Alicia Zhou, Chief Executive Officer of the Cancer Research Institute, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“I grew up in libraries.
Both of my parents were academic librarians, so after school I would sit in a study room doing homework while college students worked around me. I didn’t realize at the time how much that environment shaped my world view – that knowledge should be shared, that curiosity compounds, and that progress is rarely a solo effort.
In this interview with Authority Magazine, I reflect on a few moments that have defined how I lead – from helping to build a COVID testing solution during the early days of the pandemic to now leading the Cancer Research Institute (CRI) at a time when immunotherapy and AI are beginning to converge.
One theme shows up again and again:
- You don’t need perfect clarity to move forward.
- You need the ability to move with uncertainty.
None of the most important decisions I’ve made came with a clear “right answer.” They came with incomplete information, real tradeoffs, and a team looking for direction. In those moments, decisiveness matters. Not because you’re guaranteed to be right, but because progress depends on momentum.
The same is true for building anything that matters.
The problems we’re working on in healthcare are too complex for any one person or institution to solve. The only way forward is through collaboration, shared infrastructure, and a willingness to act before everything is fully figured out.
Thanks Authority Magazine for giving me an opportunity to share my POV!”
Other article featuring Alicia Zhou on OncoDaily.