Advisory Board

Dr. Mutebi

PRESIDENT

MIRIAM MUTEBI

Dr. Mutebi is a consultant breast surgical oncologist and assistant professor in the Department of Surgery at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. She is also a clinical epidemiologist and health systems researcher with a research focus on understanding barriers to access for women with cancers in Sub-Saharan Africa and in designing interventions to mitigate those barriers. She is the president of the African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC), immediate past president for the Kenya Society of Hematology and Oncology (KESHO), and on the Board of Directors of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC). She is also the co-founder of the Pan African Women’s Association of Surgeons, which was developed to mentor and provide transformative leadership for women in surgery in order to improve surgical care and pathology on the continent, and is part of the Kenya Association of Women Surgeons. She is the co-chair of the National Cancer Taskforce in Kenya, chair of the Commonwealth Taskforce for the elimination of Cervical Cancer, and a commissioner with five Lancet commissions including Women, Power and Cancer, Cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa, and Breast Cancer. She was the 2024 ASCO Humanitarian Award Recipient.

Prof. Lukoye Atwoli

Dean

Prof. Lukoye Atwoli

Prof. Lukoye Atwoli is a leading Psychiatrist practicing at the Aga Khan University Hospital. He is the Dean of AKU Medical College, East Africa, and Deputy Director of AKU’s Brain and Mind Institute. As a member of the World Mental Health Surveys Consortium, he is widely published, with research interests in trauma, PTSD, genetics of mental disorders, children and youth mental health, and HIV-related mental health. Prof. Atwoli holds key leadership roles, including Vice-President of the World Psychiatric Association Section on Epidemiology and Public Health, Chairperson of the Board of Mathari National Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kenya, and co-Chair of the Board on Global Health of the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. As a mental health advocate, he has earned honors including International Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, the Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear, elected to the US National Academy of Medicine, and is a member of the Kenya National Academy of Sciences.

Lúcio Lara Santos

FULL PROFESSOR OF SURGICAL ONCOLOGY / DEAN / CONSULTANT SURGICAL ONCOLOGIST

Lúcio Lara Santos (LLS), MD, PhD

Lúcio Lara Santos (LLS), MD, PhD, is a Full Professor of Surgical Oncology at ICBAS-UP and Fernando Pessoa Universities with a habilitation degree, Head of the Experimental Pathology and Therapeutics Research Group, Head of the Surgical Oncology Department at IPO-Porto, and Dean of the School of Medicine at Fernando Pessoa University. He also serves as an Adviser in Oncology for Lusophone African Countries. LLS received MD degrees from both Agostinho Neto University, Angola, and Nova University, Lisbon, Portugal. He earned his Master of Science in Oncobiology and PhD in Surgery and Medicine from the University of Porto, Portugal. He completed a fellowship in General Surgery and Surgical Oncology at the Portuguese Institute of Oncology, with specialized training at St. George Hospital, London; Leiden Academy; Hospital Paul Brousse, Villejuif; and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. His research interests include surgical oncology, clinical research, experimental pathology, neglected diseases related to cancer, pre-clinical studies, translational medicine, and carcinogenesis. LLS develops research work in Portugal and Lusophone African Countries (PALOP). As a Consultant Surgical Oncologist at IPO-Porto, he conducts research in experimental pathology and oncology, focusing on gastrointestinal, oral, breast cancer, and cancer-related infections, as well as prehabilitation of surgical oncological patients. He has extensive experience organizing oncology facilities, developing reference centers, and teaching medicine, surgery, and oncology. LLS co-founded GlycoMatters, developed innovative glycan-targeting devices, and is involved in groundbreaking clinical projects including DC Matters and IDEAR, focusing on novel cancer vaccines and neoadjuvant immunotherapy.

LLS has contributed to science by generating new knowledge, including research on tobacco-associated neoplasms, translational research units, early-phase clinical trials (e.g., LUZ11-CDU-001), angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis studies, and drug resistance mechanisms in cancer. He is also engaged in Sub-Saharan African cancer research, high-throughput omics characterization, establishment of cancer cell panels, development of personalized oncology care in Cape Verde, and creation of population-based cancer registries in several PALOP countries. Additionally, he has investigated neglected diseases such as urogenital schistosomiasis and Opisthorchis felineus infections, elucidating mechanisms of parasite-induced carcinogenesis. His work in clinical research includes developing IPOscore, a web-based clinical decision support system, and leading prehabilitation programs and trials for surgical oncology patients. He has identified new compounds, such as BBIT20, as innovative therapeutics for triple-negative breast and ovarian cancer, contributing to personalized medicine approaches.

In training and mentoring, LLS established the Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics Group, recruiting Principal Investigators to expand research in glycobiology, circulating tumour cells, immunology, and molecular genetics. He supervised 28 master’s students, 47 doctoral students (36 completed), and 3 postdoctoral researchers, fostering research capacity in Portugal and PALOP countries.

LLS contributes to the scientific community as President of the Surgical Oncology Section of the Portuguese Oncology Society, board member of the Digestive Cancer Research Group, editor-in-chief of Revista Portuguesa de Cirurgia, and member of editorial boards of the Journal Cancer and the Journal of Cancer Metastasis and Treatment. He organizes oncology courses and postgraduate programs, participates in clinical trials, and advances research, clinical education, and patient care.

