Oncothon is a telethon spanning 24 hours, dedicated to gathering donations for childhood cancer research. Akira Nakagawara,chair of the Asian Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Group (APHOG) will introduce us APHOG activities and events related to APHOG.

Speakers

Akira Nakagawara is a distinguished medical practitioner associated with the Saga International Heavy Ion Cancer Therapy Foundation. He has been actively involved in leading international conferences such as the Advances in Neuroblastoma Research in 2008, the 2nd Japan-China Symposium on Cancer Research in 2012, and the 6th International p63p73 Workshop in 2013.

Dr. Nakagawara holds positions in various organizations dedicated to pediatric oncology, including serving as the Continental President of SIOP Asia, the Asian Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Group (APHOG), and the Japanese Neuroblastoma Study Group (JNBSG; JCCG).

He is also recognized as an Executive Core Member of the Integrative International Neuroblastoma Risk Group (iINRG) since 2012 and an International Associate Member of the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) since 2013. Furthermore, Dr. Nakagawara contributes his expertise to the editorial boards of esteemed journals such as Cancer Research, Cancer Science, Pediatric Blood and Cancer, and the Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology.

He has published 415 papers in international English journals. Notably, Dr. Nakagawara has been honored with the Saga Shimbun Cultural Award in 2021 and the prestigious Austrian Albert Schweitzer Award for Distinguished Service in 2023.

Moderator

Ricardo García is the Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and a Member of the Board of Directors at Oncoheroes Biosciences. Ricardo has a diverse background in computer engineering, management, and business administration. His journey into entrepreneurship began early, leading to the successful sale of his first company when he was just 22 years old. This led Ricardo to start and grow multiple tech-focused companies, all driven by a passion for innovation.

In 2011, his son Richi was diagnosed with a brain tumor. This challenging experience prompted Ricardo to uproot his life and relocate to Boston to support his son’s treatment journey. During this period Ricardo discovered significant gaps and challenges in the support system for childhood cancer patients and their families.

Motivated by his journey, Ricardo founded the Richi Childhood Cancer Foundation, a non-profit organization with a global outreach. The foundation aims to address the unmet needs in childhood cancer care and support, leveraging Ricardo’s passion for making a meaningful difference in the lives of children and families affected by cancer.