Dr. Carlos Barrios

Director and Principal Investigator of the Oncology Research Center at Hospital São Lucas, PUCRS Director of LACOG (Grupo Latino Americano de Investigación Clínica en Oncologia – Latin American Clinical Oncology Research Group) Oncologist of the Oncoclínicas Group in Porto Alegre

Dr. Barrios was born in Uruguay and graduated at PUCRS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil in 1979. He is Director and Principal Investigator of the Oncology Research Center at Hospital São Lucas, PUCRS since 1996, where he has participated in over 300 clinical research trials. He is Director of Clinical Research and Oncologist of the Oncoclínicas Group in Porto Alegre. He is Adjunct Assistant Professor of the William Harrington Latin American Program of the University of Miami School of Medicine. He has a strong interest in the development of international research collaboration and implementation of cooperative research infrastructures in Latin America. As such, he is cofounder and current Director of LACOG (Grupo Latino Americano de Investigación Clínica en Oncologia – Latin American Clinical Oncology Research Group) that congregates more than 100 investigators, more than 70 institutions in 16 different countries in Latin America. Has formal training and certification in the areas of Internal Medicine (Hospital de Clínicas, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil (1980-1982) and Jackson Memorial Hospital, University of Miami, Miami, Fl, US (1982-1985). He also has formal training and certification (ABIM) in Hematology and Oncology at Barnes and Jewish Hospitals, Washington University, Saint Luis, MO, US (1985-1988). His clinical work is concentrated in the area of Breast Cancer. Has participated in innumerous clinical research projects and has numerous abstract presentations and scientific peer reviewed publications.

Prof. Giuseppe Curigliano

Professor of Medical Oncology at University of Milan, Italy

Giuseppe Curigliano, MD PhD, is Full Professor of Medical Oncology at the University of Milano and Chief of the Clinical Division of Early Drug Development at European Institute of Oncology, Milano, Italy. Dr. Curigliano is an expert in the field of advanced drug development in solid tumors, with specific interest on breast cancer. He contributed to the development of many anticancer treatments actually available as standard of care in the treatment of multiple solid tumors. Since 2001 he is tenure-track and full-time cancer specialist at European Institute of Oncology – one of the world’s leading cancer-research institutes and the premier Cancer Center in Italy, third in Europe and 12th globally. He serves as member of the Italian Higher Health Council. Dr. Curigliano serves ESMO as Chair of the Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee. He was awarded with the first ESO Umberto Veronesi Award in Vienna in 2017 and with the Fellowship of the European Academy of Cancer Sciences in Paris in 2017. Dr Curigliano in 2022 was identified as Clarivate™ world’s most influential researchers. Dr Curigliano has contributed to over 670 peer-reviewed publications.

Dr. Rodrigo Sánchez-Bayona,MD PhD

Unidad de Cáncer de Mama y Ginecológico Hospital 12 de Octubre ESMO Young Oncologists Committee member

Dr. Rodrigo Sánchez-Bayona (MD, PhD) is a Medical Oncologist specializing in breast cancer, currently working in the Breast Cancer Unit at the Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre (Madrid, Spain). He has research experience as a principal investigator and sub-investigator in multiple clinical trials from Phase 1 to Phase 3. He is a postdoctoral researcher at CNIO (Spanish National Cancer Research Centre) in the Cell Division and Cancer Group. Dr Sanchez-Bayona completed the ‘Rio Hortega’ State Training Subprogram, granted by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III. He has received competitive funding as a principal investigator for other translational breast cancer research projects, including the 2022 Health Research Award granted by Fundación HNA. Dr. Sánchez-Bayona has authored or co-authored more than 50 publications in indexed journals. He holds prominent positions within national and international scientific societies, serving as Scientific Secretary of SEOM (Spanish Society of Medical Oncology) and as a member of the ESMO (European Society for Medical Oncology) Young Oncologists Committee. In 2021, he was awarded the ‘SEOM Somos Futuro’ prize by the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology for young researchers in Oncology.

