PHOTOS

BIOS

Dr Cary Adams, CEO, Union for International Cancer Control

Born in London, Cary Adams has a BSc Honours degree in Economics, Computing and Statistics, a Masters degree (with distinction) in Business Administration. He is a Harvard Business School alumni and has received two Honorary Doctorates in International Relations and Health.

In 2009, Cary made a career change, moving from the management of international businesses in the banking sector to become CEO of UICC, based in Geneva – the largest international cancer NGO of its kind with more than 1,150 member organisations in over 170 countries and territories. UICC unites and supports the cancer community to reduce the global cancer burden, to promote greater equity, and to integrate cancer control into the world health and development agenda. UICC also boasts more than 60 strategic partners.

Cary also served two terms as Chair of the NCD Alliance Board, a coalition of around 2,000 organisations working on non-communicable diseases, which include cancer, diabetes, heart, respiratory, mental and neurological diseases.

In 2014, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in International Relations from the University for Business and International Studies in Geneva, and in 2015 an Honorary Doctorate in Health from Bath University in the UK. In May 2015, Cary was awarded ‘CEO of the year’ at the International and European Association conference organised by the Associations Network. He also received the 2023 International Healthcare Leadership Award by the National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL). The award recognises his significant contributions to global healthcare and his dedication to fostering leadership within the sector.

Professor Sanchia Aranda AM, Chair, VCCC Alliance; Professor of Health Services Research, University of Melbourne and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

Professor Sanchia Aranda AM is regarded as one of the world’s pre-eminent experts in cancer control. With more than four decades’ experience as a clinician, researcher, educator and administrator, she has served as CEO of Cancer Council Australia, President of the Union for International Cancer Control and President of the International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care. Professor Aranda is the inaugural Board Chair for the City Cancer Challenge Foundation and served on the Advisory Council for Cancer Australia for eight years until 2015. As Chair of the VCCC Alliance, Professor Aranda works with the Board to set the vision, strategy and direction of the organisation; with oversight of the performance and delivery of key policy priorities and ensure the ongoing financial viability of the organisation.

Professor Aranda is particularly passionate about achieving greater equity in cancer care and outcomes across Australia, especially for First Nations Australians and those who have a lower socio-economic background, live in regional or remote areas or have a cancer type with typically poor survival.

Dr Laura Downey, Program Lead, global program for Universal Health Coverage (UHC); Conjoint Senior lecturer, UNSW Sydney, Advanced Research Fellow, Imperial College London UK, PhD

Dr Laura Downey leads The George Institute’s global program for Universal Health Coverage (UHC). She is a conjoint Senior lecturer in health economics and policy in the School of Population Health at UNSW, and an Advanced Research Fellow in the School of Public Health at Imperial College London, UK.

Dr Downey’s research is focused broadly on evaluating health system performance in relation to UHC goals, and developing innovative solutions to support equitable access to high quality, affordable care for the world’s most at-risk populations. She is a Senior Investigator and the Capacity Strengthening co-lead of a £10million NIHR Global Health Research Centre for Non-Communicable Diseases and Environmental Change, where her research focuses on community-driven multisectoral intervention design, delivery, and evaluation to strengthen health systems to protect populations in India, Indonesia, and Bangladesh from environmental issues such as extreme heat and air pollution. She was an expert member of the Health Economics advisory group to the UK Infected Blood Inquiry (2020-2024), whose work directly informed recommendations made by the Inquiry Chair to the UK Government on behalf of the tens of thousands of individuals who were infected with HIV and Hepatitis A, B, and C by the National Health Service. She was also an advisor to the Indian federal government between 2015 -2019 to support the establishment of a core Health Technology Assessment (HTA) function within the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and remains an active advisor to the Indian Institute of Public Health in Shillong, and the Indian Council of Medical Research.

Dr Downey has active research collaborators across Asia, Africa, and Europe and has worked in partnership with global institutions such as the World Health Organisation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The Asian Development Bank, and the World Bank. She has held previous positions with the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) UK, the Centre for Global Development Europe, and University College London.

