Nagla Abdel Karim
Dr. Nagla Abdel Karim received her medical degree from the University of Cairo – Faculty of Medicine. She subsequently received her training in Internal Medicine/Medical Oncology at the National Cancer Institute-The University of Cairo, and she obtained her Master of Science degree followed by a PhD, where the latter was through a channel program with the University of Washington.
She did a year of post-doctoral fellowship at MD Anderson in Cancer Prevention, followed by a one-year Research fellowship at The University of Washington.
She did a residency in Internal Medicine at Fairview-Cleveland Clinic Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio, followed by a 3-year clinical fellowship in Hematology/Oncology at The University of Cincinnati, then became Assistant Professor of Medicine at Ohio State University, then re-joined the University of Cincinnati again in September 2011 as an Assistant Professor then Associate Professor till 2018. She has been the Professor of the Medicine-Division of Hematology/Oncology and the Director of Thoracic Oncology at the Medical College of Georgia- Augusta-Georgia from 2018 to 2022. She was the Director of the Phase I Program at Inova Schar Cancer Institute and Professor of Medicine at the University of Virginia.
Dr. Karim’s clinical and research interests are focused on the personalized approach of therapy for lung cancer. She has been the study chair of the S1929 clinical trial at SWOG that focuses on personalized therapy for SLFN11 small cell lung cancer and currently works on developing and supporting to develop more concepts. She leads the thoracic neuroendocrine subcommittee within the Lung Cancer Working Group at SWOG and leads the oligometastatic subcommittee at IASLC.
During all that time, she was an Investigator and co-investigator of several Clinical Trials and a lead investigator on several translational research projects.
Lyudmila Bazhenova
Dr. Lyudmila Bazhenova is a thoracic medical oncologist and professor of medicine with 20 years of experience and 14 years of active involvement in the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC). She has contributed to shaping the field of lung cancer through research, mentorship, and clinical trial involvement, serving on multiple IASLC committees, participating in conferences, and mentoring junior investigators through the IASLC Academy.
At UC San Diego, Dr. Bazhenova leads the Lung Cancer Unit and directs the Hematology-Oncology Training Program. She is committed to clinical research and oncology education, with a strong focus on professional development. She has authored over 120 publications in leading journals, including The New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of Clinical Oncology, The Lancet Oncology, Journal of Thoracic Oncology, and Clinical Cancer Research. She also serves as a deputy editor for Lung Cancer.
Beyond IASLC, she has held leadership roles in the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology and ASCO, serving on the Board of Directors, Board of Trustees, and Respiratory Committee of the Alliance, as well as chairing the ASCO Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee. In these roles, she provides strategic oversight, advances clinical trials, fosters multidisciplinary collaboration, and leads national efforts to standardize cancer care and improve patient outcomes. She was awarded the NCI Cancer Clinical Investigator Team Leadership Award (2012–2014) for her contributions to research.
A dedicated mentor, Dr. Bazhenova has received multiple teaching awards from UC San Diego, including the Health Sciences Faculty Excellence in Mentoring Award. She is actively involved in ASCO’s mentorship programs for medical students, trainees, and early-career physicians.
With extensive experience in clinical trials, institutional leadership, and education, Dr. Bazhenova is committed to advancing IASLC’s goals while supporting its diverse global membership.
Narjust Florez
Dr. Narjust Florez is a clinician-researcher committed to improving cancer care for vulnerable populations, particularly young patients and women with lung cancer. Her clinical interests and research focus on utilizing novel approaches for timely lung cancer diagnosis, targeted therapies for early-stage lung cancer, the unique disease characteristics in young adults with lung cancer, survivorship challenges in lung cancer, and the role of intersectionality in shaping patients’ experiences.
Dr. Florez is originally from Venezuela and graduated first in her medical school class at Universidad Católica Nordestana in the Dominican Republic. She completed her internal medicine residency at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (recognized as the Department of Medicine’s most academic resident in 2015 and 2016) and completed a hematology and clinical oncology fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where she served as chief fellow in oncology from 2018 to 2019.
During her time at the University of Wisconsin, she founded the Midwest’s first clinic dedicated to women with lung cancer. The clinic rapidly grew and was honored with the North American Cancer Care Team Award for exceptional clinical care at the IASLC 2021 World Conference on Lung Cancer.
Assuming the role of Associate Director of the Cancer Care Equity Program at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Dr. Florez oversees the Community-Based Cancer Diagnostic Clinic, addressing barriers to timely cancer diagnosis. Her contributions have led her to become the first Latina to hold an associate editor position for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and thoracic oncology at JAMA Oncology. Dr. Florez is also actively involved in community education and mentoring the next generation of healthcare providers and researchers.
As the director of the Florez Laboratory, Dr. Florez designs large-scale interventions to reduce barriers in lung cancer care. These efforts involve establishing national and international collaborations with hospitals, lung cancer foundations, and advocacy groups.