Dr. Ana Filipa Martins Ferreira Varges Gomes is a senior medical oncologist with internationally recognized expertise in head and neck cancer, and broad leadership experience spanning clinical oncology, research, health system management, and oncology policy in Portugal and across Europe. In addition to her subspecialty focus, she has played a central role in the development and coordination of thoracic oncology services, reflecting her broader expertise in complex solid tumors and multidisciplinary cancer care. She currently serves as Head of the Medical Oncology Department at the Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve, where she leads the lung cancer program and chairs multidisciplinary tumor boards at the Portimão Unit.
She is the Founder and Coordinator of ONCOSEGUE, an award-winning proximity-care oncology program designed to improve continuity, access, and patient-centered cancer care, nominated as a finalist for the Best Health Practices Award 2025 in Portugal. In parallel, Dr. Varges Gomes plays a strategic European role as Work Package Leader (Communication) for EUnetCCC, supporting the integration of Comprehensive Cancer Centers across Europe.
Dr. Varges Gomes has held multiple national and international leadership positions, including President of the Portuguese Study Group of Head and Neck Cancer, Secretary of the EORTC Head and Neck Cancer Group, European Chair of the ESMO Asia Congress (Head & Neck, 2021), and long-standing member of the EHNS Board. She is also a founding board member of the Portuguese MAKE SENSE Campaign, the European awareness initiative for head and neck cancer under the European Head and Neck Society.
Her academic background includes specialized training in head and neck oncology at Mount Sinai Hospital (New York)with Dr. Marshall Posner and at UZA Antwerp with Prof. Jan Vermorken. She completed her medical oncology residency at IPO Porto and holds postgraduate qualifications in health management and clinical coding, reflecting her strong involvement in healthcare governance and cancer system organization.
Dr. Varges Gomes has authored and co-authored numerous high-impact publications in international journals, contributed to ESMO-EURACAN clinical practice guidelines, and served as principal investigator and national coordinator for multiple multinational clinical trials in head and neck cancer. She is a frequent invited speaker at major international oncology congresses and has received multiple awards for cancer awareness and clinical excellence.
Beyond oncology, she is deeply engaged in public service and education, having served as President of the Portuguese Health Parliament, university lecturer in medicine and economics, and long-term volunteer with the Order of Malta, supporting vulnerable populations.
Her career reflects a rare combination of clinical excellence, scientific leadership, policy influence, and human-centered oncology care, with a sustained commitment to advancing outcomes for patients with head and neck and thoracic malignancies.