Dr. Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu, President-elect, UICC

Dr. Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu is a distinguished pediatrician and global health leader with a profound commitment to women’s health and cancer care. A pioneer in Nigerian healthcare, she established Medicaid Radio-Diagnostics & Clinics, the first comprehensive diagnostic center in Abuja, addressing a critical gap in medical services. Recognising the urgent need for cancer care, she also founded the Medicaid Cancer Foundation, driving awareness, prevention, and improved access to treatment. The foundation has raised over $2 million to address gaps in cancer care. As the former First Lady of Kebbi State, Dr. Bagudu leveraged her position to spearhead transformative healthcare initiatives, including the development of a comprehensive cancer control plan and the expansion of HPV vaccination for girls. Her advocacy extends globally through her roles with UICC and First Ladies Against Cancer.

Delphina Kerslake, Regional Advisor – Pacific, McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer

Delphina leads the McCabe Centre’s capacity building programs that relate to the Pacific region, as well as providing technical support to governments in the Pacific region. Delphina’s area of interest includes policy and law reform of the main risk factors that contribute to Non-Communicable Diseases to help address the NCD problem in the Pacific. Delphina previously worked as the Legal Consultant of the Ministry of Health in Samoa from 2010-2023 and was the focal point for the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and matters relating to tobacco control in Samoa. Delphina is also an Associate at Wulf Law Firm.

Krystal Millar, Acting Director - Universal Health Coverage, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Krystal Millar is an Assistant Director, Universal Health Coverage Section in DFAT’s Global Health Division. Krystal is responsible for leading DFAT’s regional programming and policy relating to non-communicable disease, including mental health. Krystal coordinated the Australian Government’s efforts for the High Level Meeting on NCDs. Krystal brings over 15 years working in the international development sector and she has undertaken assignments in Islamabad and Dhaka.  Krystal holds a Masters of International and Community Development and a Graduate Certificate in Humanitarian Leadership.

Professor Rob Moodie, University of Melbourne

Professor Rob Moodie is highly experienced in the fields of medicine and public health. He has worked in various capacities, including providing health care to refugees in Sudan, working on HIV prevention projects, and serving as the CEO of VicHealth, the first health promotion foundation based on a dedicated tobacco tax. He has also been involved in several advisory roles for organisations such as UNAIDS, the World Health Organisation, and the Gavi Vaccine Alliance. His main interests lie in public health leadership skills, health promotion, and addressing the negative impact of unhealthy commodity industries (such as Big Tobacco, ultra-processed food, alcohol, and gambling) on health, as well as road safety. He has been actively engaged in teaching and refining leadership training programs, and he has co-edited and co-authored several books in the field of public health.

Khalid Muse is an award-winning changemaker experienced in equity, systems reform, and community engagement. At just 21, he has emerged as a powerful voice in the sector, consulting with leading organisations to embed equity into policy and practice. He has delivered keynotes at Australia’s largest public health conferences and Federal Parliament, using his platform to hold institutions accountable for systemic inequities. His advocacy has received national media attention, amplifying the voices of communities too often overlooked.

As an Associate Research Fellow, Khalid co-led research on food equity for migrant communities, helping to shift policy conversations at state level. He also co-founded CALM Youth, a charity supporting communities through mentorship, skill-building, and tailored programs that have reached over 5,000 participants. As a Change Agent in the World YMCA Global Leadership Program, Khalid is leading a state-wide nutrition education initiative for children and young people. He also serves on the steering committee of the Future Healthy Countdown 2030—a national initiative that tracks and reports on key health and wellbeing outcomes for children and young people to drive evidence-based action. Across his leadership and advisory roles in the nonprofit, government, and community sectors, Khalid continues to shape how systems can work better for all, where justice and equity are the driving force behind every initiative, policy, and program that impacts our communities.

