Timothy Rebbeck, Vincent L. Gregory Professor of Cancer Prevention at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, has been named a candidate for the UICC Board of Directors for the 2026–2028 term.
Based in Boston, United States, Prof. Rebbeck is a cancer researcher whose work focuses on cancer genetic and molecular epidemiology, prevention, early detection, and disparities, with a particular emphasis on cancer risk and etiology in African populations.
The new UICC Board will be elected by UICC full-member organisations during the 2026 UICC General Assembly, which will take place virtually on October 20, 2026. Electronic voting will open on October 13 and close at 14:30 CEST on October 20.
Timothy Rebbeck’s Work in Global Cancer Research
Prof. Rebbeck has spent more than 35 years working across cancer research, training, and international collaboration.
His research examines genetic and molecular factors that influence cancer risk, with a particular focus on populations that have historically been underrepresented in cancer research.
He is the founding Director of the Zhu Family Center for Global Cancer Prevention at Harvard and founding Director of the Center for Global Health at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Through these roles, he has developed international partnerships focused on research capacity building, bidirectional scientific exchange, training, and locally led cancer research.
Building Cancer Research Capacity in Africa
A major part of Prof. Rebbeck’s work has been building research capacity in Africa.
He has led initiatives including the Men of African Descent and Carcinoma of the Prostate (MADCaP) network, the African Oncogenetics Network, and the African Cancer STARS training programme.
These programmes aim to support African researchers and project managers in developing and sustaining locally led cancer research.
His approach emphasises generating evidence about cancer in African populations so that prevention and risk assessment strategies are based on data that reflect the populations they are intended to benefit.
Why Timothy Rebbeck Is Running for the UICC Board
Prof. Rebbeck said his decision to seek a position on the UICC Board is rooted in the belief that cancer research must ultimately translate into improvements in population health.
“Progress against cancer depends not only on discovery, but on whether evidence can travel well: across health systems, cultures, policies, and communities.”
He highlighted prevention and early detection as key opportunities to reduce the global cancer burden, while cautioning that approaches cannot simply be transferred from one setting to another without adaptation.
“Effective cancer control must be co-developed with local partners, not just delivered to them.”
If elected, Prof. Rebbeck said he would seek to strengthen UICC’s role in connecting researchers, clinicians, policymakers, advocates, civil society, and communities around locally relevant cancer-control strategies.
Research Designed With Communities
Prof. Rebbeck’s research career has focused on ensuring that cancer science reflects population diversity.
His international collaborations have examined epidemiological and genomic contributors to cancer risk and explored how these findings can inform precision prevention and early detection.
A significant milestone in this work was the first large-scale cancer genome association study in which genomic data generation was conducted on African soil.
He said these experiences reinforced his belief that cancer research should not simply study populations but should support researchers within those populations to generate and apply their own evidence.
Training the Next Generation of Cancer Researchers
Capacity building remains a central component of Prof. Rebbeck’s global work.
Through the African Cancer STARS programme, investigators have received support to advance their research ideas, while project managers have been trained to strengthen the infrastructure needed to sustain cancer research.
His work also promotes bidirectional exchange, allowing researchers and institutions in different regions to learn from one another rather than relying on one-way models of knowledge transfer.
“Our goal has not been simply to study cancer in Africa, but to support African researchers to create knowledge that strengthens African and global understanding of cancer risk, prevention, and early detection.”
Connecting Science With Policy and Practice
Prof. Rebbeck brings experience at the intersection of scientific research, training, health policy, and implementation.
Through his leadership at Dana-Farber’s Center for Global Health and Harvard’s Zhu Family Center for Global Cancer Prevention, he has worked to establish partnerships that connect research with public health priorities.
He said cancer science has its greatest value when evidence is translated into policy, clinical practice, and public health action.
“Cancer science matters most when it changes people’s health.”
His proposed contribution to UICC would therefore focus on equitable translation of cancer science, patient and community engagement, prevention, and risk reduction.
If elected to the UICC Board, he would seek to use these experiences to strengthen the organisation’s work on prevention and early detection while ensuring that global cancer strategies remain locally relevant and equitable.
Watch Prof. Timothy Rebbeck’s video message outlining his experience, priorities, and vision as a candidate for the UICC Board of Directors for the 2026–2028 term.
UICC Board Elections 2026
The 2026 UICC election will determine 14 members of the Board of Directors for the 2026–2028 term.
UICC full-member organisations will vote during the virtual General Assembly on October 20, 2026, following the opening of electronic voting on October 13.
The elected Board will help guide UICC’s work in cancer prevention, early detection, health equity, research, capacity building, and global cancer control.
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