Since August 26, 2023, Women’s Equality Day in the United States has marked the beginning of a special OncoDaily tradition – the 100 Influential Women in Oncology. On this day, we launched an initiative to recognize 100 inspiring women making a difference in oncology around the world, highlighting 10 remarkable women each week.
And this year, we’re continuing the journey with our 2026 list of 100 Influential Women in Oncology, showcasing the remarkable efforts made by these inspiring women across the world to improve cancer care.
There are so many incredible women in oncology whose work deserves to be seen and celebrated, and we know that one list can never include everyone. This is an ongoing initiative, and we’d love to hear your suggestions for the 100 Influential Women in Oncology in 2026 list. We’ll be sharing the nomination link soon.
We are proud to introduce the next 10 women featured in our 2026 list of 100 Influential Women in Oncology:
Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton
Catherine, Princess of Wales has emerged as a prominent public voice for people affected by cancer following her own diagnosis in 2024 and subsequent treatment at The Royal Marsden; she announced in January 2025 that she was in remission. She later became Joint Patron of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, meeting patients and staff and using her platform to highlight the realities of cancer treatment and recovery. In 2026, she deepened that commitment by participating in Cancer Research UK’s 125th-anniversary events and completing the National Three Peaks Challenge in support of The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. Read more about Kate Middleton’s cancer journey on OncoDaily.
Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu
Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu, MD, is a Nigerian pediatrician and global cancer-control leader serving as President-elect of the Union for International Cancer Control for the 2024–2026 term. She is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Medicaid Cancer Foundation, which works to improve cancer awareness, screening, treatment access, patient support, and health-system capacity in Nigeria. A former First Lady of Kebbi State, she has become a prominent advocate for women’s cancers and equitable access to cancer services across Africa, with particular attention to the financial, cultural, and structural barriers that delay diagnosis and treatment
Julie Gralow
Julie R. Gralow, MD, FACP, FASCO, is Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. An internationally recognized breast medical oncologist, she previously served as the Jill Bennett Endowed Professor of Breast Cancer at the University of Washington and Director of Breast Medical Oncology at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. Her career has combined breast cancer research and clinical care with major leadership in oncology policy, professional education, research access, and global cancer equity, including longstanding efforts to strengthen cancer-care capacity and patient advocacy internationally.
Libby Horne
Libby Horne is Senior Vice President of U.S. Oncology and HIV at EMD Serono, the healthcare business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, where she leads the commercial strategy and performance of the company’s U.S. oncology portfolio. Her remit includes therapies across precision oncology and immuno-oncology, with EMD Serono’s current U.S. portfolio including TEPMETKO (tepotinib) and BAVENCIO (avelumab), alongside an expanding pipeline in antibody-drug conjugates and DNA-damage response therapeutics. With more than a decade of previous leadership experience at GSK, Horne brings extensive expertise in translating therapeutic innovation into patient access and clinical impact.
Martha Raymond
Martha Raymond, MA, is the Founder and CEO of the GI Cancers Alliance and The Raymond Foundation, and has spent more than four decades advocating for people affected by cancer and their caregivers. The GI Cancers Alliance now brings together more than 125 advocacy organizations, academic centers, and industry partners worldwide, with a focus on education, collaboration, and ensuring the patient voice is incorporated into research and care. In 2023, she received the Excellence in Colorectal Cancer Advocacy Award and the Luminary Award in GI Cancers for her contributions to patient advocacy and research.
Marcia Kayath
Marcia Kayath, MD, PhD, MBA, is Chief Medical Officer of Sanofi. A Brazilian physician and endocrinologist by training, she previously served as Global Head of Medical Affairs at BioMarin and spent 17 years at Novartis, ultimately becoming Chief Medical Officer and Global Head of Medical Affairs. Her career has deep roots in oncology, including leadership as Oncology Regional Medical Head for Latin America and Vice President of Oncology Global Medical Affairs at Novartis. With experience spanning oncology, rare diseases, clinical development, and global medical strategy, Kayath has become one of the most senior women shaping how major pharmaceutical innovations move from development into patient care.
Allyson Ocean
Allyson J. Ocean, MD, is a gastrointestinal medical oncologist and Director of the Pancreatic Cancer Research Program at Weill Cornell Medicine, where she leads clinical research investigating novel approaches including antibody–drug conjugates, radiolabeled antibodies, oncolytic viruses, and targeted therapies. She is also co-founder and Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of Let’s Win Pancreatic Cancer, a patient-focused platform created to connect people with pancreatic cancer to emerging research, clinical trials, and treatment options; the organization received the inaugural Biden Cancer Initiative FIERCE Award in 2018.
Dilyara Kaidarova
Dilyara Kaidarova, MD, PhD, is a leading Kazakh oncologist and oncogynecologist who serves as First Vice-Rector of Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University, Head of its Department of Oncology, and President of the Association of Oncologists of Kazakhstan. She previously led the Kazakh Research Institute of Oncology and Radiology from 2016 to 2025, where she helped advance modern radiotherapy, cancer research, and national oncology services. An Academician of Kazakhstan’s National Academy of Sciences, Kaidarova remains an important voice in strengthening cancer education, research, and international collaboration across Kazakhstan and Central Asia.
Kimryn Rathmell
Kimryn Rathmell, MD, PhD, MMHC, is an internationally recognized kidney cancer physician-scientist and CEO and Director of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute. From 2023 to 2025, she served as the 17th Director of the U.S. National Cancer Institute, helping lead national cancer research and prevention efforts and the NCI’s contribution to the Cancer Moonshot. Her research has transformed understanding of the molecular biology of kidney cancer, including leadership in The Cancer Genome Atlas kidney cancer projects; that work contributed to her receiving the 2020 AACR Team Science Award.
Neha Vapiwala
Neha Vapiwala, MD, FACR, FASTRO, FASCO, is a radiation oncologist and President of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), one of the world’s leading professional organizations for radiation oncology. She is the Eli Glatstein Professor of Radiation Oncology, Vice Chair of Education, and Associate Dean for Admissions at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, with clinical and research expertise in genitourinary cancers, particularly prostate cancer. Her leadership has shaped radiation oncology education and workforce development nationally. She was elected Fellow of ASTRO in 2021 and Fellow of ASCO in 2023.
The fourth group of 10 women featured in OncoDaily’s 100 Influential Women in Oncology 2026 brought together another group of remarkable women making a difference across the field of oncology. We will continue next week with the next 10 women on the list, sharing more stories of women whose work is making a difference in oncology around the world and don’t forget to nominate a someone you would like to see in OncoDaily 100.
Don’t miss the previous parts of 100 Influential Women in Oncology in 2026: Key Opinion Leaders in Social Media and Beyond.
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