Shane McArdle, Head of International Projects, Asbestos and Dust Diseases Research Institute (AADRI)

Adjunct Lecturer,  Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney

Shane McArdle joined the ADDRI team in April 2023 as the Head of International Projects. Before joining ADDRI, Shane worked for over 25 years at federal and local government levels in media, communications, events, stakeholder engagement, international collaboration and parliamentary/political administration.

Most recently, Shane spent almost 10 years at the Australian Government Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency (ASEA) as Director Awareness and International, overseeing awareness raising strategies to prevent exposure to asbestos and to eliminate asbestos-related diseases and international collaboration and engagement to support national bans on asbestos production and use in other countries. Shane graduated with a Master of Public Health in 2025.

Hayley Jones, Director, McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer; Co-Chair, Australian Network of WHO Collaborating Centres

Hayley Jones is the Director of the McCabe Centre for Law & Cancer, a unique collaboration between Cancer Council Victoria, the Union for International Cancer Control, and Cancer Council Australia. The Centre delivers world-leading research and training programs that equip individuals, organisations, and governments to use the law to prevent cancer and other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), and to promote equitable access to health care. Hayley is Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre on Law and Noncommunicable Disease, and serves as Co-Chair of the Executive Board of the Australian Network of WHO Collaborating Centres. She leads the McCabe Centre’s role as the WHO FCTC Knowledge Hub on Legal Challenges, and is a member of the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office Technical Advisory Group on NCDs. Dual-qualified as a lawyer in Australia and England, Hayley has a strong background in legal work supporting access to justice, health, and education—particularly for children, migrants and refugees, and people living in poverty.

Kimberly Kapigeno, CEO, PNG Cancer Society & Chair, Pacific NCD Alliance

Ms. Kapigeno brings diverse professional experience spanning TVET education, administration and sales and marketing, national mobile communications sales operations, and the garment and textile industry. She has a background in Business Administration and is pursuing Public Policy Management.  She is passionate about building partnerships across community, government, and private sectors to implement health policies that drive improved health education and social outcomes. Her approach emphasizes quality conversations, data-guided decisions, and comprehensive pathways for advocacy and awareness on cancer prevention in Papua New Guinea.

Ms. Kapigeno was recently elected Chair of the inaugural Pacific Non-Communicable Disease Alliance, a regional platform strengthening civil society collaboration to address the growing NCD burden in Pacific Island Countries and Areas through advocacy, accountability, service delivery, and inclusive community engagement.

Dr Selina Namchee Lo, Executive Director, Australian Global Health Alliance

Dr Lo has nearly three decades experience in global and international health with qualifications in medicine (University of Melbourne), tropical medicine (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) and a Masters in Public and International Law (University of Melbourne).

She is currently also Consulting Editor (Global and Planetary Health Commissions) for The Lancet medical journal where she was previous Senior Editor based in London and Beijing. She has been handling editor of a number of  global health peer reviewed commissions including the Rockefeller Lancet Planetary Health report, the first Lancet series on Transgender Health and Global Health 2035: Investing in Health.

Selina has worked in Afghanistan, Myanmar, China, Thailand, and Bangladesh specifically with refugee, stateless, ethnic minority, and IDU and sex worker communities. She was a Medical Director for Essential Medicines for Médecins sans Frontières based in Geneva. She has worked for Save the Children UK and was Clinical Advisor for the seminal Clinton Foundation national HIV AIDS treatment partnership based in China CDC, and inaugural CEO for Doctors for the Environment Australia (DEA). As a consultant Selina has worked with WHO HQ on Common Goods for Health, Victorian Department of Health COVID19 response, and was a visiting fellow to the UN International Institute of Global Health Malaysia on Gender and Health.

Selina sits on the steering committee of SESH global which builds crowd funding capacity for lower and middle income country researchers in infectious diseases and the International Advisory Board of the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH). Selina came to the Alliance from the Monash Sustainable Development Institute (MSDI). She retains an active interest in the arts and local community –  supporting Correspondences and by writing the occasional art review.

