Board of Directors

Dr. Asirwa has been a Medical Oncologist & Hematologist for over 13 years, PD/PI of several access to personalized cancer care and research initiatives, including Blueprint Program (Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi, and Uganda), Shining Tower Program, Clinical Trials Program-all geared towards enhancing early detection, promoting primary HPV screening, providing SOC diagnostics & therapeutics cancer research. He has conceptualized and developed several training programs, including SSA Oncology Preceptorship training, a Digital Pathology Program, a Telemedicine Program, an Oncology training for Physician assistants (Clinical Officers), the development of an Oncology Nursing training program in Kenya, a Medical Oncology Fellowship Program, and Oncology Pharmacy program and assisted in the development of gynecologic oncology program. He has assisted in establishing 17 screening and early detection centers for breast and cervical cancers in Kenya, working closely with the county's MOH and other local partners named EMPOWER clinics. Dr. Asirwa is also the PI of over 20 Clinical Trials (Phase I, II, and III) in SSA. 

As Director (2011-2019) of AMPATH in Kenya, a consortium of a dozen Universities in the United States in partnership with Moi University, Kenya. In this role, he conceptualized and developed infrastructure for telemedicine at AMPATH, created a robust hematology & oncology outreach program in rural Kenya, and participated in the development of the Kenya National Cancer Control policies, strategic plans, and guidelines by the National MOH. As PI to various clinical and research programs, he established a Multiple Myeloma program, a Lymphoma Program, a functional tumor registry, an Integrated Breast & Cervical Cancer screening & treatment program, Hemophilia and Sickle cell diagnostics, treatment & research, EMR for Oncology care and screening, a multinational Lung Cancer Control Program, MLCCP (Kenya, South Africa, Lesotho, Tanzania, and Eswatini). He also teaches at various Universities in SSA and participates in Scientific Review Committees (SRC) and Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) of various Oncology/Hematology Clinical Trials both in the U.S. and SSA. 

Clarissa Baldotto, MD, MSc, PhD, is a dedicated thoracic medical oncologist from Brazil, recognized for her commitment to clinical research, education, and leadership in oncology. Dr. Baldotto’s academic journey began at Universidade Federal Fluminense, where she earned her Doctor of Medicine (MD). She then pursued a specialization in Internal Medicine followed by a residency in Medical Oncology at the Instituto Nacional de Câncer (INCA), one of Brazil’s leading cancer institutions. Her passion for research and education led her to complete a Master’s in Oncology at INCA and a PhD in Medical Sciences at Instituto D’Or for Research and Education, focusing on lung cancer, both under the mentorship of Dr. Carlos Gil Ferreira. 

She currently serves as Medical Director of Oncology Integrated Care at Rede D’Or. She is also a permanent professor in the Doctorate Program at Instituto D’Or for Research and Education (ID’Or), where she coordinates the Oncology Residence program, mentors young oncologists, and fosters new research initiatives. Rede D’Or is the most extensive hospital network in Brazil. 

Beyond academia, Dr. Baldotto plays an active role in oncology leadership. She is President-Elect of the Brazilian Society of Clinical Oncology (SBOC) and former President of the Brazilian School of Oncology, having previously served as President of the Brazilian Group of Thoracic Oncology (GBOT) and reinforcing her influence in shaping policies that support oncology professionals. Internationally, she is an active member of IASLC’s Education Committee and chairs the Webinars Subcommittee, working to expand global access to lung cancer education. 

A respected researcher and speaker at oncology meetings across Latin America and beyond, Dr. Baldotto is committed to bridging clinical research, education, and oncology advocacy to drive meaningful advancements in the field. 

Dr. Chang is a thoracic radiation oncologist with more than 30 years of experience with clinical care and research focusing on lung cancer. He holds a tenured Texas 4000 Distinguished Professorship and is Director of Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy at MD Anderson Cancer Center. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Radiation Oncology and has been recognized with the Best Doctors of America award. He is a voting committee member of NCCN thoracic guidelines and co-chair of the international particle therapy PTCOG scientific program committee. As one of the pioneers in the field of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR, or SBRT: stereotactic body radiation therapy), proton therapy, and immunotherapy for lung cancer, he published more than 300 peer-reviewed articles in prestigious journals, including LANCET, Nature, JAMA, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Journal of Thoracic Oncology, RED J, Green J, and various others. His prospective studies including randomized studies comparing surgery vs. SABR in operable stage I lung cancer, stereotactic proton vs. photon radiotherapy in challenging early-stage lung cancer, immunotherapy plus SABR (I-SABR) vs. SABR alone in early-stage lung cancer were the first reported studies in the world. He led the first concurrent proton therapy and chemotherapy in stage III lung cancer, and his team implemented the first intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) in lung cancer. His research has helped to establish the role of SABR, proton therapy, and I-SABR in lung cancer. Additionally, on behalf of national and international societies, including the IASLC ART committee, he has led several important consensus statements that have significantly impacted the radiation oncology community about SABR, proton therapy in lung cancer, IMPT in moving thoracic cancers, management of small cell lung cancer, oligometastasis, and re-irradiation of thoracic cancer. 