As a societal contributor, LLS actively engages with civil society through media, educational initiatives, and awareness campaigns to promote cancer prevention and early diagnosis. His scientific production includes ~280 articles, with key publications highlighting translational oncology, precision medicine, cancer glycobiology, schistosomiasis-associated cancer, clinical trials, and innovative therapeutics. Notable selected works include:

  1. Exploring sialyl-Tn expression in microfluidic-isolated circulating tumour cells. N Biotechnol. 2018 Sep 28.
  2. Novel monoclonal antibody L2A5 specifically targeting sialyl-Tn. Sci Rep. 2018;8(1):12196.
  3. Treatment of Head and Neck Cancer with Photodynamic Therapy with Redaporfin: A Clinical Case Report. Case Rep Oncol. 2018 Nov 27;11(3):769-776.
  4. Clinical and Pathologic Profiles of Esophageal Cancer in Mozambique. J Glob Oncol. 2018 Nov;4:1-9.
  5. Urogenital Schistosomiasis-History, Pathogenesis, and Bladder Cancer. J Clin Med. 2021 Jan 8;10(2):205.
  6. Mining Pre-Surgical Patterns Able to Discriminate Post-Surgical Outcomes in the Oncological Domain. IEEE J Biomed Health Inform. 2021 Jul;25(7):2421-2434.
  7. Competitive glucose metabolism as a target to boost bladder cancer immunotherapy. Nat Rev Urol. 2020 Feb;17(2):77-106.
  8. Frequency of TERT promoter mutations in human cancers. Nat Commun. 2013;4:2185.
  9. A roadmap for translational cancer glycoimmunology at single cell resolution. J Exp Clin Cancer Res. 2022 Apr 15;41(1):143.
  10. Fellowship in surgical oncology: Results of an experience in PALOP countries. Eur J Surg Oncol. 2024 Jan;50(1):107262.
  11. Breast cancer in Cape Verde: 24-year retrospective study. Ecancermedicalscience. 2025 Jan 16;19:1826.
  12. Multivalent CD44 glycoconjugate vaccine candidate for cancer immunotherapy. J Control Release. 2024 Mar;367:540-556.
  13. Minimizing false positives for CTC identification. Anal Chim Acta. 2024 Feb 1;1288:342165.
Julie Torode

BOARD MEMBER / VISITING RESEARCHER

Julie Torode

Julie Torode is on the board of the Institute of Cancer Policy and a visiting researcher at Kings College London. Her research interests span global cancer prevention and control. She has a PhD in chemistry (Uni Liverpool), conducted post-doctoral research (Uni of Marburg) and entered the field of oncology through industry clinical trials across phases I-IV (2000-2008). During more than a decade (2008-2021) at UICC, Julie worked with organizations across the globe in advocating for the Global Action Plan on NCDs, palliative care and cancer resolutions, and the WHO Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer. She is an advisor to WHO (Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative, Global Breast Cancer Initiative, and engagement of people with lived experience). Julie serves on the Executive Council of AORTIC, the board of Kilele Health Association, and is a technical advisor to the African Cervical Health Alliance.

Hennie Botha

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR / HEAD OF DEPARTMENT OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY

HENNIE BOTHA

Hennie Botha is an Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Hospital in South Africa. He began his professional career in a rural hospital in Malawi and later specialized in Obstetrics and Gynaecology in South Africa, followed by further training in Gynaecological Oncology in the United Kingdom. His research focuses on cervical cancer prevention and treatment, including among people living with HIV. He collaborates with national and international researchers and has co-authored several peer-reviewed journal articles. Hennie has served on the Council of the International Gynaecological Cancer Society and is the International Vice-Chair of the HPV Working Group of the AIDS Malignancy Consortium. He is deeply committed to undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and training, and his unit has trained numerous specialists and sub-specialists in the field.

Emiola Oluwabunmi

PROFESSOR / HEAD, DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

EMIOLA OLUWABUNMI OLAPADE-OLAOPA

Professor Emiola Oluwabunmi Olapade-Olaopa is the Professor and Head of the Department of Surgery at the University of Ibadan and University College Hospital, Ibadan. His academic and professional expertise spans surgery, urology, molecular biology, medical education, biomedical research, and health systems development. His clinical and research interests focus on urologic oncology, with numerous publications and recognitions in this field. Professor Olapade-Olaopa is the 11th Provost of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, and a former President of the Association of Medical Schools in Africa. He has served as an advisor on health-professionals education and health systems development to several countries and organizations. He also serves on the Academic Board of Dar Es Salaam University, Somalia, and has previously been a council member of the National Open University of Nigeria and the West African College of Surgeons. Professor Olapade-Olaopa is a Fellow of Nigeria’s Academies of Science, Medicine, and Medical Sciences.

Abdulaziz Mohammed

HEAD OF DIVISION, DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION

DR. ABDULAZIZ MOHAMMED

Dr. Abdulaziz Mohammed is the Head of the Division of Disease Control and Prevention at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He is a medical doctor with a Master’s degree in Public Health and a Fellow of the West African College of Physicians, where he rose to the rank of Chief Consultant Physician before joining Africa CDC. Dr. Mohammed was among the founding senior epidemiologists who contributed to the operationalization of Africa CDC in 2016 and previously served as the Principal Medical Epidemiologist, coordinating Africa CDC’s first regional initiative to strengthen public health in Africa. He is also a Fellow of the Chatham House Africa Leadership Program in Public Health. Dr. Mohammed led the development and validation of Africa CDC’s strategies on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), Injuries, and Mental Health, as well as Reproductive Health, which are currently being implemented to support African Union member states. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he co-chaired the Infection Prevention and Control Technical Working Group for Africa CDC’s continental response. He currently coordinates the Country Engagement Workstream of the Africa CDC SLL Program. Dr. Mohammed has authored over 40 publications in peer-reviewed journals.