GLOBAL HEALTH CATALYST SUMMIT 2026 TO LAUNCH AI-ENABLED CANCER CENTER IN THE CLOUD AT HARVARD/MIT

Global leaders unite to accelerate equitable care, cross-sector collaboration and sustainable health impact.

CAMBRIDGE, MA, UNITED STATES, September 1, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A new AI-enabled model for global cancer collaboration will take center stage September 18–21 at the 2026 Global Health Catalyst Summit at Harvard/MIT. Developed in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins CaREER Program and the University of Pennsylvania–University of Pittsburgh AMPERE Program, the model will be introduced before an international gathering of leaders in medicine, science, government, academia, industry, philanthropy, diplomacy, patient advocacy and technology.

The 2026 GHC Summit will launch the Comprehensive Cancer/CARE Center in the Cloud (C4), an AI-powered collaborative ecosystem designed to advance whole-person health care and democratize access to quality CARE—Care, Advocacy and Outreach, Research, and Education. By connecting expertise, clinical care, education, research, innovation and mentorship across institutions and countries, C4 will strengthen existing cancer centers, broaden access to multidisciplinary expertise and accelerate collaboration across geographic boundaries. Under the theme “Catalyzing Win-Win Collaborations for Global Health and Development,” the Summit will advance GHC’s mission to build mutually beneficial international partnerships that translate knowledge and innovation into meaningful improvements in global health.

The 2026 roster brings together first ladies, government and diplomatic leaders, internationally recognized cancer experts, academic leaders, patient advocates and industry innovators. Among those currently listed to participate are Her Excellency Arya Ali, First Lady of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana; Her Excellency Fatima Maada Bio, First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone; Rear Admiral Susan J. Blumenthal, former U.S. Assistant Surgeon General and founding director of the Office on Women's Health within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); Her Excellency Robinah (Robie) Kakonge, Uganda's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States; Her Excellency Dr. Elsie Sia Kanza, Ambassador of the United Republic of Tanzania to the United States of America and Mexico; U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts; Her Royal Highness Princess Dina Mired of Jordan, former President of the Union for International Cancer Control and former Director General of the King Hussein Cancer Foundation; and Her Excellency Zita Oligui Nguema, First Lady of the Republic of Gabon.


FEATURED INITIATIVES AND STRATEGIC DIALOGUES

The Summit will showcase progress across GHC’s international portfolio through a series of chair-led dialogues exploring how innovative financing, emerging science and international partnerships can translate advances in cancer research and care into sustainable, real-world impact.

Dr. Saiful Huq of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh and Prof. Fleury Augustin Nsole Biteghe of Northeastern University will co-chair the “Davos for Global Health” Collaboration Catalyst session. Christopher Muflam, GHC Director of Global Health Finance and Director of the Global Health Bond Exchange (GLOHBX), and Dr. Catharine Young, Lead of the Global Cancer Financing Platform, will present the Global Cancer Financing Platform and GLOHBX, highlighting a pilot launch in the Republic of Uganda.

As part of C4, this collaborative ecosystem will expand the global reach and impact of U.S.-funded research through international collaborations designed to eliminate disparities in cancer care and outcomes. Vivian Kobusingye Birchall, S.M., GHC Director of Communications and Media and Lead Catalyst for Uganda, will chair a dialogue on mobilizing diaspora organizations to strengthen global cancer financing and advance the implementation of GLOHBX. Prof. Kenneth Ngwa will lead a dialogue on Whole-Person Health, an interdisciplinary initiative integrating the physical, mental, spiritual and social dimensions of well-being. The initiative emphasizes care for the whole person—not merely the disease—through equitable, culturally grounded approaches that span disciplines and sectors. Emerging applications of quantum science will be explored during “Quantum Medicine: How Will Quantum Science Redefine the Future of Medicine?” The session will be co-chaired by Dr. Gustavo Olivera, Chief Executive Officer of Quantum Theranostics, and Dr. Bashkim Ziberi, Chief Scientific Officer of Quantum Theranostics and GHC Director for Eastern Europe.