Ma-Anne Rosales Sto. Domingo, Regional Manager for Asia, McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer

Ma-Anne is the Regional Manager for Asia of the McCabe Centre for Law & Cancer where she leads components of training and capacity building programs that relate to the Asian region and provides technical support to governments in Asia. Ma-Anne is a public health lawyer based in Manila, the Philippines with extensive experience in policy development and advocacy, particularly in the area of obesity and overweight prevention and alcohol control. Ma-Anne is also part of the Asia Pacific Alcohol Policy Alliance Secretariat serving as its Legal Advisor, and a senior lecturer at the University of the Philippines, College of Law.

Lisa Stevens, International Atomic Energy Agency

Lisa Stevens joined the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in June of 2019 as the Director, Division of Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT). Her experience in partnership building and National Cancer Control Plan development drew her to this position. Prior to joining the Agency, Ms. Stevens spent 24 years in various roles at the US National Cancer Institute (NCI).

She joined the Center for Global Health (CGH) as the Deputy Director for Planning and Operations in 2012.

As the Senior Lead of the International Global Cancer Control Program Lisa worked with Ministries of Health and other multi-sectorial groups in all WHO Regions to include evidence-based policies in cancer control and/or NCD control plans. In addition, Lisa co- founded the International Cancer Control Partnerships to organize multiple global partners working with stakeholders in cancer control. This partnership focused on collating published cancer control and NCD plans as well as other tools. In September of 2018 a global review of plans was published in Lancet Oncology. Prior to joining CGH, Ms. Stevens worked on many strategic planning activities across NCI. She facilitated interactions among the NCI Divisions, Offices, and Centers, as well as other NIH Institutes and Centers. Ms. Stevens guided the creation and communication of the long-range plan of the Institute, the yearly plan and budget request, and highlights of scientific progress.

Dr Saunthari Somasundaram, Cancer Society of Malaysia, President-Elect, NCD Alliance

Dato’ Dr Saunthari Somasundaram brings over two decades of experience in cancer and noncommunicable disease (NCD) control, with a deep understanding of both global and developing health systems. Her leadership focuses on aligning efforts across universal health coverage, with expertise in governance, financing, and accountability.

She holds key roles in national and international organisations, building partnerships across government, private, and civil society sectors. As an advisor to the Malaysian Ministry of Health, she has supported the integration of NCDs into UHC policy and strengthen civil society mobilisation. She currently serves as President and Medical Director of the National Cancer Society of Malaysia (NCSM), and as Co-Chairperson of NCD Malaysia. She is a board member of the NCD Alliance (NCDA), City Cancer Challenge Foundation (C/Can), and formerly of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC).

Prof Susan Sawyer, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute

Professor Susan Sawyer holds the inaugural Chair of Adolescent Health, Department of Paediatrics, the University of Melbourne (2005 >), endowed in 2015 as the Geoff and Helen Handbury Chair of Adolescent Health. She is the Director of the Centre for Adolescent Health at The Royal Children’s Hospital (2005 >), a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Adolescent Health.

She is the immediate past president of the International Association for Adolescent Health (2022-26) having been its president for 5 years from 2017-21, which followed two terms as IAAH vice-president (Oceania). She is co-chair of the International Pediatric Association Special Advisory Committee on Adolescent Medicine. She chairs the Victorian Government's Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Committee.

A paediatrician by training, she has helped develop the field of adolescent health, both nationally and internationally. Nationally, she was instrumental in establishing the Royal Australasian College of Physician's Committee on adolescent health and was its inaugural chairman from 2002-2007. This work established the framework that led to the accreditation of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine as a specialist field of medical practice in Australia. She chaired the RACP Advanced Training Committee in Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine (2019-21) and is currently leading an evaluation of the training program in Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine.

Her research interests focus on health services for adolescents, with a focus on health care quality, developmentally appropriate models of care (eg transition to adult health care) and chronic disease management in adolescence.

