Starting on August 26, 2023, in honor of Women’s Equality Day in the United States, which commemorates the 1920 law granting women the right to vote, OncoDaily launched an initiative to spotlight 100 remarkable female leaders in oncology worldwide. Each week, 10 inspiring women were introduced, culminating in the full list and an updated edition in 2024.
Continuing this tradition, we are proud to present the 2025 list of 100 Influential Women in Oncology to Follow on Social Media.
While there are countless exceptional women leaders in oncology who deserve recognition, we acknowledge that we couldn’t feature everyone. This initiative is ongoing, and we look forward to your nominations for 2026. We’ll be sharing the submission link soon.
Here are the ninth 10 of 100 Influential Women in Oncology to follow in 2025:
Ziroat Mirziyoyeva is the First Lady of Uzbekistan and Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Zamin Foundation, where she champions global initiatives in childhood cancer survival and non-communicable disease prevention.
In September 2025 she chaired a landmark forum at the United Nations General Assembly titled “Global Movement to Improve Survival and Reduce Suffering of Children with Cancer and Other Life-Threatening Diseases,” in collaboration with the World Health Organization and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, calling for urgent action to raise pediatric cancer survival globally.
Her advocacy focuses on equitable access to care for children worldwide, especially in developing countries where survival rates lag far behind. She has helped elevate Uzbekistan on the international health-policy stage, aligning national strategies with global targets to boost childhood cancer survival to 60 % by 2030.
Follow Ziroat Mirziyoyeva on Instagram.
Lynn M. Schuchter is the Madlyn & Leonard Abramson Professor of Clinical Oncology and Chief of the Division of Hematology-Oncology at University of Pennsylvania (Perelman School of Medicine), where she also serves as Director of the Tara Miller Melanoma Center.
Dr. Schuchter is globally recognized for her transformative leadership in melanoma care and for shaping the field’s evolution from limited options to precision and immunotherapy. She has served as the President of American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) for 2023-2024, and her commitment to mentorship was honored with ASCO’s Women Who Conquer Cancer Mentorship Award.
Follow Dr. Lynn M. Schuchter on X.
Evis Sala is the Minister of Health and Social Welfare of Albania. A distinguished physician-scientist in oncologic imaging, Dr. Sala previously served as Founding Rector of the Western Balkans University (2022-2025) and led advanced cancer imaging programs at the University of Cambridge and Gemelli University Hospital in Rome.
In her ministerial role, she has made cancer diagnosis and treatment reform a key priority – pledging the reimbursement of oncology drugs and the rollout of a national diagnostics program powered by AI and digital health tools.
Follow Dr. Evis Sala on X and LinkedIn.
Michelle Mitchell OBE is the Chief Executive Officer of Cancer Research UK (CRUK), the world’s largest independent cancer research charity. She joined CRUK in 2018 and has since led the organization through a period of strategic growth and global impact in cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
Her previous leadership roles include Chief Executive of the Multiple Sclerosis Society (2013–2018) and Director General of Age UK – in addition to non-executive positions at NHS England and trustee roles at think-tanks such as The King’s Fund. Recognized for her services to the charity sector, Dr. Mitchell was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
Follow Michelle Mitchell on LinkedIn and X.
Felicia Marie Knaul is Associate of the Chancellor and Distinguished Professor of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) where she also serves as Senior Advisor to the Dean of the David Geffen School of Medicine and Senior Advisor to UCLA Health.
A breast cancer survivor and globally recognized economist and advocate, Dr. Knaul founded the Latin American non-profit Tómatelo a Pecho to drive early detection and access to treatment for women’s cancers. She co-chairs major commissions for The Lancet on Cancer & Health Systems and Violence against Women and Children and has led health-system reform efforts in Mexico and Colombia.
Follow Dr. Felicia Knaul on X and LinkedIn.
Tian Zhang is an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Associate Director of Clinical Research for the Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Dr. Zhang specializes in genitourinary malignancies and leads national efforts as Co-Chair of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Genitourinary Steering Committee Renal Task Force, while also serving on key guideline committees for American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC).
Her leadership in translational research has earned her honors such as the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) Scholar Rising Stars Award in 2021.
Follow Dr. Tian Zhang on X.
Kathleen M. Schmeler is Professor of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine and Associate Vice President of Global Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston). She leads large-scale international initiatives to reduce cervical cancer burden and advance screening and treatment access in underserved regions.
Her global leadership has been recognized by the International Gynecologic Cancer Society (IGCS), where she serves as Chair of the Education Committee, and by her pioneering work in tele-mentoring programs linking U.S. experts to providers in Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa.
Follow Dr. Kathleen Schmeler on X and LinkedIn.
Nazik Hammad is a Professor of Medical Oncology at Queen’s University and holds leadership roles in global oncology, including Chair of the Education and Training Committee at the African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC).
Dr. Hammad, who trained in Sudan and Canada, is committed to strengthening cancer care training and systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Her lead role in the Choosing Wisely Africa initiative and contributions to the Lancet Commission on Women, Power & Cancer direct the way in shaping global oncology.
Follow Dr. Nazik Hammad on LinkedIn and X.
Amy C. Moore is the Director, Patient Engagement and Advocacy at Summit Therapeutics, where her focus is within the lung cancer community and beyond as the team develops ivonescimab.
In her previous role as the Vice President of Global Engagement and Patient Partnerships at the LUNGevity Foundation, she led efforts to build global coalitions, elevate the patient voice, and accelerate research for lung cancer breakthroughs. Dr. Moore has also served as Director of Science and Research at the GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer.
Follow Dr. Amy C. Moore on X and LinkedIn.
Pat Garcia-Gonzalez is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Max Foundation. Under her leadership, The Max Foundation has distributed millions of doses of life-saving oncology therapies to underserved populations worldwide. She served as Chair of the Access to Oncology Medicines Coalition (ATOM) Council under Union for International Cancer Control and is a member of the advisory boards of the CML Advocates Network and the International CML Foundation.
She has been named one of the 2023 Fierce 50 Health Equity Honorees, recipient of the UICC Outstanding Contribution to Cancer Control award and recognized for humanitarian leadership in global oncology.
Follow Pat Garcia-Gonzalez on LinkedIn.
See also:
100 Influential Women in Oncology: Key Opinion Leaders to Follow on Social Media in 2025 – Part 8
100 Influential Women in Oncology: Key Opinion Leaders to Follow on Social Media in 2025 – Part 7
100 Influential Women in Oncology: Key Opinion Leaders to Follow on Social Media in 2025 – Part 6
100 Influential Women in Oncology: Key Opinion Leaders to Follow on Social Media in 2025 – Part 5
100 Influential Women in Oncology: Key Opinion Leaders to Follow on Social Media in 2025 – Part 4
100 Influential Women in Oncology: Key Opinion Leaders to Follow on Social Media in 2025 – Part 3
100 Influential Women in Oncology: Key Opinion Leaders to Follow on Social Media in 2025 – Part 2
100 Influential Women in Oncology: Key Opinion Leaders to Follow on Social Media in 2025 – Part 1
100 Influential Women in Oncology: Key Opinion Leaders to follow on Social Media in 2024
100 Influential Women in Oncology: Key Opinion Leaders to follow on Social Media in 2023
Oncologist Near Me – Lynn Schuchter
Oncologist Near Me – Nazik Hammad
