A Dialogue with Dr. Sujuan Ba and Dr. Jemma Arakelyan During the CityU-AFCR Symposium

During the CityU-AFCR Symposium at BioHong Kong 2024 on September 12-13, Dr. Jemma Arakelyan interviewed Dr. Sujuan Ba, President and CEO of the National Foundation for Cancer Research and Founder of the Asian Fund for Cancer Research.

Dr. Jemma Arakelyan is a medical oncologist and the chief executive officer of The Institute of Cancer and Crisis. She is a Ph.D. candidate at the City University of Hong Kong. Her research focuses on developing new anticancer treatments and understanding the underlying mechanisms of cancer progression.

In addition to her academic pursuits, she is an active member of several scientific organizations, including the European School of Oncology (ESO), where she served as an ambassador in Armenia from 2020-2022.

Dr. Sujuan Ba is a prominent leader in the field of cancer research and a co-founder of several organizations that support innovative and collaborative cancer research projects. She is the President and CEO, Founder of the Asian Fund for Cancer Research. She also serves as the President and CEO of the National Foundation for Cancer Research, the Co-founder and CEO of the AIM-HI Accelerator Fund, and the Co-Founder and Board Member of the Global Coalition for Adaptive Research.

Dr. Ba received her B.S. in radiochemistry from Peking University and her Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Ba has received numerous honors and awards like the Trailbraizer Award by The Serica initiative (2024), The Pioneer in Medicine Award from The Society of Brain Mapping Technologies (2024) and many more. She was named one of the “Top 300 Women Leaders in Global Health” in 2015 by the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies’ Global Health Programme. 

CityU-AFCR Symposium on Precision Medicine and Digital Medicine took place from 12-13 September as part of BIOHK2024, in Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The symposium showcased presentations by experts in precision medicine, providing a dynamic platform for the exchange of innovative ideas and fostering a collaborative environment for advancements in the biotechnology field.

The Asian Fund for Cancer Research Limited (AFCR) is committed to funding cancer research, especially those cancers prevalent in Asian populations, and promoting global collaborations for high impact to save the lives of cancer patients. AFCR also provides the public with a wide variety of in-depth, user-friendly cancer prevention information and healthy lifestyle suggestions. 

Jemma Arakelyan: Hello everyone, I’m here today with Dr. Sujan Ba, who is the CEO of the Asian Fund for Cancer Research. Dr. Ba, what are your expectations from BioHong Kong2024?

Sujuan Ba: I have great hopes for this event. Asian Fund for Cancer Research is about promoting innovative cancer research in Asia, and also promote the development of innovative drugs. Entrepreneurship is one of our focuses.

I brought lots of scientists from other parts of the world, and we have had very productive dialogues and exchanges. And I also brought scientists who talk about their journey and their breakthroughs of turning their science research discoveries into successful companies.

I’ve seen a lot of people aspire to trying to establish companies, build biotech companies.

And there’s lots of good energy and momentum going on. I’m hoping this meeting will promote more global collaboration, more innovative dialogue, and potential future successful biotech companies, based in Hong Kong, facing the world, solving the problem for cancer patients in Hong Kong, in Asia and worldwide.

Jemma Arakelyan: Brilliant. Thanks a lot.

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