Oncologist Near Me – Bishal Gyawali: Challenging the Status Quo in Global Oncology

Welcome to OncoDaily‘s special section, “Oncologist Near Me,” where we introduce prominent oncologists worldwide.

Here, you can get to know the leading cancer specialists in your area, including personal and professional details you won’t find in their research articles.

Interested solely in research? We’ve got that covered too! Discover top research articles by the author, learn about their academic achievements, awards, and honors, watch their interviews, and memorize some quotes for much-needed inspiration!

Bishal Gyawali, MD, PhD, FASCO

Dr. Bishal Gyawali is a medical oncologist and physician-scientist who specializes in the treatment of gastrointestinal cancers. He is an Associate Professor at Queen’s University in Canada, where he holds appointments in both the Department of Oncology and the Division of Cancer Care and Epidemiology. His research focuses on global oncology, cancer drug development, clinical trial design, health economics, and improving access to care. In 2024, he was recognized with the Yvonne Award by OncoDaily for Challenging the Status Quo, a reflection of his commitment to questioning systems and pushing the field forward.

The Road to Oncology

Medicine wasn’t Dr. Bishal Gyawali’s original plan. Growing up in Nepal, he dreamed of becoming a physicist.

“Physics is my first love. I grew up with Feynman and Einstein as my heroes.”

But in Nepal, getting into medical school is incredibly competitive. Encouraged by his father, he sat for the entrance exam, not because he planned to become a doctor, but just to prove he could do it. Out of 15,000 applicants, he ranked first. Overnight, he was in the news and locked into a path he hadn’t planned.

The early years of medical school were filled with doubt, but everything changed when clinical rotations began. That’s when it clicked. He wanted to be a doctor. Initially, he gravitated toward pediatrics until the emotional toll of working with sick children during his internship made him reconsider.

“It was heartbreaking. I couldn’t imagine doing that every day and then going home to laugh with friends and family like everything was fine.”

A mentor helped him reflect on what drew him to that field in the first place, and he realized it was the purity of his patients that moved him. Cancer patients, he thought, shared that same vulnerability and truth. That insight led him to oncology.

Dr. Gyawali earned his medical degree from the Institute of Medicine at Tribhuvan University, followed by a PhD in medical science at Nagoya University in Japan, and a fellowship in cancer policy at Harvard University.

His journey into oncology wasn’t linear, but it was guided by honesty, empathy, and a deep desire to make a difference.

Career

Dr. Bishal Gyawali currently serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Oncology and the Department of Public Health Sciences at Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada. He is also a scientist in the Division of Cancer Care and Epidemiology, where his work bridges clinical care, research, and policy.

He holds a number of national and global leadership roles. Dr. Gyawali sits on the Expert Advisory Panel on Drug Evaluation and the Essential Medicines Working Group for the World Health Organization, and serves on Canada’s Human Drug Advisory Panel under the Patented Medicines Price Review Board. He is also a health policy advisor for Kathmandu Metropolitan City and a research consultant for the Nepal Health Research Council.

Within professional societies, he plays key roles at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), contributing to working groups on quality of life, clinical benefit scale (MCBS), public policy, and global communications. He also serves on the Health Equity and Outcomes Committee at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). In 2022, he co-founded the Common Sense Oncology movement alongside Dr. Christopher Booth, an effort to challenge unsustainable and inequitable practices in cancer care.

His contributions have been recognized through numerous awards, including the Global Oncology Young Investigator Award from Conquer Cancer Foundation (2020), the Young Investigator Award from Current Oncology (2022), and the Outstanding Young Researcher in Asia (2022). In 2024, he received the Yvonne Award by OncoDaily in the category of Challenging the Status Quo, a reflection of his ongoing commitment to reforming cancer care systems globally.

Bishal Gyawali with Vivek and Ishwaria Subbiahs at the Yvonne Award Ceremony 2025

Read more about the Yvonne Award 2025 by OncoDaily.

Beyond research, clinic, and policy, Dr. Gyawali is a committed mentor, having guided more than two dozen students and trainees in oncology, health policy, and global health.

When asked about defining moments in his career, he often returns to one:

“What struck me was that the disparities in cancer outcomes weren’t always due to lack of access to something fancy, it was about not being able to do the right things at the right time.”

That realization became the foundation for his advocacy around the “cancer groundshot,” a movement for practical, equitable, and evidence-based cancer care.

For Dr. Gyawali, what keeps him motivated every day is the connection he feels with his patients and his students. He is deeply driven by his work with patients, both in his clinic and beyond, and is motivated by the feedback he receives from people whose lives have been impacted by his research. “I fight against the system because I think I have the responsibility to represent their voices,” he says. The ability to make a difference in the lives of patients globally keeps him humble and focused.

Another source of his motivation comes from mentoring the next generation of oncologists. “My goal has always been to inspire the next generation,” he says. “Not just by teaching them, but by being a good human being every day.”

Research

Dr. Bishal Gyawali’s research spans several key areas in oncology, with a particular focus on cancer policy, evidence-based oncology, financial toxicity, clinical trial methodology, supportive care, and global oncology. He introduced the concept of “cancer groundshot”, a call for investment in implementing proven, effective interventions to improve global cancer control.