Professor Lucia Del Mastro

Director of the Clinical Oncology unit since 2021 and Coordinator of the Breast Unit since 2017 at Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova Italy, Lucia Del Mastro is Full Professor of Oncology and Director of the Postgraduate School of Oncology at University of Genova, Italy

A medical oncologist specializing in breast cancer, her work involves various areas of research in oncology: from translational research to clinical research. She is the principal investigator of multicenter national academic phase II and III studies in metastatic and early breast cancer patients. She is member of the Scientific Committee of GIM (Gruppo Italiano Mammella, Italy) and Early Breast Cancer Trialists’ Cooperative Group (Oxford – Uk), chairperson of the steering committee of the AIOM (Associazione Italiana Oncologia Medica) recommendations for fertility preservation in cancer patients and she is a member of the steering committees of the AIOM and ESMO (European Society of Medical Oncology) guidelines for the management of early breast cancer (Ann Oncol. 2024;35:159-182). Main results of her academic clinical research, that helped advance the scientific knowledge in oncology, include: 1. the identification of a new strategy for preserving the fertility of young breast cancer receiving chemotherapy which is internationally recognized as a procedure to be proposed to all young breast cancer patients (JAMA. 2011;306:269-76.;JAMA 2015; 314:2632-40); 2. The identification of a new more effective strategy for administering the adjuvant chemotherapy (Lancet 2015;385:1863-72; Lancet Oncol. 2022;23:1571-1582 ); 3. The identification of a new more effective strategy for administering the adjuvant endocrine therapy (Lancet Oncol. 2021;22:1458-1467). Prof. Lucia Del Mastro is the author and co-author of more than 300 scientific publications in international journals, with an H-index (last 15 years) of 57 (excluding self citations: 55) (source: Scopus). In 2022, Lucia Del Mastro received from the President of the Italian Republic the outstanding Guido Venosta Award for her significant contribution to clinical breast cancer research.

Fatima Cardoso, MD, ESCO, FESMO

Fatima Cardoso, MD, FESMO, ESCO Senior Consultant, Medical Oncology President, Advanced Breast Cancer (ABC) Global Alliance Lisbon, Portugal

Dr Cardoso is a senior consultant in medical oncology and breast cancer, board certified in medical oncology and internal medicine. Dr Cardoso earned her medical degree at the University of Porto in Portugal and completed fellowships in the Translational Research Unit of the Jules Bordet Institute (IJB) in Brussels, Belgium, and the Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. She then worked as Assistant Professor at the Medical Oncology Clinic of the IJB, between 2003 and 2010, where she also served as the scientific director of the international research network TRANSBIG for 7 years (EU Framework VI). She returned to Portugal in October 2010 to create and be the Director of the 1st certified Breast Unit in Portugal, at the Champalimaud Clinical Center, until January 2025. Dr Cardoso is deeply involved in the field of global cancer policy, accessibility and inequalities, and is the founder and President of the Advanced Breast Cancer (ABC) Global Alliance, as well as the founder and chair of the ABC International Consensus Guidelines Conference. Her research interests include biology of breast cancer, prognostic and predictive markers, and new anticancer agents, and he has been involved in many phase I-IV breast cancer clinical trials. She is also active in numerous professional organizations such as ESO, ESMO, ASCO, AACR, EORTC and E.C.O., where she serves on several committees; she was a member of the Board of Directors of ESMO, ECCO and EORTC. She is editor-in-chief of The Breast Journal, associate editor of the European Journal of Cancer, and an editorial board member of several other journals. She has received several educational and research grants from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the European Society of Medical Oncology, the European Cancer Organization, the Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation, the Portuguese League Against Cancer, the Portuguese Ministry of Health, the Free University of Brussels, the "Fonds Jean-Claude Heuson", the Fondation Lambeau-Marteau, the Belgian Federation Against Cancer, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, and the European Union. She was awarded the prestigious Order of Santiago da Espada for Scientific Merit, from the President of Portugal, on June 10th 2015. She has also received the Flims Alumni Club (FAC) Lifetime Achievement Award 2011; the Prix Nice - St Paul 2017, for the work developed for Advanced Breast Cancer Patients; the Reach to Recovery International Health Professional Award 2019, for exceptional contributions by a health professional in the field of breast cancer support; the ABC Award 2019, in recognition of her foresight in understanding the importance of advanced breast cancer and for launching a Global Alliance against it, the 2020 Jin Xian-zhai Special Achievement Award, for outstanding contributions to prevention and treatment of human cancer, especially breast cancer, the 2020 European Breast Cancer Science Award/Emmanuel van der Schueren Lecture, the 2021 Umberto Veronesi Memorial Award, and the 2022 ESMO Women For Oncology Award. Dr Cardoso has authored about 400 publications and has presented her work nationally and internationally.