The Summit will also highlight the One Cure Program and the NIH/NCI-supported AMPERE Fellowship Program, led by principal investigators Dr. Stephen Avery of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Saiful Huq. AMPERE prepares students and trainees to advance global cancer research and medical physics through interdisciplinary mentorship, international research experience and cross-institutional collaboration.

The Summit’s education agenda will include a dialogue addressing workforce crises highlighted by the Lancet Oncology Commission, co-chaired by Dr. Zachary Ward of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Dr. Stephen Avery, and Dr. Louise Ivers, Faculty Director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, Executive Director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Global Health, and the David Bangsberg, MD, MPH Endowed Chair in Global Health Equity at Massachusetts General Hospital. For the first time, an AI agent will participate in the session as both a panelist and a Global Oncology University “Professor,” marking an innovative application of artificial intelligence in global oncology education. Dr. Adriana Sanford (Koeck-Fuenzalida), a globally recognized authority on cross-border compliance, privacy law, and AI governance, a thought leader represented by the American Program Bureau, and former senior analyst for CNN en Español, will chair a strategic dialogue on advanced experiential learning and the development of a sustained pipeline for student engagement in global health. The discussion will examine how academic institutions, industry, and global health organizations can create enduring pathways that connect students with international initiatives, interdisciplinary expertise, and consequential real-world experience. The session will also spotlight an expanding effort in oncology nursing education and global health workforce development, bringing together the DeyLight Foundation, the Simmons University School of Nursing, and interdisciplinary health professionals, including providers from Massachusetts General Hospital. The dialogue will explore opportunities to strengthen education, clinical capacity, and workforce development through sustained cross-institutional engagement, while preparing the next generation of professionals to contribute meaningfully to global cancer care and health-system advancement.

Dr. Aditi Hazra, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Associate Epidemiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Dr. Gevorg Tamamyan, Chairman and Professor of the Department of Hematology and Pediatric Oncology at Yerevan State Medical University (YSMU), will serve as co-chairs of the First Ladies Collaboration Catalyst. Dr. Tamamyan is also CEO and Founder of the Immune Oncology Research Institute (IMMONC), Co-Founder and Chairman of the Institute of Cancer and Crisis, and Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of OncoDaily. An internationally recognized leader in pediatric oncology, Dr. Tamamyan also serves as President of SIOP Asia and President of the Pediatric Oncology East and Mediterranean (POEM) Group, a network encompassing 28 countries and 110 cancer centers. He is also Co-Chair of the St. Jude Global EURO Regional Advisory Committee, supporting collaboration across 13 European countries. Their session will feature remarks from participating First Ladies, a high-level collaboration town hall, and the launch of the Global First Ladies Collaboration Initiative. Bringing together First Ladies and leaders from medicine, public health, academia, government, and global development, the dialogue will seek to strengthen international partnerships and catalyze coordinated action in equitable cancer care, health-system strengthening, and human development.

Participating scientific, medical and global health leaders also include:
• Dr. Rifat Atun, Dean for Education and Innovation; Julio Frenk Professor of Public Health Leadership at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
• Dr. May Abdel-Wahab, Director of the Division of Human Health at the International Atomic Energy Agency
• Dr. Natalie Artzi, Associate Institute Director and core faculty member at Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering; Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School
• Dr. Julie Gralow, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of the American Society of Clinical Oncology; Professor Emeritus at University of Washington School of Medicine
• Dr. Beatrice Wiafe Addai, Ghana’s first female general surgeon; Founder and President of Breast Care International
• Dr. Bilinga M. Tendwa, Director of the Global Phytomedicine Institute; GHC Senior Scientific Researcher

Industry and innovation leaders will include Olivier Legrain, Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A.), a global leader in particle-accelerator technology based in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.


