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.
Here are the final 10 of 100 Influential Women in Oncology to follow in 2025:
Mia Amor Mottley is the Prime Minister of Barbados – the country’s first female leader and first since becoming a republic. A global advocate for equity in health and development, she has prioritized access to life-saving medicines and cancer therapies through a landmark partnership with Rwanda and the WHO to establish a regional pharmaceutical hub in Barbados.
Under her leadership, the nation also launched the Living Laboratory for genomic research and molecular diagnostics to advance prevention and treatment of cancer and other non-communicable diseases. Recognized internationally for her transformative vision, Prime Minister Mottley received the United Nations Champions of the Earth Award (2021) and was named among TIME’s 100 Most Influential People (2022).
Follow Mia Mottley on X and LinkedIn.
Lordina Mahama is the First Lady of Ghana and Founder of the Lordina Foundation, championing women’s health and cancer prevention. During her tenure in the Office of the First Lady, she has spearheaded national campaigns for early-detection screening of breast and cervical cancers, in partnership with the Ghana Health Service and global HPV vaccination initiatives.
Her advocacy includes empowering outreach to rural and vulnerable populations, emphasizing that “early testing saves lives” as part of free public-health screening events that include breast-cancer exams. Recognized for her leadership in women’s and cancer health, she has received honors for her work on cervical- and breast-cancer awareness, women’s empowerment and health equity.
Follow Lordina Mahama on X.
Deborah Schrag is the Chair of the Department of Medicine at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) and the George J. Bosl Chair in Medicine. Before joining MSKCC, she served as Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Chief of the Division of Population Sciences at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Dr. Schrag serves on the board of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and is the current nominee for ASCO President-Elect. Her previous honors include the ASCO Health Services Research Award, election to the National Academy of Medicine, and recognition from the American Cancer Society for her leadership in improving access and equity in oncology.
Follow Dr. Deborah Schrag on LinkedIn.
Dilyara Kaidarova is the Chair of the Board of the Kazakh Institute of Oncology and Radiology and First Vice-Rector of the Kazakh National Medical University. She also serves as President of the Kazakhstan Cancer Society and is an academic of the National Academy of Sciences.
A surgical oncologist with more than 30 years of experience, Dr. Kaidarova has also founded the public fund Together Against Cancer, uniting healthcare professionals, policymakers, and civil society to advance early detection and improve access to treatment across Kazakhstan. Her leadership has been recognized with multiple honors, including the Thomson Reuters “Leader of Science” Award for outstanding contribution to cancer research and education.
Follow Dr. Dilyara Kaidarova on LinkedIn.
Rejin Kebudi is a Professor of Pediatrics and Pediatric Hematology-Oncology at Istanbul University Cerrahpaşa and the Oncology Institute in Turkey. She currently serves as the Secretary General of the International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP) and Chair of the Supportive Care Working Group, leading global efforts to improve care for children with cancer.
Dr. Kebudi led the Turkish Pediatric Oncology Group (TPOG) as past President, and advanced care including for refugee children with cancer in Turkey. Her work has been recognized with the International Women Who Conquer Cancer Mentorship Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in 2018 for her mentorship and leadership in oncology.
Follow Dr. Kebudi on LinkedIn.
Ivy L. Riano Monsalve is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth and a thoracic medical oncologist at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. She specializes in lung cancer care and continues to address health-care disparities among women and under-represented populations throughout her career.
As a Latina woman in oncology and cancer research in the U.S., Dr. Riano Monsalve is also an advocate for increasing diversity in the field and improving access to high-quality care for all patients.
Follow Dr. Ivy Riano on X and LinkedIn.
Barbara Ewals is the Chief Executive Officer of the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG), and her leadership in global geriatric oncology is widely recognized. She has been the Executive Director of Initiative for Global Resilience and Advisory Council Member of AsianNGO.
She is a featured voice in initiatives such as the Definitive Project for personalized HER2-positive breast cancer care in older patients.
Follow Barbara Ewals on LinkedIn.
Jessica MacIntyre is the President of the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) for the 2024–2026 term and Executive Director of Clinical Operations at the University of Miami’s Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, where she also serves as an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner. She co-founded and directs Florida’s first accredited-with-distinction Oncology Nurse Practitioner Fellowship Program and established the Sylvester Patient Family Advisory Council.
Her recognitions include the American Association of Nurse Practitioners State Award for Advocacy and the South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s Empowering and Embracing Women in Health Care Award.
Follow Jessica MacIntyre on LinkedIn and X.
Gabrielle van Ramshorst is Associate Professor of Gastrointestinal Oncological Surgery at Ghent University and Consultant Surgical Oncologist at Ghent University Hospital, Belgium. She leads advanced research on surgical outcomes and quality-of-life for cancer patients and serves as Associate Editor of Colorectal Disease and a member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Gynecological Oncology.
Her leadership roles in global surgical oncology include Vice-Chair of the International Committee at the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) and Chair of the Diversity Working Group for the European Society of Coloproctology (ESCP).
Follow Dr. Gabrielle van Ramshorst on X and LinkedIn.
Marlo Thomas is the National Outreach Director of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and an acclaimed actress-producer whose advocacy for childhood cancer has spanned decades.
She conceived and launched the Thanks & Giving campaign in 2004, which has become a major annual fundraising initiative for St. Jude – helping sustain global childhood cancer research and care.
Among her numerous honors, Marlo Thomas received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014 and helped establish the Marlo Thomas Center for Global Education and Collaboration at St. Jude – dedicated to scaling childhood cancer survival worldwide.
Follow Marlo Thomas on X and Instagram.
See also:
100 Influential Women in Oncology: Key Opinion Leaders to Follow on Social Media in 2025 – Part 9
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
Deborah Schrag is elected as a member of the National Academy of Medicine
Cancer Control in Kazakhstan: HE Dr. Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu Interviews Dr. Dilyara Kaidarova
