John V. Heymach
John V. Heymach, MD, PhD, is the Chair of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology and a Professor in the Departments of Thoracic Head and Neck Medical Oncology and Cancer Biology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Heymach joined the faculty in 2005 as an Assistant Professor, with a joint appointment in Thoracic/ Head and Neck Medical Oncology and Cancer Biology. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 2009 and Professor in 2013. He received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and both his MD and PhD from Stanford University Medical School in California. He then completed his Internship and Residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and his fellowship in Medical Oncology at Dana Farber Hospital. During his fellowship, he worked in the laboratory of Dr. Judah Folkman with clinical mentorship under Dr. Bruce Johnson.
As a physician-scientist, his bench-to-bedside research focuses on investigating mechanisms of therapeutic resistance to targeted agents, understanding the regulation of angiogenesis in lung cancer, and the development of biomarkers for selecting patients most likely to benefit from targeted agents and immunotherapy. As a clinical investigator, he has tackled some of the most intractable problems facing lung cancer patients and led studies establishing new standards of care including treatments for early-stage NSCLC, oligometastatic disease, and EGFR/HER2 mutant NSCLC.
Dr. Heymach’s commitment to IASLC is demonstrated in the numerous local, national, and international presentations he has given and conferences he has chaired over the past 20 years. Dr. Heymach encompasses the IASLC mission by driving multidisciplinary collaborative science, education, and advocacy to ensure optimal prevention and patient care for those suffering from lung and thoracic cancers. Further highlighting his national global impact, he has served on the Thoracic Malignancy Steering Committee of the NCI; in cooperative groups including SWOG and NRG; and as Scientific Advisor for multiple lung cancer advocacy groups including Lungevity, ALK positive, EGFR Resisters, the Rexanna Foundation, and others.
Terufumi Kato
Dr. Terufumi Kato is Director at the Clinical Research Center of the Tokyo Metropolitan Cancer and Infectious Diseases Center, Komagome Hospital.
He obtained his MD from Kyoto University in 1991, completed his residency in General Practice and Internal Medicine at Tenri Hospital, and later pursued advanced clinical and research fellowships in Medical Oncology at the National Cancer Center Hospital and Research Institute in Tokyo. His leadership journey began in 2008 as Chief of the Comprehensive Lung Cancer Care Unit at Kanagawa Cardiovascular and Respiratory Center, followed by his role as Chief of Thoracic Oncology at Kanagawa Cancer Center. In April 2025, he assumed his current position in Tokyo.
With expertise in the field of thoracic oncology, Dr. Kato has written or co-written over a hundred articles covering subjects such as lung cancer and drug-related adverse event management, particularly pneumonitis. He has also been a part of numerous clinical trials involving novel therapies in medicine, radiotherapy, and perioperative treatment. His main area of clinical research revolves around the individualized treatment of lung cancer, with a focus on cancer genotypes and biomarkers in relation to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Additionally, he is deeply involved in the management of drug-induced pneumonitis in various cancer treatments.
Dr. Kato is an active participant in several prominent scientific societies, both nationally and internationally, including the IASLC, ASCO, and ESMO. He serves as a program committee member for IASLC meetings such as the WCLC and ACLC and is also a member of several committees within the Japanese Lung Cancer Society and Japanese Society of Medical Oncology, specifically concerning “International Affairs” or “Public Relations.”
Outside of his professional life, Dr. Kato is known to enjoy music and travel, frequently embarking on adventures with his family and friends.
Jie Wang
Professor Jie Wang has more than 30 years of experience in thoracic cancers. She is the chair of the medical oncology division at the National Cancer Center, Cancer Hospital Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, which has led the nation’s cancer medicine and research in China.
Professor Jie Wang established herself as a medical oncologist dedicated to research mainly focused on lung cancer, notably in biomarkers, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. Her pioneering work on non-invasive molecular subtyping of NSCLC based on circulating tumor DNA established the foundation for liquid biopsy as a diagnostic standard. She also dedicates her work by engaging in clinical research on new drugs. She had led and co-led multiple national and international phase III clinical trials, including Choice-01, Capstone-1, Rationale 307, etc., to address various aspects of the management of advanced lung cancer. These works have been published in over 150 articles as corresponding authors in international peer-reviewed journals, including The Lancet Oncology, Cancer Cell, Lancet Respiratory Medicine, and Journal of Clinical Oncology, and also adopted by multiple guidelines, including NCCN, ASCO, ESMO, and CSCO. She was awarded the IASLC Heine H. Hansen Lectureship Award in 2023.
She is serving multiple leadership roles in China’s leading oncology organizations, including Vice President of CSCO, Chair of the CSCO Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Committee, and Chair of the Multidisciplinary Diagnosis and Treatment Committee of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, driving multidisciplinary collaboration, standardized care, and capacity-building. She has had a long-standing involvement with WCLC since 2011, and she is now serving on the Membership Committee and DEI Task Force. Also, she co-chaired the 2024 Asia Conference of Lung Cancer in Hong Kong.
Zhang Li
Dr. Zhang Li is a leading medical oncologist and Deputy Director of the Lung Cancer Research Centre at Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Centre (SYSUCC), where he has over 30 years of experience. Dr. Zhang earned his medical degree from Sun Yat-Sen University in 1986. He began his career at SYSUCC as an attending physician, rising to associate professor and now full professor in the Department of Medical Oncology. He pursued further training at MD Anderson Cancer Center and Institut Gustave Roussy. His expertise is recognized through memberships in prominent organizations like IASLC, ASCO, AACR, ESMO, CSCO, CACA and MASCC. Dr. Zhang also consults for the Center of Drug Evaluation (CDE) under the Chinese FDA, contributing significantly to regulatory frameworks for cancer drug development in China, including the CFDA’s guidance for industry on clinical trials.
Dr. Zhang’s research centers on improving care for lung cancer and nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients through the development of molecular, prognostic, and therapeutic approaches. He is also actively involved in palliative and supportive care research, such as cancer pain management and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. He has authored over 400 peer-reviewed publications in prestigious journals like Lancet, Lancet Oncology, JAMA, and Nature Medicine, presented at numerous international conferences, and serves on editorial boards for several journals.
He holds key leadership positions, including Vice-President of the Small Cell Lung Cancer Committee and President of the Clinical Trial Committee for the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association (CACA), standing committee member of the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO), and President of the immunotherapy expert committee of CSCO.