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. 

Hidehito Horinouchi, MD, PhD, is currently engaged in patient care, teaching, and research in thoracic medical oncology as an assistant chief at the Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. As director of the Center for Professional Education and Career Development, he supports young medical, surgical, and radiation oncologists and other medical staff in learning specialized cancer treatment. Many young oncologists started their research with his assistance and received honorable awards, including the ASCO Merit Awards and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) grants.

His activities are not limited to his institution but reach out to the Asia-Pacific region and globally by utilizing educational committees in the Japan Lung Cancer Society (JLCS), the Japanese Society of Medical Oncology (JSMO), and IASLC. He has served as Deputy Chair of the Education Committee for all these societies, and his contributions have strengthened inter-society collaboration. As a member of the JLCS Board of Directors, he has been particularly focused on aligning with the IASLC and has led the signing of the MOU for the IASLC-JLCS society partnership.

He also serves as the general secretary of JCOG (Japan Clinical Oncology Group), contributing to initiating many clinical trials covering broad fields in thoracic oncology, with multiple modalities, including immunotherapy, cytotoxic agents, radiotherapy, and surgery. Based on his wealth of knowledge and experience, he has conducted essential trials, including the trial evaluating nivolumab for patients with thymic epithelial tumor and currently engaging multimodality therapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer, registration trial of minimal residual disease (MRD) analysis for lung cancer in Japan.

He has provided many presentations at key academic conferences, including the IASLC, ASCO, and ESMO. He published more than 200 peer-reviewed manuscripts, mainly in thoracic oncology.

Dr. Natasha Leighl leads the Thoracic Medical Oncology Group at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto, and is an Adjunct Professor at the Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. She holds the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation OSI Pharmaceuticals Foundation Chair in Cancer New Drug Development. She has published over 350 peer-reviewed papers, held multiple peer-reviewed grants, and mentored many trainees who have gone on to leadership roles in oncology around the world. In 2019, she was awarded the American Society of Clinical Oncology Excellence in Teaching Award. Her passion for improving patient care has driven her research in lung cancer drug development lung cancer diagnostics, including liquid biopsy, guideline development, and outcomes research.

She has led several international and cooperative group studies in lung cancer, served on the Lung Disease Site Group Executive of the Canadian Cancer Clinical Trials Group (CCTG), was Co-Chair of the CCTG Committee on Economic Analysis, Congress Co-President of the 2018 World Conference on Lung Cancer, and serves on the ASCO Thoracic Guidelines Advisory Group, ESMO Guidelines Group (Lead, non-metastatic lung cancer), is Faculty Coordinator (Metastatic Lung Cancer) for the ESMO Education Committee, Chair of the International Society of Liquid Biopsy Education Committee and co-Chair of the 2024 European Lung Cancer Congress. She is Deputy Editor of Critical Reviews in Hematology/Oncology, Section co-editor of Therapeutic Advances in Medical Oncology, and serves on multiple editorial boards, including the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, and was a previous Web Editor. She is a strong supporter of patient advocacy and serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Lung Cancer Foundation of America, she is the Past President of Lung Cancer Canada (2009-2016) and an Honorary Chair of the Exon20 Group. 

Professor Isabelle Opitz is Director of the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Chair of the Lung Cancer Center, and Board member of the Robotic and Transplant Center at the University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland. She is Professor/Ordinaria for Thoracic Surgery at the University of Zurich. Her clinical areas of expertise are the surgical treatment of lung cancer, pleural mesothelioma, chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, and lung transplantation. 

