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

Upcoming Webinars

  Thursday, April 10, 2025 | 10:00am - 11:00am ET


The Changing Global Landscape of National Cancer Control Plans

 

Yannick Romero, Ph.D. Yannick Romero, Ph.D., Senior Knowledge and Advocacy Manager
Union for International Cancer Control

Yannick Romero, Ph.D., is the Senior Knowledge and Advocacy Manager within the Knowledge, Advocacy, and Policy team at the Union for International Cancer Control. Dr. Romero’s work primarily focuses on developing and gathering evidence-based information for global tobacco control. He also leads the Lung Cancer Collaboration Secretariat. Dr. Romero is dedicated to national cancer control planning, analyzing and evaluating countries' cancer plans in the frame of the International Cancer Control Partnership. Over the past decade, Dr. Romero has worked with diverse stakeholders throughout the fields of oncology, communicable diseases, and genetics. He earned his Ph.D. in molecular and cellular biology from the University of Geneva Medical School.

Abstract

The global cancer control landscape continues to change rapidly — seeing progress and challenges in research, treatment, and policy. This seminar will offer a summary of the International Cancer Control Partnership's 2023 global review of national cancer control plans, highlighting the methodology, major findings, and key trends in cancer prevention, early detection, treatment, and survivorship worldwide.
 

  Thursday, September 11, 2025 | 10:00am - 11:00am ET


Translating Health Care Technologies from Concept to Impact: Challenges and Opportunities in Global Cervical Cancer Prevention

 

Nirmala Ramanujam, Ph.D. Nirmala Ramanujam, Ph.D., Director, Center for Global Women's Health Technologies
Duke University

Nirmala “Nimmi” Ramanujam, Ph.D., is the Robert W. Carr Jr. Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering and a Professor of Cancer Pharmacology and Global Health at Duke University. In addition to serving as the Director of the Duke Center for Global Women’s Health Technologies, Dr. Ramanujam founded the Center in 2013 to catalyze impactful research and educational and community outreach activities that promote women’s health. She is recognized for creating globally accessible technologies for women’s health related to cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment.

In 2023, Dr. Ramanujam was awarded the IEEE Biomedical Engineering Technical Field Award, given annually for outstanding contributions to the field of biomedical engineering. In 2019, she received the Social Impact Abie Award from AnitaB.org for making a positive impact on women, technology, and society. She was also elected as a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors in 2017. Dr. Ramanujam created the Calla Health Foundation to commercialize her technologies, in addition to a number of other initiatives and consortia–including WISH, (In)visible Organ, and IGNITE–that have far-reaching impact on cervical cancer, reproductive health, and engineering design education.

Abstract

This seminar will examine the intersection between the global burden of cancer, health inequities, and technology innovation. In the 21st Century, cancer has been a significant health and developmental challenge, contributing to suffering around the world. Like other noncommunicable diseases, cancer has created enormous health disparities. Today, it disproportionately affects populations in low- and middle-income countries, which account for the vast majority of cancer deaths. Using cervical cancer as a case study, Dr. Ramanujam will discuss how new biomedical engineering solutions can extend the reach of health care to a broader, more diverse population and explain how these innovations can be disseminated for broad impact.