2027 Faculty

Frédérique Penault-Llorca

Deputy President - Director General France

Prof. Frédérique Penault-Llorca is currently professor of pathology at the University of Clermont-Ferrand, CEO of the Comprehensive Regional Cancer Institute Centre Jean PERRIN, Clermont-Ferrand, France, deputy director of the research team INSERM 1240 IMoST, and head of the Molecular Biology Plateform at Centre Jean Perrin. She is president of the Immuno- Oncology group at UNICANCER R&D. She is a member of several pathology and oncology societies, including the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the French Society of Pathology, Senologia, and the Study Group for Prognostic and Predictive Factors for Immunohistochemistry (GEFPICS), with her main areas of interest being female cancers.

Gary Deng

Medical Director, Integrative Medicine Service USA

Dr. Gary Deng is an integrative medicine specialist who strives to inspire and empower people with cancer to make themselves strong in body, mind, and spirit. He incorporates some Eastern medicine approaches that are supported by scientific evidence and focus on nutrition, physical activity, stress management, sleep, and circadian rhythms. Dr. Gary advise patients on the proper use of herbs and dietary supplements so that they may experience potential benefits while avoiding harm. Dr. Gary Deng leads the Integrative Medicine Clinical Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and he works closely with a team of highly professional therapists who provide acupuncture, massage therapy, mind-body therapies, yoga, qigong, exercise regimens, and music therapy — all tailored to the needs of cancer patients and survivors.

Hope Rugo

Professor of Medicine in the Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research USA

Hope S. Rugo, MD, FASCO, is a medical oncologist and hematologist specializing in breast cancer research and treatment. She is a Professor of Medicine, Director of the Women’s Cancers Program, and Division Chief of Breast Medical Oncology at City of Hope. Formerly, Dr. Rugo was Director of Breast Oncology and Clinical Trials Education at UCSF, where she is Professor Emeritus. Her research focuses on combining novel therapies with standard treatments to improve outcomes for both early and late-stage breast cancer and supportive care.. She lectures globally and advances patient care through research, education, and clinical practice.

Javier Cortes

Head of IBCC and Co-Director of IOB Madrid Spain

Dr. Cortés is the Head of the International Breast Cancer Centre (IBCC) in Barcelona and co-director of IOB in Madrid, founding partner of Medica Scientia innovation Research (MedSIR). According to the American Expertscape 2023 ranking, he is considered the world’s leading expert on HER2+ and fourth world oncologist with the greatest expertise in breast cancer and in 2022 and 2023 was identified as Clarivate™ world’s most influential researchers.

Kiley Loh

Medical Oncologist Malaysia

Dr Kiley Loh is a medical oncologist specializing in breast cancers and cancer supportive and survivorship care at the Penang Adventist Hospital in Malaysia. Dr Loh graduated from the University of Melbourne in 2005, before undergoing medical oncology training with the Victorian Medical Oncology Training Program at several Melbourne-based hospitals, including the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. He joined National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) in 2014 after the completion of his training and went on to subspecialize in the field of breast cancers.

Lisa Carey

Deputy Director for Clinical Science USA

Lisa Carey, MD, ScM, FASCO, is an internationally recognized breast cancer physician-researcher who, in partnership with scientists at UNC-Chapel Hill and across the globe, is focused on advancing the understanding and characterization of molecular subtypes of breast cancer in order to develop more effective prevention and treatment strategies. Carey is the L. Richardson and Marilyn Jacobs Preyer Distinguished Professor for Breast Cancer Research at the UNC School of Medicine, the Deputy Director of Clinical Sciences at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the Director of the UNC Lineberger Center for Triple Negative Breast Cancer. Her research interests focus upon breast cancer, including examination of different subtypes of breast cancer, evaluation of new chemotherapy agents in early and metastatic breast cancer, and examination of tumor characteristics that predict response to therapy. She has worked extensively with scientists across UNC Lineberger and the UNC Gillings Global School of Public Health to better understand and characterize the molecular subtypes of breast cancer so that we may develop better prevention and treatment strategies. With Drs. Perou and Millikan, she identified the elevated risk of the poor-prognosis basal-like breast cancer subtype in young African-American women. She is a world-wide expert in triple negative breast cancer, and led the first trial looking at a new drug regimen in this breast cancer subtype. Her research spans the spectrum from early curative breast cancer to metastatic disease. She has worked extensively developing trials that use neoadjuvant, or preoperative, chemotherapy for breast cancer in order to address both clinical questions about the best regimens, as well as scientific questions regarding sensitivity or resistance to drugs. She led a large NCI-sponsored trial in HER2-positive breast cancer that examined dual HER2-targeting with two anti-HER2 drugs that found that while drug regimen was important in outcome, even more important were tumor characteristics such as subtype and evidence of immune cell activation. Based on this work, she has put together an international team looking at the molecular markers responsible this variation in response and survival, and her efforts as co-chair of the national cooperative group, Alliance, have resulted in two NCI trials examining these markers and optimizing treatment. In addition, she is actively involved in examining novel agents in metastatic breast cancer. Her Tumor Donation Program has contributed novel information regarding the genetic differences between the original primary breast cancer and the metastases in distant organs. This work in part spawned the AURORA-US multicenter initiative furthering this examination of the molecular landscape of metastatic disease; she serves on the Steering Committee for that effort. She serves in national leadership roles, including as a member of the National Cancer Institute Breast Cancer Steering Committee, Co-Chair of the NCI-sponsored Alliance Breast Committee, Co-Chair of the Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium Steering Committee, and member of the Board of Directors of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Masakazu Toi

