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.
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 eighth 10 of 100 Influential Women in Oncology to follow in 2025:
Stella Kyriakides is a Cypriot psychologist-turned-politician and former European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety (2019 – 2024). She led the European Union’s landmark “Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan” and drove policy on medicines, health-data and prevention. Recently, she has been recognized with the Yvonne Lifetime Achievement Award 2025.
A breast cancer survivor and former President of Europa Donna, she has long been a global advocate for cancer patients, screening and equity in oncology. She also served as President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and held senior roles in Cypriot public health and cancer policy.
Follow Stella Kyriakides on X.
Valentina Prevolnik Rupel is the Minister of Health for the Republic of Slovenia. A trained economist with a PhD from the University of Ljubljana, she previously served as State Secretary at the Ministry of Health.
Her career has focused on health system reform, value-based care, outcome measurement, and health technology assessment. She has guided national policy initiatives including amendments protecting the “right to be forgotten” for cancer survivors in Slovenia.
Follow Valentina Prevolnik Rupel on LinkedIn.
Maryam Lustberg is Professor of Internal Medicine (Medical Oncology) at Yale School of Medicine and serves as Director of the Center for Breast Cancer and Chief of Breast Medical Oncology at Smilow Cancer Hospital, Yale Cancer Center.
Dr. Lustberg is a recognized leader in breast cancer care and survivorship. She was rated by Forbes as one of the top breast medical oncologists in the U.S. and has been named to Castle Connolly’s “Regional Top Doctors” and “Exceptional Women in Medicine.” She serves on key national committees for American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and is Past-President of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC).
Follow Dr. Maryam Lustberg on X and LinkedIn.
Bahija Jallal is the Chief Executive Officer and Director of the Board at Immunocore, a pioneering biotech company focused on T-cell receptor (TCR) therapies for cancer, infections and autoimmune diseases. Since joining in January 2019, she has led the company through commercialization of its first product and global expansion of its pipeline.
Prior to Immunocore, Dr. Jallal held senior leadership roles including President of MedImmune (AstraZeneca’s biologics arm) and Executive Vice President at AstraZeneca. Her board memberships include Anthem, Inc. and the Board of Trustees at Johns Hopkins University. She was named Woman of the Year in 2017 by the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association for her contributions to biotech.
Follow Bahija Jallal on LinkedIn.
Kimryn Rathmell is the Chief Executive Officer of the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC-James), holding the distinguished Jeri B. Block and Robert H. Schottenstein Distinguished Chair in Cancer, a member of Board of Directors of Pelatonia.
Previously, Dr. Rathmell served as the 17th Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) from December 2023 to January 2025. A physician-scientist and pioneer in kidney cancer research, she has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Her honors include the 2025 American Cancer Society Medal of Honor, the 2025 ASCI Stanley J. Korsmeyer Award, and the 2020 AACR Team Science Award.
Follow Dr. Kimryn Rathmell on X and LinkedIn.
Sushmita Sen is the Global Medical Scientific Alliances of Oncology and Hematology of Roche. She is a global health leader in advancing equitable access to cancer care and innovation. Her work bridges academia, industry, and the nonprofit sector, focusing on sustainable, value-based models that ensure people with cancer receive high-quality care regardless of geography or resources.
She is also a Podcast host at The Invisibles Project. She has previously served in ASCO Oncology Practice Engagement and Relations, Conquer Cancer Council and AACR Scientific Review and Grants Administration. A dedicated innovator and advocate, she continues to guide emerging health leaders in driving purposeful, people-focused change in oncology and global health.
Follow Dr. Sushmita Sen on LinkedIn.
Angela Mastronuzzi is the Head of the Neuro-Oncology Unit at the Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital in Rome, Italy and the President of AIEOP – Associazione Italiana Ematologia Oncologia Pediatrica. A physician-scientist with extensive expertise in pediatric brain tumors, she also serves as Faculty Member for the PhD program in Oncology and Precision Medicine at Sapienza University of Rome and Contract Professor at Unicamillus International Medical University.
An active member of major international oncology societies, Dr. Mastronuzzi’s leadership has been recognized with multiple awards, including the Aurora Cannolicchio Sebatia-Ter International Award and the Fondazione Atena Research Prize for her contributions to pediatric neuro-oncology and cellular immunotherapy.
Follow Dr. Angela Mastronuzzi on LinkedIn.
Marzia Zambon is the Executive Director of EUROPA DONNA – The European Breast Cancer Coalition, where she leads the organization’s advocacy, education and policy initiatives across over 40 countries in Europe. She represents EUROPA DONNA on the Board of the European Breast Cancer Council and on several international committees including the European Commission’s Quality Assurance Development Group for Breast Tumors.
An influential figure in breast-cancer policy, Zambon has spearheaded cluster programs and unified coalitions to strengthen breast-care systems, particularly through cross-country harmonization of standards in early detection and metastatic care.
Follow Marzia Zambon on LinkedIn and X.
Amalya Sargsyan is a Medical Oncologist at the Yeolyan Hematology and Oncology Center and a Clinical Research Physician at the Immune Oncology Research Institute (IMMONC) in Armenia. She is the Head of Sarcoma Unit in D’Clinic, Yerevan and the Vice President of Research and Intelligence at OncoDaily.
Dr Sargsyan has earned her MSc degree in precision oncology at the University of Cyprus, has been trained in Sarcoma Fellowship through ESO Clinical Training Centres Fellowship programme at the Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori in Milan. She is a Conquer Cancer 2024 IDEA Award and the Memorial Sloan Kettering GI Oncology International Mentee Award in 2024 recipient. Her research is focused in Sarcomas and GI oncology.
Follow Dr. Amalya Sargsyan on LinkedIn and X.
Karen Zaghiyan is a colorectal surgeon and Associate Professor of Surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where she directs the Colorectal Cancer Program and the Colorectal Surgery Residency. A pioneer in minimally invasive and robotic techniques, she is recognized internationally for advancing transanal approaches in colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) surgery.
Dr. Zaghiyan also leads the Colorectal Cancer Tumor Board at Cedars-Sinai’s Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute. Innovator in the clinic, her use of social medias that are medically “non-traditional” highlights her vision for adoption of novelty and is highly appreciated by the Instagram and TikTok community as a trusted engaging educational source.
Follow Dr. Karen Zaghiyan on Instagram and TikTok.
See also:
100 Influential Women in Oncology: Key Opinion Leaders to Follow on Social Media in 2025
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
100 Influential Celebrities in Oncology: The 2023 Edition
Yvonne Awards 2025: Honoring Global Oncology Leaders at ASCO’s Most Inspiring Night
Making Personal Experience a Political Priority
Kimryn Rathmell was Awarded 2025 ACS Medal of Honor
