supports and sponsors mentees to realize their professional goals.

Dr. Biniyam Tefera Deressa, MD is a Clinical Oncologist and Associate Professor at Adama Hospital Medical College, Ethiopia, where he provides comprehensive cancer care while leading oncology services, research, and training. His work focuses on improving equitable cancer care through implementation science, health systems strengthening, and patient-centered approaches in low-resource settings. Dr. Biniyam has led and collaborated on multiple international research initiatives aimed at improving cancer prevention, early detection, psychosocial care, and implementation of evidence-based interventions in Ethiopia. His work bridges research and clinical practice through community engagement, culturally responsive cancer education, and capacity building for healthcare professionals. A strong advocate for patient-centered care, he has helped develop multilingual cancer education resources in Amharic and Afan Oromo and has led nationwide public awareness initiatives through television, radio, and digital platforms. He also founded survivor support programs that integrate Ethiopia's traditional coffee ceremony as a culturally meaningful approach to peer support and psychosocial care. Dr. Biniyam is committed to advancing equitable global partnerships that strengthen locally led cancer research and improve cancer outcomes across Africa.

Solana de Melo is a medical student and clinical researcher at the Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS) in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Her academic and scientific endeavors are primarily focused on clinical oncology, research methodology, and the application of evidence-based medicine within public health systems. Her current research activities center on analyzing oncological outcomes, evaluating therapeutic efficacy, and identifying systemic barriers to timely cancer diagnosis and treatment. Beyond clinical studies, her academic focus includes the integration of multidisciplinary approaches to cancer control, contributing to projects that evaluate the cost-effectiveness of oncological interventions and the implementation of standardized care guidelines in resource-constrained settings. By participating in international academic collaborations, she seeks to foster knowledge exchange between Latin American research institutions and the wider global oncology community. In addition to oncological research, her academic profile encompasses collaboration with multidisciplinary research groups dedicated to chronic diseases, metabolism, and global health strategies. This comprehensive research background informs her work on addressing systemic healthcare challenges and promoting equitable health policies. At the 14th Annual Symposium on Global Cancer Research, de Melo contributes to the academic discourse on optimizing cancer control strategies. This work aims to bridge the gap between clinical research and practical policy implementation, aligning with global efforts to improve healthcare equity and survival rates in low- and middle-income countries.

I am a Ugandan pharmacist and Young Investigator at the Ananda Center for Cancer Research (ACCR). My work focuses on improving equitable access to cancer medicines through pharmaceutical systems strengthening, oncology supply chains, and capacity building. I have contributed to national initiatives on oncology medicine access, including the UICC ATOM Coalition and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) capacity-building efforts in Uganda. I have experience in pharmacy practice, procurement, regulatory affairs, and oncology and infectious diseases research. I am passionate about strengthening local pharmaceutical manufacturing, advancing cancer care in low- and middle-income countries, and supporting evidence-based policies that improve patient access to quality-assured cancer medicines.

Dr. Kwaramba is a physician-researcher and medical oncologist specializing in gastrointestinal malignancies and global oncology. Her research centers on improving equitable access to cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship care in resource-limited settings by bridging health equity, implementation science, and clinical oncology, with a particular focus on optimizing care delivery and resource utilization.

Dr. Annet Nakaganda is a Cancer Epidemiologist, Clinical Officer, and global health researcher with more than 20 years of experience leading cancer research, surveillance, and implementation science in sub-Saharan Africa. Her work focuses on strengthening cancer prevention and control through the development of locally relevant evidence, innovative surveillance systems, and research that informs policy and practice in resource-constrained settings. She is the Founder and Director of the Ananda Centre for Cancer Research (ACCR), where she leads multidisciplinary programmes in cancer epidemiology, implementation research, and health systems strengthening. Dr. Nakaganda has established and led national and regional initiatives in cancer surveillance, including the development of cancer registration systems, harmonisation of cancer registry guidelines across East Africa, and the design of standardized tools for cancer risk factor surveillance. Her current work focuses on translating locally generated data into actionable strategies that support national cancer control planning and equitable access to cancer prevention and care. Dr. Nakaganda has served as Principal Investigator and collaborator on research funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, Ministries of Health, and international partners. She is a Commissioner on the Lancet Oncology Commission for Sub-Saharan Africa and is committed to strengthening African-led research, building research capacity, and advancing sustainable, data-driven solutions for cancer control across low- and middle-income countries.