THE GHC AWARDS

The GHC Awards honor exceptional achievement and leadership in oncology, public health, scientific research, humanitarian service and global development. Past honorees include:
• Dr. Edward J. Benz Jr., Richard and Susan Smith Professor of Medicine and Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School; former President of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
• Calvin Johnson, former NFL wide receiver and 2021 inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
• Her Excellency Jeannette Kagame, First Lady of the Republic of Rwanda
• Dr. David Kerr, Professor of Cancer Medicine in the Radcliffe Department of Medicine at the University of Oxford
• Felicia Marie Knaul, Associate Chancellor of University of California, Los Angeles; economist and global health researcher
• Dikembe Mutombo, NBA Hall of Famer, legendary defensive player and global humanitarian from the Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Dr. Harold Varmus, recipient of the 1989 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discoveries concerning the cellular origin of cancer-causing genes
• Dr. Beatrice Wiafe Addai, Ghana’s first female general surgeon; Founder and President of Breast Care International


ABOUT THE GLOBAL HEALTH CATALYST

The Global Health Catalyst is a cross-institutional platform that catalyzes international collaboration for global health and development. Its vision is a world in which everyone, everywhere has access to quality CARE—Care, Advocacy and Outreach, Research, and Education—enabled by global collaboration and advanced technologies. GHC began in 2015 with summits organized at Harvard led by Prof. Wil Ngwa and has expanded, with funding support from the U.S. National Institutes of Health, through collaborations and summits at MIT, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Pittsburgh. Other Principal Investigators and leaders include Prof. Stephen Avery of the University of Pennsylvania, Prof. Saiful Huq of the University of Pittsburgh and Prof. Hedvig Hricak of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Its broader academic and clinical community has included experts from Harvard Medical School, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Mayo Clinic, and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, among others.


A GROWING RECORD OF IMPACT

Global Health Catalyst’s growing record of impact spans cancer research, education, policy and international engagement:
• $147+ million catalyzed for collaborative cancer research since 2025
• $1.4 billion+ in cancer-funding announcements involving U.S. and international partners
• Thousands trained worldwide through the Global Oncology University education initiative
• 33,000+ individuals engaged through education and Young Global Health Catalysts programs
• Engagement with more than 100 diaspora organizations
• 1,000+ travel and professional-development awards
• 25+ policy recommendations advanced for consideration or adoption
• 100+ scientific publications and books addressing health disparities


LOOKING AHEAD: GLOBAL GOLF FOR GLOBAL HEALTH

Dr. Adriana Sanford (Koeck-Fuenzalida), an Inspire2Live Ambassador and patient advocate who leads international programming and rule-of-law initiatives in cybersecurity, privacy, and digital rights for the American Bar Association’s International Law Section, is Founder and Chair of the GHC Global Golf Fundraising Initiative. A collaboration between GHC and Inspire2Live, the initiative engages philanthropic and business leaders in advancing global health, AI governance, and responsible innovation. Its leadership also includes Prof. Wilfred Ngwa; Inspire2Live Founder Dr. h.c. Peter Kapitein; and Inspire2Live Board Member and Lead Patient Advocate Ilona Schelle. With affiliations spanning 57 countries, Inspire2Live is an international health and patient-advocacy movement comprising approximately 120 professional volunteers across every continent, including patient advocates, researchers, clinicians, regulators, industry leaders, and policymakers. Its work advances equitable cancer research and treatment through prevention, advanced genomic sequencing, community-based screening, affordable early-detection technologies, individualized treatment, and targeted efforts to expand access to essential cancer medicines. Through its former mass-participation cycling event, Alpe d’HuZes, Inspire2Live raised more than €250 million in support of cancer research and related initiatives.

