Global Cancer Research and Control Seminar Series 2025 (Past Webinars)

Nelly Rwamba Mugo, M.B.Ch.B., M.Med., M.P.H., Senior Principal Clinical Research Scientist
Kenya Medical Research Institute

Nelly Mugo, M.B.Ch.B., M.Med., M.P.H., is a reproductive health specialist with over 27 years of clinical experience and two decades in clinical research. She holds a dual position as an Associate Research Pofessor in the Department of Global Health at the University of Washington and as a Senior Principal Clinical Research Scientist in the Center for Clinical Research at the Kenya Medical Research Institute. Dr. Mugo has worked on HIV and cervical cancer prevention research for over two decades and is actively engaged in clinical trial research in these fields. Dr. Mugo is the Principal Investigator on a 5-year NIH-funded grant, 'Towards Cervical Cancer Elimination: Implementation and Scale-Up of a Single-Visit, Screen-and-Treat Approach with Thermal Ablation for Sustainable Cervical Cancer Prevention Services in Kenya.'

Dr. Mugo was an investigator for the Partners PrEP studies, which informed the change in indication for Truvada as HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis. At Kenyatta National Hospital, she provided clinical services and trained specialists on clinical techniques for the management of cervical intraepithelial lesions for over 12 years. Dr. Mugo has conducted observational HPV studies among sex workers in Kenya; evaluation of cervical cancer screening and treatment interventions among HIV-infected women; HPV vaccine trials among adolescents; and is currently a Principal Investigator in a study in Kenya evaluating single-dose HPV vaccine KENSHE. Dr. Mugo also leads a clinical trial unit, PHRD-CCR-KEMRI, in Thika, Kenya.

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Nirmala Bhoo Pathy, M.D., M.P.H., M.Sc., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Epidemiology
University of Malaya

Nirmala Bhoo Pathy, M.D., M.P.H., M.Sc., Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Malaya and practices as a Public Health Physician at the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre in Malaysia. She has also been a visiting scholar at Queen’s University Belfast since 2014. Dr. Bhoo Pathy’s career is focused on optimizing life after cancer in resource-limited settings through research and advocacy. She is particularly interested in the state of cancer control in low- and middle-income countries and enhancing treatment outcomes and patient-centered outcomes in these settings. Dr. Bhoo Pathy was the Principal Investigator of phase 3 of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) CosTs In ONcology (ACTION) study, comprising close to 10,000 cancer patients from eight low- and middle-income member countries of ASEAN. The study has been crucial in providing country-specific evidence for Southeast Asian nations to prioritize policies and develop local solutions to reduce the financial loss and premature deaths associated with cancer.

Dr. Bhoo Pathy currently serves on two Lancet Commissions, namely the Lancet Commission on Women and Cancer and the Lancet Commission on Cancer and Health Systems. In addition to her involvement in these commissions, she is a member of the COVID-19 and Cancer Taskforce, a globally representative group of cancer leaders who are gravely concerned that decisions made under the duress of the pandemic will have momentous consequences for cancer mortality for years to come.

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Karla Unger-Saldaña, M.D., M.Sc., D.Sc., Science & Technology Researcher
Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Mexico

Karla Unger-Saldaña, M.D., M.Sc., D.Sc., is a Mexican National Council of Science and Technology Researcher who has been working at the Instituto Nacional de Cancerología in Mexico City since 2014. She is currently a remote Fellow in International Health (2020–2022) in the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Takemi Program. Following her postgraduate studies in health systems, Dr. Unger-Saldaña worked for five years with a local non-governmental organization where she designed and operated programs to promote breast cancer awareness and facilitate access to screening in highly marginalized settings across Mexico. Her research has focused on understanding late diagnosis and delayed access to treatment of breast cancer in Mexico, where the majority of cases start treatment in advanced stages. Her findings suggest that the largest proportion of delay is not due to the patients’ postponement of seeking care but to quality problems and access barriers that hinder the diagnostic and referral processes after the patient’s first contact with medical services.