Sara Comstock, MSW, is a public health leader with nearly two decades of experience advancing cancer prevention, early detection, and health equity in the United States and globally. She began her career leading statewide cancer control initiatives and health system partnerships across the U.S., collaborating with public health agencies, healthcare providers, coalitions, and community organizations to expand access to evidence-based cancer screening and prevention services. Sara currently serves as Manager, Global Cancer Prevention at the American Cancer Society (ACS), where she leads efforts to accelerate the implementation of effective cancer prevention strategies in low- and middle-income countries. In her role, Sara leads multi-country initiatives focused on increasing HPV vaccination uptake, strengthening cervical cancer prevention programs, and supporting the development of practical, sustainable solutions that can be integrated into health systems and community settings and she supports Cervical Cancer Action for Elimination (CCAE), a global initiative co-chaired by ACS and Cancer Research UK that brings together civil society organizations, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and advocates to advance progress toward the World Health Organization’s goal of eliminating cervical cancer.

Pema Lhaki is a development worker and the Executive Director at NFCC - Nepal’s leading NGO which has been working on reproductive health for the past 38 years. Pema’s key interests are Adolescents; HPV/Cervical Cancer and Menstruation. In 2011, Pema was instrumental in introducing HPV testing and self-sampling in Nepal. She worked closely with the Government in the introduction of HPV vaccination and HPV DNA testing. She has helped develop the National Cervical Cancer Screening and Prevention Implementation Plan. In 2023, in collaboration with and under the leadership of a local government, she led the deployment of HPV DNA testing using self sampling at the household level which continues till date and has screened and where required treated all eligible women in the ward. In 2023, Pema became Nepal Country Ambassador of the the International Papilloma Virus Society. In 2024, with technical support from University of Alabama at Birmingham, Pema brought together two of her interests, HPV/cervical cancer and menstruation by leading a study to explore the feasibility of detecting HR-HPV in menstrual blood in regular pads available in Nepal. Pema is actively involved in supporting the Government's National HPV Vaccination Program as well cervical cancer Screening Program. In 2026, under her lead, the Nepal Papilloma Virus Society, the Nepal chapter of the International Papilloma Virus Society was launched. Pema continues to actively engage in academic research, ground level implementation and policy level advocacy related to Cervical Cancer and HPV related cancers.

Déborah Martínez Villarreal, PhD, is a behavioral economist and consultant to the American Cancer Society. She applies behavioral science and experimental methods to strengthen vaccination and public health programs, with a particular focus on HPV vaccination.

Dr. Folakemi T. Odedina (PhD, BPharm) is an internationally recognized cancer researcher, global oncology leader, and champion for health equity whose work has transformed cancer research, clinical trials, and cancer control for underserved populations worldwide. She serves as Professor of Hematology/Oncology and Quantitative Health Sciences, Consultant and Enterprise Deputy Director for Global Oncology at the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, where she leads strategic initiatives to advance global cancer research, precision community health, and equitable access to clinical trials. A highly funded and widely published scientist with more than 30 years of continuous research leadership, Dr. Odedina has directed over 60 research projects supported primarily by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, and the Department of Defense. Her research focuses on prostate cancer, implementation science, inclusive clinical trials, and community-engaged interventions that improve cancer outcomes among populations of African ancestry globally. Dr. Odedina is the Founder and Emeritus Principal Investigator of the internationally acclaimed Prostate Cancer Transatlantic Consortium (CaPTC), which has united more than 1,000 investigators across Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, and North America to address prostate cancer through collaborative science. She also serves as Consortium Director of the iCCaRE for Black Men Consortium, advancing innovative models of equitable cancer care through decentralized clinical trials, artificial intelligence, and community-based technologies. A passionate mentor who has trained hundreds of investigators globally, Dr. Odedina also contributes to cancer policy and systems strengthening. She recently was appointed Chair of Nigeria's Ministerial National Cancer Control Plan Technical Working Group.

Dr. Ernie Kaninjing is an Associate Professor of Public Health at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville GA. He is a behavioral health scientist with expertise in prostate cancer disparities research. The focus of his research is to identify and contribute meaningfully to mitigate the environmental, dietary, behavioral, and social risk factors that contribute to prostate cancer health disparities among men of African ancestry. Additionally, his research explores the “within-group” differences in prostate cancer outcomes among men of African ancestry. Furthermore, His research examines the impact of immigration on prostate cancer outcomes among sub-Saharan African Immigrants (SSAI) and Caribbean Immigrants in the United States. Dr. Kaninjing has over ten years of community-engaged research experience, working with underserved communities in Florida and Georgia to address factors that contribute to differences in cancer outcomes. He has led initiatives focused on improving access to breast cancer screening among uninsured women in Leon and Gadsden counties in Florida, and similarly led efforts aimed at improving the quality of life for Black prostate cancer survivors in Georgia through community-driven efforts.