Tan Kwang Cheak, CEO, Singapore Cancer Society

Singapore Cancer Society is celebrating 60 years of caring for cancer patients, and is focused on reducing cancer incidence, increasing survivor rate, improving quality of life, and rallying greater community action for the fight against cancer. To this end, Kwang Cheak brings 25 years of experience in the public service, private and healthcare sectors, with notable track record, characterized by his extensive experience and leadership roles. He last served as CEO of the Agency of Integrated Care (AIC) for six years. With AIC, he built up the organisation, doubled its manpower and scope of work, drove strategies to empower seniors and clients, improved care integration to transform the care community.

Lucy Westerman is a public health specialist focused on chronic disease prevention, health promotion, and policy solutions. She coordinates the Health and Communication course at the Melbourne School of Population Health and collaborates with national and global stakeholders to advance non-communicable disease (NCD) policy and implementation.

Her experience spans state, Commonwealth, and international governance, including work with the Australian Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance, VicHealth, the global NCD Alliance, and the Victorian Department of Health. Lucy holds a Master of Public Health and a Master of Public Policy and Management from the University of Melbourne, and undergraduate degrees in Nutrition, Sociology, and Health Promotion from La Trobe University.

Associate Professor Lisa Whop, Australian National University

Associate Professor Whop BMedSc ,MAppEpi, PhD, is Associate Director of Research and Senior Fellow at Yardhura Walani, the National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing Research, Australian National University. Lisa is an Indigenist (Gumulgal, Wagadagam) epidemiologist with extensive experience in cancer control, particularly in cervical and lung cancer screening. Whop’s work combines epidemiological, policy and implementation expertise with a strong commitment to equity, community leadership, and antiracist practice in public health systems.

Veronica Le Nevez, Head of Impact and Engagement Australia, The George Institute of Global Health

MEnvSc, BSc

Veronica Le Nevez is Head of Impact and Engagement Australia at The George Institute for Global Health, where she leads the Institute’s advocacy and policy engagement activities in Australia and the Pacific region to help increase the impact of the institute’s health and medical research. Programmes of activity include preventive health, food and nutrition, primary care, injury, better treatments for non-communicable diseases, women’s health and critical care, and others.

Veronica has spent her career in public policy, having worked extensively in the environment portfolio and in digital innovation. Prior to joining The George Institute, Veronica was General Manager Policy and Advocacy at the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, and held policy development and implementation roles at the University of Sydney. Veronica has a Bachelor of Science in Resource and Environmental Management, and a Master of Environmental Science from Macquarie University and is currently studying a Masters of Business Administration at the University of New South Wales.

Evan Blecher, Ph.D, Economist in the Global Tax Program (Macroeconomics, Trade and Investment Global Practice), the World Bank

Evan’s work focuses on technical assistance for health tax policy, including tobacco, alcohol and sugar-sweetened beverage taxes. Evan is an Honorary Professor in the School of Economics, and a research associate of the Economics of Excisable Products Research Unit at the University of Cape Town.

Prior to joining the World Bank, he was an economist in the Fiscal Policies for Health unit at the World Health Organization where he led the development of new streams of work including alcohol and sugar-sweetened beverage taxes, and in the Tobacco Control Economics unit where he led tobacco tax efforts in the African region; a Senior Economist in the Health Policy Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago; and a Senior Economist in the Health and Economic Policy Research Program at the American Cancer Society.

Evan received his bachelor's degree in economics and business strategy from the University of Cape Town, an MA in economics with distinction from the University of the West of England, Bristol, and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Cape Town.

Colin Darcy, First Nations Advisor, Cancer Council Victoria

Colin Darcy is a proud Narungga man and a leader in community, Colin has spent his life advocating for the rights, recognition, and self-determination of Aboriginal people across Australia.

With deep roots in community and a strong understanding of both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal systems, Colin brings a unique and powerful perspective to cultural engagement.  

Colin currently works as the Advisor of Aboriginal Nations at Cancer Council Victoria.