Professor of Breast Surgery Japan

Masakazu Toi graduated in 1982 from Hiroshima University School of Medicine with his Medical Doctorate and in 1988 with his PhD. He studied at the Institute of Molecular Medicine at Oxford University, UK, from 1990 to 1992. In 2007, Professor Toi was appointed Professor of Breast Surgery at the Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Japan, and Director of the Breast Cancer Unit, Kyoto University Hospital. Professor Toi is passionate in his study of cancer, particularly breast cancer biology and treatment. He is keen on research that translates basic science into clinical study. He is involved in various innovative research projects on the development of new anticancer diagnostics and therapeutics including biomarkers, novel imaging and antibody treatment. He is engaged in clinical trials mainly associated with breast cancer treatment and research. He has a strong interest in the tumour microenvironment such as angiogenesis and stromal reactions. Professor Toi belongs to various associations and is a member of several leading academic organizations. He serves as an editorial board member of multiple academic journals and has authored or co-authored over 300 articles.

Mastura Yusof

Consultant Oncologist Malaysia

Dr. Mastura Md. Yusof is a Consultant Clinical Oncologist and Head of the Cancer Centre at PICASO Hospital and Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur, She leads the research unit at Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur, overseeing numerous clinical trials in breast and lung cancer including fundamental trials that resulted in the approval of pembrolizumab in metastatic triple negative breast cancer. She is actively participating in international clinical trials in varied innovative therapies such as targeted therapies, PARP inhibitors, immunotherapies and antibody-drug conjugates and has co-authored numerous peer-reviewed publications in national and international journals.

Megha Shah

Oncology Nurse Practitioner USA

Dr. Megha Shah, DNP, FNP-BC, OCN is a Daisy Award-winning Family Nurse Practitioner and a dedicated patient advocate. With nearly 20 years of diverse healthcare experience spanning roles as a Staff Nurse, Charge Nurse, and now an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN), Megha has committed her career to clinical excellence and patient safety. She reached the pinnacle of her academic journey in 2024 by earning her terminal degree as a Doctor of Nursing Practice. An expert in her field, Megha is an Oncology Certified Nurse who actively shapes the future of healthcare. She currently leverages her leadership skills as the President of the Chicago Western Suburbs Oncology Nursing Society (CWSCONS). Her insights have reached a national audience through her work as an Associate Editor for the Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing and through her numerous published articles. Beyond her clinical and editorial work, Megha is a passionate educator and a highly sought-after public speaker. She regularly serves as a preceptor and mentor to the next generation of nurses. Her engaging presentations cover critical healthcare topics, including oncology emergencies, the clinical power of aromatherapy, navigating end-of-life discussions, and implementing process improvements to enhance patient care. Driven by compassion and a commitment to excellence, Dr. Shah’s dedication has earned her tens of DAISY nominations, the Northwestern Excellence Award, and the Badass Nurse Award. She remains a trusted resource, leader, and inspiration for patients, colleagues, and the wider healthcare community.

Muhammad Azrif

Consultant Clinical Oncologist Malaysia

Dr. Muhammad Azrif graduated from the Royal Free Hospital & University College London School of Medicine, London, UK in 1997. After completing his training in internal medicine and obtaining his MRCP (UK) in 2000, he entered the specialist training program in Clinical Oncology at the Christie Hospital, Manchester, UK. He became a Fellow of the Royal College of Radiologists (Clinical Oncology) in 2005 and attained his Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training (UK) before admission to the UK General Medical Council Specialist Register in 2006. He was awarded a one-year Clinical Research Fellowship to the Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, Canada in mid-2006. He returned to Malaysia in 2007 and served at the National University of Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC) as a Consultant Clinical Oncologist for 5 years before joining private practice in 2012. He has served on various national oncology committees, published in peer-reviewed journals as well as participated in numerous clinical trials, cancer advisory boards, and expert panels.

Nirmala Bhoo Pathy

Public Health Physician and Epidemiologist Malaysia

Professor Nirmala Bhoo-Pathy is a public health physician and epidemiologist at Universiti Malaya, internationally recognised for her work on the economic and social consequences of cancer in low- and middle-income countries. As Principal Investigator of the ASEAN Costs in Oncology (ACTION) study and related research on financial toxicity and survivorship, she has generated policy-relevant evidence on how cancer pushes households into financial hardship and which protections are most effective. She has held several global leadership roles, including Economic Section Lead of the Lancet Oncology Commission on the Human Crisis in Cancer, Commissioner of the Lancet Commission on Women, Power and Cancer, and currently the Lancet Commission on Cancer and Health Sytems, and Lancet Oncology Commission on Cancer Genomics. She also serves on the Steering Committee of the Global Alliance for Cancer Patient Navigation and contributes to the WHO Global Breast Cancer Initiative Patient Navigation Framework.

Peter Dubsky

Surgical Oncologist Switzerland

Peter Dubsky developed and heads the Tumour- and Breast Cancer Centre at the Hirslanden Klinik St. Anna in Lucerne, Switzerland. In 2023 he joined the faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine at the University of Lucerne. He is the founder of the “Network of Hirslanden Breast Cancer Centres (NHBCC)” and the “Lucerne Toolbox Consensus” which provides clinical guidance on local therapy options for breast cancer patients. In addition, he currently serves as the Vice President of the Breast Cancer group at SAKK (Swiss Group for Clinical Cancer Research). He received his MD and completed his surgical training at the Medical University of Vienna. After a post-doctoral fellowship in cancer immunology in the US and board certification in General and Visceral Surgery, he focused his clinical work and research on breast cancer. In addition to his ongoing work as a breast surgeon and clinical trialist, his active research interests focus on biomarkers in early breast cancer. He has served in several scientific committees of European oncology societies and recently joined the IBCSG scientific committee.