GHC–Inspire2Live Collegiate Fellows and scholar-athletes Matthew Broder, Michael Chevalier, and Diego Nuno Medina will work with Dr. Sanford in developing the Global Golf Initiative’s programming and student-engagement strategy. Collegiate Fellows James Terry, Ella Hernandez, Ahmed Ahmed, Carlos Garcia, Areicy Diaz, Jacob Johnson, Astrid Quezada, Iyana Wright, and Ana Sofia Lomas will also participate in the GHC Summit. Nearly all of the participating Fellows previously took part in Dr. Sanford’s month-long Transatlantic Experiential Learning Model, conducted through the UTA College of Business in collaboration with the Department of Modern Languages and the UTA Office of International Education. Across eight cities, five corporate site visits, and additional executive-level engagements, students interacted with 15 global leaders, examining cross-border compliance challenges and the practical application of international law in global business and institutional settings. Executives and global leaders who contributed to the experiential-learning program or have subsequently engaged with members of the Collegiate Fellows cohort include:

• Edward Adams, Corporate Secretary of the DeyLight Foundation; former President and CEO of Security Innovation, which was acquired by Bureau Veritas
• Ann Ahrens Beck, Assistant VP and Senior Legal Counsel, AI/Chief Data Office at AT&T
• Javier Benavides Malo, Academic Director at Centro de Estudios Garrigues
• Micki Boland, Global Technologist at Check Point Software Technologies
• Kenneth Cunningham, SVP and Chief General Counsel at CHRISTUS Health System
• Horacio Garcia Masi, CVP, International Legal–LATAM at CHRISTUS Health System
• Edward Herbst, Managing Director at Bison Forensic, former EY Managing Partner, and former member of the FBI’s Senior Executive Service
• Hon. Noel L. Hillman, Partner at FBT Gibbons, former Chief of U.S. Department of Justice’s Public Integrity Section, and former U.S. District Judge
• Jennifer Jones, Assistant VP, Compliance at AT&T
• Miguel Alfonso Kutz Fernández, Chief Risk Officer for Europe and Latin America at Sanitas, part of the Bupa Group
• Noel Navarro, Head of Legal, Global Customer Unit Telefónica and Customer Unit Iberia, at Ericsson
• Juan Oliveira Urquijo, President of Ericsson Spain and Country Manager for Spain and Portugal
• Fernando Ortega, Board Member and Company Secretary of Siemens, S.A., and General Counsel for Spain and Portugal
• Bill Ryan, SVP and Chief Compliance Officer at AT&T
• Paul Theiss, Assistant VP and Senior Legal Counsel at AT&T
• Krissy Turner, former Senior Legal Counsel at AT&T
• Alberto Valero, Compliance Officer for Western European Countries at Ericsson
• Artecia Wilson, Director, Technology, at AT&T
• Bruce Zagaris, Partner at Berliner, Corcoran & Rowe; Editor of the International Enforcement Law Reporter since 1985

Special recognition is extended to Dr. Jacqualyn (Jackie) Fouse, Board Chair and former CEO of Agios Pharmaceuticals; former President and Chief Operating Officer of Celgene; and former CFO of Bunge Ltd. and Alcon Laboratories. Through the Jack and Doris Fouse Scholarship, Dr. Fouse provided generous study-abroad support for a cohort of 18 UTA College of Business students, helping expand access to international experiential learning. GHC also gratefully acknowledges Dr. Bimalangshu R. Dey, Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Founder and President of the DeyLight Foundation; Cass Powell, President of Ricochet Fuel; Ed Adams; and Micki Boland, whose collective support included transportation, accommodations and classroom resources. Their generosity and commitment helped make these transformative opportunities possible.


FROM COLLABORATION TO LASTING IMPACT

The 2026 Global Health Catalyst Summit reflects a shared commitment to translating collaboration into lasting impact. By connecting leaders, institutions, and emerging talent across borders, GHC seeks to strengthen health systems, expand access to quality cancer care, accelerate innovation, and prepare the next generation to advance global health with purpose.

Vivian Kobusingye Birchall
Global Health Catalyst
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