Lizza Hendriks
Dr. Lizza Hendriks is a prominent pulmonologist specializing in thoracic oncology at Maastricht University Medical Centre in the Netherlands. As the leader of the Clinical Lung Cancer Research Department, she has a distinguished focus on brain metastases in lung cancer, neurocognition, oligometastases, and locally advanced diseases. She obtained her PhD on brain metastases in 2016 and furthered her expertise with postdoctoral research on brain metastases and immunotherapy at Gustave Roussy in France under the mentorship of Professor Besse.
In her current roles, Dr. Hendriks represents the thoracic oncology department in the Maastricht UMC Comprehensive Cancer Centre and Chairs the Innovative Cancer Diagnostics Therapy group at the Research Institute for Oncology and Reproduction (GROW) at Maastricht University, where she is also an Associate Professor. Her involvement in clinical and translational research is extensive, with active roles as a principal investigator in several Phase II and III clinical trials focusing on advanced non-small cell and small cell lung cancers, and cutting-edge treatments.
As a dedicated member of numerous professional societies, including IASLC, ESMO and ASCO, Dr. Hendriks contributes significantly to clinical practice guidelines and conference programming. In 2021, she was honored with membership in the Young Academy of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, reflecting her influential role in the field.
Examples of her active IASLC involvement are: regular member or track chair as well as invited speaker of the WCLC and other IASLC conferences such as scientific cochair for ELCC 2022, contribution to the IASLC biomarker handbook, member of the N-subcommittee for the IASLC Staging and Prognostic Factors Group supporting the development of the 10th edition of the lung cancer staging systems, and regular contributor to IASLC webinars and podcasts. Furthermore, she is associate editor of JTOCRR and editorial board member of JTO.
Helena Linardou
Helena Linardou is a Medical Oncologist specializing in thoracic oncology, based in Athens, Greece. She completed her specialization in Medical Oncology in Greece and the UK and obtained a PhD from Imperial College London, focusing on novel antibody-enzyme fusion proteins for cancer targeting.
Since 2001, she has worked at Metropolitan Hospital, Athens, where, since 2018, she has served as the Director of the 4th Oncology Department and the Comprehensive Clinical Trials Center. Her expertise spans biomarker discovery, molecular oncology, and precision medicine, integrating translational research with clinical validation of novel therapies. She has extensive experience in immunotherapy, targeted therapies, and combination treatment strategies for lung cancer. Her research contributions involve the development of monoclonal antibody-based therapies, tumor-targeting strategies, and molecularly guided treatment interventions. She has also been actively involved in lung cancer screening, early detection programs, and survivorship research. She has coordinated numerous national and international clinical studies and has led her institution in successful EU-funded international research projects. She held an Associate Professorship at the Department of Health Sciences, West Attica University, where she taught combination oncology therapies. Since 2021, she has served as the elected Scientific Chair of the Hellenic Cooperative Oncology Group (HeCOG), Greece’s largest clinical research group, and as Coordinator of the Lung Cancer Working Group.
Dr. Linardou is an active member of several international oncology societies, holding key leadership roles. She is currently a member of the ESMO Council, an elected member of the ESMO Nomination Committee, and Chair of the ESMO W4O Committee, actively working for gender equity, diversity, and inclusion. Additionally, she is a member of the IASLC Educational Committee and an IASLC Academy mentor. She is a founding Board Member of the first non-profit organization for Lung Cancer Care in Greece and co-founder of the first lung cancer screening program in the country.
Isabelle Opitz
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.
Sara Ramella
Sara Ramella is a distinguished expert in Radiation Oncology, holding a Full Professorship in Diagnostic Imaging and Radiotherapy at Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma since 2020, after a university career path started as a researcher (2008) and subsequently associate professor (2014). She earned her Medical Degree (2000) and completed her Residency in Radiation Oncology (2004) at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome.
Since 2021, she has been Head of the Radiation Oncology Unit at Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico (Rome), overseeing clinical and research activities in radiation oncology. She is also the Director of the Radiation Oncology Residency Program (since 2014) and President of the bachelor’s degree in Imaging and Radiotherapy Techniques (since 2016). In 2022, she was appointed Pro-Rector for Integration and Social Impact and joined the Gender Equality Plan working group.
Prof. Ramella plays a key role in international oncology research. She is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology (JTO) and a contributor to ESTRO and ASTRO guidelines on lung cancer radiotherapy. She has chaired scientific sessions at major conferences such as IASLC WCLC, ESTRO, and ELCC and held leadership roles in societies such as ESTRO, EORTC, AIOM, and AIRO.
Her research focuses on advanced radiation oncology for lung cancer, and she has led clinical trials shaping modern treatment strategies. With a strong commitment to clinical excellence, research, and education, Prof. Ramella continues to be a leading figure in radiation oncology at both national and international levels.