She has received several national and international awards for her research and has acquired more than 13 million Euro grants for her own research. She received the Robert J. Ginsberg Lectureship Award for Surgery from IASLC in 2022 and the Tudor Edwards Lecture Award from SCTS in 2023. She is the author of more than 240 articles, including 161 original articles, multiple reviews, and book chapters. She is Past President and Past Treasurer of the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons. For this society, she still serves as a member of the Robotic Working Group, organizing the newly founded ESTS Robotic Academy, and is chair of the Clinical Trial Working Group, the Thoracic European Surgical Trials (TEST) Clinical Trials Platform. She is the International Director of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery and serves in their Thoracic Education Committee and the Thoracic Clinical Practice Standards Committee. She will be one of the co-chairs of the IASLC World Conference on Lung Cancer 2025. 

Dr. Mary Pasquinelli is a doctorate-prepared nurse practitioner specializing in lung cancer, with expertise spanning the entire continuum from screening and pulmonary nodule management to diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. Her clinical research focuses on lung cancer, screening, and health disparities, with a strong commitment to improving access to early detection and care for underserved populations. 

Dr. Pasquinelli developed and directed the Lung Cancer Screening Program at the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System (UI Health) in Chicago, serving predominantly minority populations from low-resource communities. Under her leadership, UI Health’s lung screening program has gained national recognition and has been designated a GO2 for Lung Cancer and an American College of Radiology Lung Cancer Screening Center of Excellence. 

As a certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist, she has integrated comprehensive smoking cessation services into the Lung Screening Program and medical oncology clinic, ensuring a holistic approach to lung health. She has worked to implement patient-centered initiatives that improve lung cancer prevention efforts and enhance engagement in smoking cessation treatment. 

She serves as principal investigator or co-investigator on multiple grants and research protocols focusing on thoracic oncology and health disparities. Her research, published in JAMA Oncology, has demonstrated higher rates of positive lung screens and diagnosed lung cancer among UI Health’s screening population compared to the NLST. She has also conducted studies assessing the PLCOm2012 risk prediction model impact on race/sex disparities, published in JTO and Chest, and plays a key role in AI-driven lung cancer risk prediction through the Sybil Consortium. 

Dr. Pasquinelli is a frequent speaker at national and international conferences. In 2021, she received the Prevent Cancer Foundation James L. Mulshine National Leadership Award. Last year, she was honored with UI Health’s Nurse Practitioner of the Year award, the highest recognition for nurse practitioners at UI Health. 

Helmut Prosch, MD, is an Associate Professor of Radiology and the section chief of thoracic imaging at the Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria. He obtained his medical degree in 2000 from the University of Vienna and trained in Radiology at the Otto Wagner Hospital in Vienna. Previously, he worked as a research fellow at the Children’s Cancer Research Institute in Vienna. 

Dr. Prosch’s research primarily focuses on the diagnosis and staging of lung cancer, as well as the application of deep learning in predicting treatment response on lung cancer and in diagnosing diffuse parenchymal lung diseases. He has authored more than 250 articles, reviews, and book chapters, and serves as the deputy editor of European Radiology. Additionally, he is the current president elect of the European Society of Thoracic Imaging (ESTI). 

Dr. Prosch is part of the coordination team for the EU-funded project “Strengthening the Screening of Lung Cancer in Europe” (SOLACE), which seeks to advance the implementation of lung cancer screening programs across Europe. As part of this initiative, he leads Work Package 7, dedicated to sustainability and training. 

Dr. Prosch served as a member of the organizing committee of the World Conference on Lung Cancer in 2016 and in 2022 as a co-chair. Since 2026 he has been a member of the Member of the Staging and Prognostic Factors Group for the 9th and 10th Edition of the IASLC Staging Project. 

Dr. Antoni Rosell (Barcelona, 1963) Pulmonologist (1992), PhD in Medicine (2000), Diploma in Biostatistics (2004), European Certification in Respiratory Medicine (HERMES) (2009), and Professor of Medicine at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (2021), he has held the position of Chief of Respiratory Endoscopy Unit of the Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge (Barcelona) between 2005 and 2018. Since then, he is the Clinical Director of the Thoracic Institute of the Hospital Universitari of the Germans Trias I Pujol Hospital (Barcelona), managing the Pulmonology Service and the Thoracic Surgery Service. He has made short stages in international hospitals and research centers between 1998 and 2013, learning autofluorescence, endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS), rigid bronchoscopy, and lung cancer screening programs. He has been the introducer in Spain of the EBUS, the autofluorescence bronchoscopy, and the non-electromagnetic navigation system (Archimedes©). During 2012-2018, he developed an international fellowship on interventional bronchoscopy. He is a referral in this field, specifically rigid bronchoscopy and stenting. He leads the Translational Pulmonology Research Group of the Germans Trias Research Institute (IGTP).