Dr. Gyawali has authored over 200 peer-reviewed articles in high-impact journals such as JAMA Oncology, The Lancet Oncology, The New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Annals of Oncology, and Nature Medicine. He serves on the editorial and advisory boards of several prestigious journals, including Cell, JCO Global Oncology, JCO Oncology Practice, and Cancer.

Moreover, Dr. Gyawali has served as a peer reviewer for the New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet and Lancet Oncology, JAMA and JAMA Oncology, alongside numerous other high-impact journals. Notably, Dr. Gyawali was honored as the Top Reviewer at the Annals of Internal Medicine in 2014 and 2015, and as one of the top three reviewers for JCO Global Oncology in 2017 and 2018.

His research addresses critical topics like cancer drug development, health economics, clinical trial design, and access to cancer care, and he is a prominent advocate for higher standards in clinical research, regulatory practices, and equitable access to affordable cancer treatments.

Selected Publications

• Ginsburg O, Yip CH, Brooks A, Cabanes A, Caleffi M, Dunstan Yataco JA, Gyawali B, McCormack V, McLaughlin de Anderson M, Mehrotra R, Mohar A, Murillo R, Pace LE, Paskett ED, Romanoff A, Rositch AF, Scheel JR, Schneidman M, Unger-Saldaña K, Vanderpuye V, Wu TY, Yuma S, Dvaladze A, Duggan C, Anderson BO. Breast cancer early detection: A phased approach to implementation. Cancer. 2020 May 15;126 Suppl 10(Suppl 10):2379-2393. doi: 10.1002/cncr.32887. PMID: 32348566; PMCID: PMC7237065.
• Gyawali B, Hey SP, Kesselheim AS. Assessment of the Clinical Benefit of Cancer Drugs Receiving Accelerated Approval. JAMA Intern Med. 2019 Jul 1;179(7):906-913. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.0462. PMID: 31135808; PMCID: PMC6547118.
• Gyawali B, de Vries EGE, Dafni U, Amaral T, Barriuso J, Bogaerts J, Calles A, Curigliano G, Gomez-Roca C, Kiesewetter B, Oosting S, Passaro A, Pentheroudakis G, Piccart M, Roitberg F, Tabernero J, Tarazona N, Trapani D, Wester R, Zarkavelis G, Zielinski C, Zygoura P, Cherny NI. Biases in study design, implementation, and data analysis that distort the appraisal of clinical benefit and ESMO-Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale (ESMO-MCBS) scoring. ESMO Open. 2021 Jun;6(3):100117. doi: 10.1016/j.esmoop.2021.100117. Epub 2021 Apr 20. PMID: 33887690; PMCID: PMC8086024.
• Desai A, Gyawali B. Financial toxicity of cancer treatment: Moving the discussion from acknowledgement of the problem to identifying solutions. EClinicalMedicine. 2020 Jan 31;20:100269. doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100269. PMID: 32300733; PMCID: PMC7152810.
• Gyawali B, Hey SP, Kesselheim AS. Evaluating the evidence behind the surrogate measures included in the FDA’s table of surrogate endpoints as supporting approval of cancer drugs. EClinicalMedicine. 2020 Apr 13;21:100332. doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100332. PMID: 32382717; PMCID: PMC7201012.

Interviews and Lectures with Bishal Gyawali

The Need for Common Sense Oncology – Global Cancer Movement – OncoDaily

Interpreting Phase III Cancer Clinical Trials, Dr. Bishal Gyawali – Common Sense Oncology

Is evidence-based medicine being hijacked in oncology? Dr. Bishal Gyawali, 26/08/21 – Consilium Scientific

Raising the Bar: Rethinking the Accelerated Drug Approval Process. A Conversation With Bishal Gyawali, MD, PhD – The ASCO Post

3 QUESTIONS ON… When Enthusiasm for New Cancer Drugs Is Premature. With Bishal Gyawali, MD, PhD – The Oncology Times

Beyond the White Coat

When Dr. Bishal Gyawali isn’t working, he enjoys spending time with his family, often going on picnics or hikes. He has a deep appreciation for nature and can spend hours hiking through the woods, reflecting on life’s bigger questions, about our place in the universe, the meaning of life, and what happens after we die. He even built a website where he posts his thoughts on these existential topics, which have nothing to do with oncology, but offer him a way to explore deeper reflections.

In addition to nature and family, Dr. Gyawali is an avid reader and movie enthusiast. He enjoys reading books and listening to audiobooks, as well as watching documentaries and films, which allow him to learn from others’ ideas and perspectives. Here are 3 movies and 3 books recommended by Dr. Gyawali:

Movies

The Truman Show – Directed by Peter Weir

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring – Directed by Kim Ki-Du

The Big Lebowski– Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen

Books

• Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! by Richard Feynman
• Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind  by Yuval Noah Harari
• Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

If you’d like to learn more about Dr. Gyawali’s favorite movies, check out one of his blog posts here.

How to contact him?

Email: [email protected]
Location: 25 King St W, Kingston, ON K7L 5P9, Canada

Read the previous articles in the “Oncologist Near Me” series to explore insights into the lives and careers of leading oncologists worldwide.

We’ve curated the internet to find the most important information about them. If you have more information, please don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected]

Written by Vahe Grigoryan