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Donna Shelley, M.D., M.P.H., Professor of Public Health Policy & Management
New York University School of Global Public Health

Donna Shelley, M.D., M.P.H., is a Professor of Public Health Policy and Management, Vice Chair of Research, and Director of the Global Center for Implementation Science in the Department of Public Health Policy and Management at the New York University School of Global Public Health. She is also co-lead of the Epidemiology and Cancer Control Program for the New York University Perlmutter Cancer Center. Dr. Shelley has built a program of translational, population-based, and policy-relevant research that aims to optimize dissemination, implementation, and scale-up of tobacco use treatment in safety-net health care delivery systems in the United States and Viet Nam. She applies implementation research methods to study the influence of organizational and individual-level factors on the implementation of evidence-based tobacco policies and practices and tests strategies for addressing barriers to implementation in a wide range of settings, including health care systems, communities, and public housing. Dr. Shelley received her medical degree from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and M.P.H. in health policy and management at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.

Nam Nguyen, M.D. Dr.P.H., Director
Institute of Social and Medical Studies

Nam Nguyen, M.D. Dr.P.H., is the Founder and Director of the Institute of Social and Medical Studies, a research institute based in Ha Noi, Viet Nam, with expertise in conducting public health research to provide evidence to inform developing, planning, and implementing strategies, policies, and programs to advance public health in Viet Nam. Dr. Nguyen’s research interests include, but are not limited to, HIV/AIDs, sexual and reproductive health, gender and sexuality, communicable diseases, noncommunicable disease, and tobacco cessation. He has served as Principal or co-Investigator for more than 35 large-scale quantitative and qualitative studies employing a broad spectrum of research methodologies and with funding from a wide range of donors such as Atlantic Philanthropies, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, FHI360, International Food Policy Research Institute, Population Council, PATH, the World Bank, USAID/PEPFAR, and the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Nguyen received his medical degree from Hanoi Medical University and his Master of Public Health and Doctor of Public Health degrees from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.

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Silvina Arrosi, M.Sc., Ph.D., Senior Researcher
Centro de Estudios de Estado y Sociedad, Argentina

Silvina Arrossi, M.Sc., Ph.D., is a Senior Researcher at the National Council for Scientific and Technological Research and at the Centro de Estudios de Estado y Sociedad in Argentina. From 2008-2018 she served as the Scientific Coordinator of the National Program on Cervical Cancer Prevention in Argentina and since 2019 has been a member of its Scientific Committee. Dr. Arrossi is the Principal Investigator of several national and international research projects aimed at improving the prevention of cervical cancer. Currently, she serves as a consultant to the World Health Organization in the area of cancer control program organization and management. In addition, she serves as a member of the American Association for Cancer Research Regional Advisory Board for Latin America and of the 'Initiative for a global data repository on Cancer Screening in 5 Continents (CanScreen5)' Advisory Board led by IARC-WHO. Dr. Arrossi also serves as an adviser of ministries of health of several Latin American countries. Her main areas of research include the organization of cancer prevention and control programs, the analysis of social inequalities in access to health services, and the social and economic cost of cancer. Her publications include papers in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, and programmatic materials.

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C.S. Pramesh, M.S., Director
Tata Memorial Hospital

C.S. Pramesh, M.S., FRCS, is the Director of the Tata Memorial Hospital and Professor and Head of Thoracic Surgery at the Tata Memorial Centre in Mumbai. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Union for International Cancer Control and convenes the National Cancer Grid of India, a large network of 244 cancer centers in India. The mandate of the National Cancer Grid is to provide uniform standards of cancer care across the country. Dr. Pramesh is highly committed to efforts towards reducing inequities in cancer care and making cancer treatment accessible to all geographic regions and strata of society. He is also a visiting professor at the Division of Cancer Studies, King’s College London and the Institute of Cancer Policy, King’s Health Partners, London. His clinical interests include the management of esophageal and lung cancers, minimally invasive surgery, and comparative effectiveness research. He is the Principal Investigator in several investigator-initiated research studies including randomized trials on cancer screening, surgical techniques, neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment of thoracic cancers.

Dr. Pramesh's broader research interests include cancer policy, health equity, value-based care, and health services research. He has more than 200 peer-reviewed journal articles, abstracts, and book chapters on various topics including thoracic oncology, clinical research methods, translational research, health equity, and cancer policy. He completed the Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Trials at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London. He is keen on promoting training in clinical research methods and conducts several courses on clinical research methodology, biostatistics, and scientific writing. He also serves on the advisory boards of several national and international research organizations and granting agencies.

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Valerie McCormack, Ph.D., Epidemiologist
International Agency for Research on Cancer

Valerie McCormack, Ph.D., is an Epidemiologist at the International Agency for Research on Cancer in France.

Steady Chasimpha, M.Sc., Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Steady Chasimpha, M.Sc., is an Epidemiologist in the Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health at the and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

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