Dr. Rosell is a reviewer of research projects of various public health agencies and international journals. He published 22 articles in Q1, h-Index of 16, and is the co-author of 3 patents. Together with the group of chemists, an antibiofilm silver-eluting stent was developed and tested in an animal model. His research is focused on radiomics and radiogenomics applied in lung cancer screening, and he is participating in the International Lung Screen Trial (ISLT). He chaired the 3rd European Congress of the EABIP (European Association for Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology) in 2015 and was the vice president of the World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) in Barcelona (2019). 

Dr. Sen is a recognized leader in lung cancer research, specializing in therapy-resistant cancers like small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and oncogene-driven non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Her pioneering work on DNA damage response (DDR) pathways and immune activation through the STING pathway has led to the development of novel therapeutic strategies and clinical trials aimed at improving treatment for aggressive lung cancers. Additionally, she has identified key molecular drivers of NSCLC-to-SCLC transformation, advanced the understanding of therapy resistance, and driven innovative treatment approaches. 

With over 60 peer-reviewed publications in top journals such as Cancer Discovery and Nature Communications, Dr. Sen has made significant contributions to the scientific community. Her research has been recognized with multiple prestigious awards, including the AAAS Martin and Rose Wachtel Cancer Research Award and the 40 Under 40 in Cancer: Emerging Leaders Award. As an independent investigator, she has secured three NIH R01 grants and garnered funding from major pharmaceutical companies. 

Dr. Sen’s impact extends beyond research. She has played a pivotal role in the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), contributing to key scientific and leadership initiatives. Through her involvement in organizing conferences, reviewing abstracts, and serving on committees, she has advanced the global lung cancer research agenda. Her commitment to mentorship is equally strong, having mentored numerous postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and junior faculty, fostering the next generation of cancer researchers. She has served as the President of the Association for Women in Science Gulf Coast Houston Chapter. Her commitment to leadership reflects her dedication to enhancing diversity, inclusion, and professional development within the field. 

Dr. Sen’s ongoing contributions to lung cancer research, clinical trials, continued leadership, and commitment to mentorship continue to shape the future of the field, improving outcomes for patients and inspiring the next generation of scientists. 

Dr. Motoko Tachihara is an Associate Professor in the Division of Respiratory Medicine at Kobe University, Japan. She is a leading expert in bronchoscopy, drug treatment for thoracic cancers, and pneumonitis. Additionally, as a board-certified cytologist, she is among the few physicians with expertise spanning lung cancer diagnosis to treatment. Dr. Tachihara has contributed significantly to the advancement of bronchoscopy, particularly through the development of the virtual bronchoscopic navigation system (Bf-NAVI®), which enhances diagnostic accuracy for lung cancer. Regarding the treatment of thoracic cancer, as a board-certified medical oncologist (JSMO), she has been actively involved in clinical trials through esteemed organizations such as the West Japan Oncology Group (WJOG) and has played a key role in multiple clinical trials.

A dedicated member of the IASLC, Dr. Tachihara has presented at the World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) almost annually since her first international presentation in 2005. She has served as an invited speaker, session chair, and SCLC program committee chair and member for WCLC (2024, 2025), including roles on the DEI Task Force and Career Development Committee. Beyond research and clinical practice, Dr. Tachihara is deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of physicians, particularly in bronchoscopy and thoracic oncology. She serves as a role model for young female doctors in Japan, advocating for excellence in research, education, and patient care. She is honored to contribute to the global fight against thoracic cancer through clinical practice, research, and education. Outside of her professional life, she has a positive personality, is tireless, loves communicating with people, and enjoys raising her two children. She was a KARATE champion in Japan in her university days.

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. 

Wen-Zhao Zhong received his Ph.D. in Oncology, specializing in thoracic surgery, from Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China. At present, he is serving as the chief physician of thoracic neoplasms surgery at Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute. Wen-Zhao is broadly interested in the area of clinical trials and translational research involving early-stage and locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer, which include systemic treatment modality of stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), personalized perioperative treatment, diagnosis and management of pulmonary nodules as well as early screening of lung cancer. His recent projects involve personalized treatment modalities for localized mutant non-small cell lung cancer and ctDNA-guided personalized treatment.

Recent relevant research has been published in high-impact journals such as the Journal of Clinical Oncology, NPJ Precision Oncology, Journal of Thoracic Oncology, etc. In 2022 WCLC, he achieved the TSUGUO NARUKE Lectureship award for surgery in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the field of thoracic oncology and particularly to thoracic surgery.