Javier Cortés, MD PhD

International Breast Cancer Center (IBCC), Barcelona, Spain Universidad Europea de Madrid, Faculty of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Department of Medicine, Madrid, Spain Medica Scentia Innovation Research (MedSIR), Barcelona, Spain & New Jersey, US

Dr. Javier Cortes received a degree in Medicine and Surgery from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid in 1996, specialist in Medical Oncology by the Clínica Universitaria de Navarra, and awarded the title of Doctor in Medical Oncology from the University of Navarra in 2002. From June 2003 to July 2015, he has worked in the Department of Medical Oncology at the Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, where he has been Coordinator of the Teaching and Training Programme for Residents in Oncology. In addition he was the Head of the Breast Cancer Program from July 2006 to August 2015. From September 2015 to October 2018, he has been Head of the Breast Cancer and Gynecological tumors at Ramon y Cajal University Hospital in Madrid. Dr. Cortes was the Head of the Breast Cancer Program at IOB Institute of Oncology, Quironsalud group, in both Madrid and Barcelona, from 2011 to September 2020. He has been Senior Clinical Investigator of the Breast Cancer Research Program at Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology from 2011 to February 2022. Dr. Cortés is the Head of the International Breast Cancer Centre (IBCC) in Barcelona, founding partner of Medica Scientia innovation Research (MedSIR), a company involved in the clinical development of clinical trials. In addition to his medical specialties, he has two master degrees in “Medical Direction and Clinical Management” by the Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED) and “Research methodology in Health Sciences” by the Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona and a degree in “Statistics in Health Sciences” by the Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona. He has contributed to over 430 peer-reviewed publications, especially about breast tumours and new drugs and more than 800 communications at different conferences. He actively participates in the development of numerous international clinical trials, and he is an ad hoc reviewer of various oncology journals, including, New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, Lancet Oncology, Annals of Oncology or Journal of Clinical Oncology, among many others. Dr Cortés is an active member of the Spanish, European, and American Societies of Medical Oncology (SEOM, ESMO, ASCO). In addition, he is a member of the Scientific Committee of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), of the Scientific Committee of the European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC), has been chair for breast cancer at the ESMO 2020 congress, and co-chair of the same section in the congress of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 2020, as well as the immunotherapy area of the AACR 2021 congress. He is a member of the expert panel that develops the treatment guidelines for metastatic breast cancer of the European Society for Medical Oncology, member of the ABC Conference, member of the ASCO International Affairs Committee, member of the executive panel in charge of SABCS Strategic Planning, and co-organizer of the Annual Congress of Controversies in Breast Cancer (CoBrCa). In addition, according to the American Expertscape 2023 ranking, he is considered the world’s leading expert on HER2+ and fourth world oncologist with the greatest expertise in breast cancer and in 2022 and 2023 was identified as Clarivate™ world’s most influential researchers.

Dr. Christos Sotiriou

Research Director, Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique (FNRS) Director, Breast Cancer Translational Research Laboratory J-C. Heuson (BCTL), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) Full Professor, Medical Oncology Department, Institut Jules Bordet (IJB)/Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (HUB) Director of the Bordet Research Laboratories (BCRL), Institut Jules Bordet (IJB)/Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (HUB)

Dr. Sotiriou is currently the Research Director at the “Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique” (FNRS), a “chef de Clinique” at the Jules Bordet Institute, and was recently appointed as Director of the Bordet Cancer Research Laboratories of the Jules Bordet Institute. His primary research focuses on improving the molecular understanding of breast cancer biology, disease dissemination, and progression by using state-of-the-art omics technologies and developing prognostic and predictive biomarkers for breast cancer. With an H-index of more than 100 and over 300 publications in high-impact journals, Dr. Sotiriou is a widely recognized thought leader. He is an active member of numerous scientific and abstract review committees, such as the AACR, SABCS, ASCO, and the ESMO conferences. He is the Associate Editor for breast cancer for Annals of Oncology, ESMO’s official journal. He is an Advisory Council Member of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and a former elected member of the Scientific Council of the International Agency for Research on Cancer for Belgium (IARC- WHO, 2012 to 2016). He is an editorial board member for the WHO Classification of Breast Tumors (4th, 5th and 6th WHO Blue Books, breast cancer edition). He is a fellow of the European Academy of Cancer Sciences, and since 2022, he has become a member of the Académie Royale de Médecine de Belgique. Dr. Sotiriou has received many prestigious awards, including the 2015 “Joseph Maisin Scientific Prize - Clinical Biomedical Sciences,” a quinquennial prize awarded by the F.R.S. FNRS. Over the past 20 years, he has succeeded in obtaining steady, independent, peer-reviewed research funding.

