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. We’ll be sharing the submission link soon.
Here are the seventh 10 of 100 Influential Women in Oncology to follow in 2025:
Robin Zon is the Chair of ASCO Society Board 2025-2026, transitioning from her position as President of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) for the 2024 – 2025 term and Director of Breast Cancer Oncology at Cincinnati Cancer Advisors (CCA). A nationally recognized leader in oncology, she has previously served as Medical Director of Oncology Research at Memorial Hospital and Principal Investigator for the Northern Indiana Cancer Research Consortium.
Dr. Zon is a long-standing advocate for advancing patient-centered cancer care and clinical research. Her leadership and service to the oncology community have been recognized with ASCO’s Distinguished Achievement Award, reflecting her commitment to improving outcomes and access for patients everywhere.
Follow Dr. Robin Zon on LinkedIn.
Karen Knudsen is the Chief Executive Officer of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy (PICI) as of 2025. Previously, she served as CEO of the American Cancer Society (ACS) and ACS Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), leading transformative growth and mission alignment across research, advocacy, and patient support.
In her prior roles, Dr. Knudsen was Executive Vice President of Oncology Services at Jefferson Health and Director of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, where she advanced both clinical care and translational research. She holds leadership roles are highlighted by being named CNBC’s 2025 Changemakers list for her visionary leadership in immunotherapy transformation.
Follow Dr. Karen Knudsen on X and LinkedIn.
Aparna Parikh is a gastrointestinal oncologist and Director of the Global Cancer Care Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, as well as Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. She also leads the Colorectal Research and Young Adults Colorectal Cancer Programs at MGH, advancing innovation and international collaboration in cancer care.
A global health leader, she co-founded the Program for Enhanced Training in Cancer (POETIC), which provides fellowship exchanges for oncology trainees from Sub-Saharan Africa. She also serves on the Executive Board of BOTSOGO to strengthen cancer care systems in Botswana. Dr. Parikh serves on the Editorial Board of OncoDaily and the NCCN Colorectal Cancer Guidelines Panel. Her leadership has been recognized through numerous awards for excellence in mentorship, global oncology, and clinical innovation.
Follow Dr. Aparna Parikh on X and LinkedIn.
Katie Couric is a renowned American journalist, author, and television celebrity who became a prominent advocate for breast cancer awareness following her own diagnosis in 2000. As a breast cancer survivor, she used her platform to give voice to countless patients and to destigmatize conversations around early detection and treatment.
Her advocacy includes founding the Katie Couric Media cancer initiatives, partnering with leading health organizations, and producing documentaries and public service campaigns on the importance of screening and survivorship. She continues to champion cancer awareness, shaping public health discourse through media and storytelling, and was recognized as one of the 100 Influential Celebrities in Oncology in 2023 by OncoDaily.
Follow Katie Couric on X and LinkedIn.
Solange Peters is a Professor and Chair of Medical Oncology, and Head of the Thoracic Malignancies Program at the University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV) in Switzerland. A globally recognized leader in lung cancer, she has played a pivotal role in advancing cancer care, research, and education across Europe, reflected by her numerous awards, including the IASLC Paul A. Bunn, Jr. Scientific Award 2025.
Dr. Peters served as President of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) from 2020 to 2022, where she strengthened international collaboration and championed gender equity through the creation of the Women for Oncology initiative. She continues to hold leadership positions in major oncology organizations, including the European Thoracic Oncology Platform (ETOP) and the Swiss Cancer League, and serves as Associate Editor for Annals of Oncology and Deputy Editor for Lung Cancer.
Follow Prof. Solange Peters on X and LinkedIn.
Laura Towart is the Founder and CEO of Vivan Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing personalized cancer treatments through innovative drug-combination screening and AI-driven analytics. Under her leadership, Vivan has built its proprietary TuMatch platform, enabling patient-specific therapeutic testing in functional models.
She began her career in life sciences research at Weill Cornell Medical College and later founded Celmatix, a precision medicine company focused on women’s health. A recognized biotech entrepreneur, Laura Towart has been featured by Granatus Ventures and The Futurist Society for her pioneering work at the intersection of technology and personalized oncology.
Follow Laura Towart on LinkedIn and X.
Estelamari Rodriguez is Associate Director of Community Outreach and a member of the Lung Cancer Site Disease Group at the NCI-designated Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She recognized for addressing healthcare disparities and delivering bilingual educational initiatives to empower underserved communities.
Dr. Rodriguez has a special interest in the early detection of lung cancer and increasing access to clinical trials. She is a community leader and mentor to many women and minorities in medicine. Her passion is community engagement and empowering women to be advocates for their health and profession.
Follow Dr. Estela Rodriguez on X and LinkedIn.
Karen Canfell is a cancer epidemiologist and Director of the Cancer Research Division at Cancer Council NSW, as well as inaugural Director of the Daffodil Centre. She is also Professor and NHMRC Leadership Fellow in the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney. Dr. Canfell has driven pivotal reforms in cancer screening policy, notably the 2017 transition of Australia’s National Cervical Screening Program from Pap smears to HPV DNA testing, based on evidence her group generated.
She leads Compass and co-leads the WHO Cervical Cancer Elimination Modelling Consortium. Among her honors, she was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences, awarded the NHMRC Elizabeth Blackburn Investigator Grant and in 2024 appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia for her eminent service to cancer research and mentorship.
Follow Prof. Karen Canfell on X and LinkedIn.
Paula Schneider is the Vice Chair and former President and CEO of Susan G. Komen, a nonprofit organization for breast cancer research and advocacy. A breast cancer survivor herself and the daughter of a woman lost to metastatic breast cancer, Paula has been a passionate voice for equitable access to screening, treatment, and survivorship resources.
Under her leadership, Komen accelerated initiatives in patient navigation and health equity, leaving a lasting impact on the global breast cancer movement.
Follow Paula Schneider on LinkedIn.
Cathy Eng is a Professor of Medicine and Co-Director of Gastrointestinal Oncology at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, holding the David H. Johnson Endowed Chair of Surgical and Medical Oncology. She is a leader in designing and executing clinical trials focused on colorectal and HPV-associated cancers, with particular attention to young patients.
In addition to her institutional leadership, Dr. Eng serves as Vice-Chair of the SWOG GI Committee and is a member of the NCI GI Steering Committee, contributing to national strategy and guideline development in GI oncology. Her work continues to advance therapeutic options and outcomes for patients with gastrointestinal cancers.
Follow Dr. Cathy Eng on X and LinkedIn.
See also:
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
Solange Peters Honored with the IASLC Paul A. Bunn, Jr. Scientific Award 2025