Angélica Nogueira-Rodrigues, MD, PhD

Professor and Researcher at UFMG (Federal University of Minas Gerais)

Founder and current Director of Planning at the Brazilian Group of Gynecological Tumors, EVA Director of International Relations at GBECAM (Brazilian Group for Breast Cancer Studies)

Dr. Evandro de Azambuja

Head of the Medical Support Team (Academic Promoting Team), Institut Jules Bordet, HUB, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium

Dr. de Azambuja earned his first PhD from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil, in May 2007 and his second PhD from the Université Libre de Bruxelles (U.L.B) in December 2015. Dr. de Azambuja is a member of different societies including ESMO, ASCO and BSMO. He also has been chairing different ESMO activities such as Fellowship Committee (2018-2022), ESMO Leaders Generation Program (2018-2022). He is the current ESMO membership director 2023-2024 and BSMO (Belgian Society for Medical Oncology) President 2023-2026 He has (co)-authored about 300 peer-reviewed articles and 15 book chapters. He has been a member of Education and Scientific Committees of the ESMO, ESMO Breast, EBCC and ECCO meetings and invited international speaker in different conferences and countries.

Dr. José Bines

Attending Physician at the Instituto Nacional de Cancer and Clínica Sao Vicente, Brazil

José Bines MD, PhD is an attending physician at the Instituto Nacional de Cancer and Clínica Sao Vicente, in Brazil. Dr Bines received his medical degree from the Federal University in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and he undertook his oncology fellowship training at Northwestern University in Chicago, USA. He is one of the founders of the Breast Cancer Brazilian Cooperative Group (GBECAM). His research focus on health disparities and access to breast cancer care and treatment. Dr Bines is currently an associate editor of Clinical Breast Cancer and Breast Cancer Research and Treatment.

Prof. Alessandra Gennari

Professor of Oncology, University of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy Head, Medical Oncology, Maggiore University Hospital, Novara, Italy

During her career, Alessandra Gennari MD PhD, has been involved in the development of new treatment strategies and treatment individualization with particular emphasis on breast cancer. She has coordinated and performed as Principal Investigator on many clinical trials in early and advanced breast cancer in a multidisciplinary setting, including translational laboratory research. Her current research areas are: Metabolic aspects in breast cancer patients, with particular emphasis on body weight, diet, physical activity asnd dietary supplementation in early and metastatic disease. Evaluation of the role of innate and adaptive immunity in early and advanced breast cancer. Evaluation of T-cell senescence as a predictive factor in early breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy. Application of -omics assays to evaluate the potential predictive and prognostic impact of host-related -omic profiles in breast and lung cancer patients. Dr. Gennari is the author of more than 200 peer reviewed articles.

Prof. Valentina Guarneri

Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova Istituto Oncologico Veneto IRCCS, Padova, Italy

Valentina Guarneri, MD, PhD, is Full Professor of Oncology at the University of Padova, and Director of the Oncology 2 Division at the Istituto Oncologico Veneto. She is Director of the Specialty programme in Medical Oncology, chair of the multidisciplinary Breast Unit, Director of the Master Degree programme in Clinical Research in Oncology. She completed her fellowship in Oncology in 2003, and she obtained her PhD Degree in Clinical and Experimental Oncology in 2007. In 2005, she completed a research experience at the Department of Breast Medical Oncology, UT. MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, where she also was Visiting Assistant Professor in 2009. In 2005, she has been appointed Assistant Professor of Oncology at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, where she also chaired the Breast Unit from 2011 to 2013. She moved to University of Padova in2013, where she has been appointed the position of Associate Professor of Oncology. From 2015 to 2018, she was member of the Research Committee of the Italian Ministry of Health. She was a long-standing member of the ESMO Fellowship and Award Committe, Oncology Pro Working Group and ESMO Young Oncologists Committee (YOC). She is also a founder member of the Women for Oncology Italy initiative (a national spin-off of the ESMO initiative). She is in the editorial review board of several International journals, including The Lancet Oncology, Annals of Oncology, Clinical Cancer Research, The Oncologist and Clinical Breast Cancer. Her research interest is mainly focused on clinical and translational research for breast cancer patients. She published more than 240 papers in peer-reviewed journals. She has presented more than 400 lectures at national and International conferences.

Prof. Nadia Harbeck

Head of Breast Center and holds the chair for Conservative Oncology at the Dept. of OB&GYN, LMU University Hospital, Munich, Germany

Nadia Harbeck, MD, PhD, obtained her specialist degree (OB&GYN) at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and her medical degree from the Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich (LMU). Professor Harbeck is the current ESMO Director of Education and Subject Editor of the ESMO Breast Cancer Guidelines. She is also member of the expert panel issuing the German AGO recommendations for breast cancer therapy (www.ago-online.de). She is co-director of the West German Study Group (www.wsg-online.com). From 2009-2015, she served on the EORTC Executive Board as chair of the Translational Research Division. Professor Harbeck is principal investigator or steering committee member of numerous breast cancer trials, particularly with novel targeted compounds and individualized treatment strategies. She has a strong interest in eHealth and is co-developer of CANKADO, an international digital patient diary (www.cankado.com). Professor Harbeck is one of the most frequently cited clinical researchers worldwide (Highly Cited Researcher 2021 and 2022). She has authored more than 635 papers in peer-reviewed journals (h-index 95) and is coordinating editor-in-chief of Breast Care (Karger Publishers). She is ESMO co-director of the annual Methods in Clinical Cancer Research Workshop (MCCR) and panel member of several international breast cancer consensus conferences. Professor Harbeck is recipient of the 2023 German Cancer Award and the 2020 ESMO Lifetime Achievement Award. She also received several additional recognitions of her clinical and translational research such as the 2021 UPO Award for Women in Academy and Research, the 2015 Bavarian Cancer Patient Award, the 2012 Claudia von Schilling Award, the 2008 EBCC Award, the 2002 AGO Schmidt-Matthiesen Award, a 2001 AACR Award, and the 2001 ASCO Fellowship Merit Award for the highest ranking abstract.

Dr. Mattea Reinisch

Deputy Clinic Director, Clinic for Senology/Interdisciplinary Breast Cancer, Evang. Clinics Essen-Mitte, Germany

Mattea Reinisch, MD, PhD graduated from medical school in Berlin, Germany at the Charité, started her practical medical training in Berlin, Frankfurt /Main and Essen, Germany. She is trained as a gynecologist and has subsequently specialized in treating patients with breast cancer. Her scientific training in clinical researched started during her residency at the German Breast Group, where she is still actively involved as a scientific advisor. She is now leading the breast Unit at the Kliniken Essen-Mitte, is the deputy director of the department, is part of the surgical team and leads the department for breast cancer studies. She is an active member of the adjuvant and neoadjuvant Subboard of the German Breast Group, as well as an ESMO and DEGUM and DKG member. Among others, she is author of some major publications about male breast cancer and deescalating strategies on the axillary surgery. Mattea Reinisch has been principal investigator of more than 20 multicenter clinical trials Phase II and III. She is working on finding strategies to improve study recruitments into clinical trials in Germany, is co-founder of the locoregional study network west-go-breast.de. Her research has been acknowledged by national (DGS) and international committees (ESMO).

Dr. Gustavo Werutsky

Executive Director of the Latin American Cooperative Oncology Group (LACOG) Medical Oncologist of the Breast Cancer Program, Hospital Moinhos de Vento, Porto Alegre, Brazil

Gustavo Werutsky, MD, is the Executive Director of the Latin American Cooperative Oncology Group (LACOG) and Medical Oncologist of the Breast Cancer Program, Hospital Moinhos de Vento, Porto Alegre Brazil. He is member of the Breast International Group (BIG) Executive Board, Brussels, Belgium. He is also member of the Breast Cancer Group Steering Committee member of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC). He serves as representative of LACOG in the SWOG Cancer Research Network, United States. He was a former medical research fellow at the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) 2008-2011 working in the breast and gastrointestinal cancer groups. Also, past fellow of the Flims workshop on cancer research (EORTC – NCI - AACR), Flims, Switzerland and the ESMO translational research unit visit, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany. Graduated in Medicine at Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (2003), specialisation in Internal Medicine (2006) and Medical Oncology (2008) at Hospital São Lucas PUCRS, Porto Alegre, Brazil and PhD (2021) in Medicine at Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil. He is member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) and Sociedade Brasileira de Oncologia Clínica (SBOC). Areas of interest are breast cancer research, drug development and methods in clinical trials.

Dr. Rachel Würstlein

Senior physician and co-manager of the Breast Center at the LMU University Hospital Munich, Germany

PD Dr. med. Rachel Würstlein qualified in obstetrics/gynaecology before specialising in breast diagnostics, systemic treatment of adjuvant and metastatic breast cancer, palliative care, genetics and clinical trials. She is active partner of WSG (www.wsg-online.com) and represents outreach and precision medicine at the CCC Munich. Her research interests include national and international translation research, prognostic and predictive factors in early and metastatic breast cancer, palliative care, implementation of health provision and health services research. She has a strong focus in education and medical training with interdisciplinary and interprofessional teams. Dr. Würstlein is also lead of the Munich Breast Cancer Group (www.tumorzentrum-muenchen.de), a member of the expert panel issuing the German AGO recommendations for breast cancer therapy (www.ago-online.de) and DKG / AGSMO (German Cancer Society, supportive therapies). She participates at various editorial boards, f.e. of Breast Care and is active partner of several patient initiatives and engaged in education of HCP.