Speakers of the BBCC 2025

Dr. Nick Zdenkowski is a Medical Oncologist and Clinical Research Fellow at the Calvary Mater Newcastle, a tertiary referral cancer hospital in NSW, Australia, affiliated with the University of Newcastle. He also consults at The Breast and Endocrine Centre, a breast cancer multidisciplinary clinic within the Hunter Cancer Centre. He holds a Conjoint Lecturer appointment with the University of Newcastle and is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. He completed his medical degree at the University of Newcastle before undertaking physician training at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney. His Medical Oncology training was at the Calvary Mater Newcastle, during which time he also completed a Clinical Diploma of Palliative Care. He developed expertise in breast cancer clinical trials during a Fellowship with the Australia and New Zealand Breast Cancer Trials Group (ANZBCTG), and completed a Graduate Diploma in Clinical Epidemiology. He is a member of the ANZBCTG Scientific Advisory Committee, the Hunter Cancer Research Alliance Implementation Steering Committee and the PALLAS Study International Steering Committee. He is a principal investigator on several international and national clinical trials including PALLAS, LATER, IBIS 1 & 2, BIG 1-98, and TailorX. He has also led multiple investigator initiated trials in breast, pancreatic and colorectal cancer. His subspecialty interest is in management of patients with breast cancer, particularly shared decision-making and neoadjuvant systemic therapy. He is now in the final phase of a PhD investigating the role of a decision aid to support shared decision-making for women considering neoadjuvant systemic therapy for operable breast cancer. He would like to see clinical research embedded in routine practice, for greater opportunities for patients and the research community in efficiently generating results that improve the outcomes for patients with cancer.

Dr. Debnarayan Dutta is the Senior Consultant & Head of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi, India. He is a reputed radiation oncologist, worked in Apollo Cancer Hospital Chennai as a senior consultant before joining Amrita. He did his MBBS from National Medical College, Kolkata in the year 1999 and did MD in radiation oncology from the Nilratan Sirkar Medical College, Kolkata from 2003 to 2006. After completing his MD training, he joined Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai as neuro-oncologist & stereotactic radiosurgery fellow in 2006. Then he did fellowship in IMRT in head & neck radiation oncology from Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai. He was trained at Tata Memorial Hospital after post-graduation for almost 4 years, from 2006 till 2010. He joined Apollo Cancer Hospital Chennai in 2010 as consultant and was an integral part of CyberKnife treatment team. He was awarded the prestigious ‘MERIT’ award for being a promising cancer researcher by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in 2008, presenter in ‘Hosino’ young investigator award at Yokohama Japan 2009, awarded ‘Neucletron Fellowship’ in 2010. He received aboard training from Antoine Lacassagne Cancer Centre, Nice and Oscar Lambret Cancer Centre, Lille, France for CyberKnife. He had a short stint at Munich CyberKnife Centre, Munich. He is one of the first few Cyberknife users in India and regarded as an expert in radiosurgery & SBRT. He received training from Varian SBRT training center at Lisbon, Portugal in 2013 and was part of IBA proton users meeting at Paris in 2014. He is an eminent speaker in radiosurgery and neuro-oncology, with more than 100 national and international presentations in different academic forums. He has 40 indexed publications, 50 indexed abstracts, chapters in three books and is reviewer of few indexed journals. He is persuading his academic interest as PhD student in Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT). His thesis is on molecular prognostication of head & neck cancer.

Prof. Dr. Rajesh Balakrishnan completed MD Radiation Oncology from Christian Medical College Vellore in 2004 and is working at CMC Vellore since then. He was awarded DNB Radiation oncology in 2005. He also had Image Guided RT training at Clatter Bridge Centre of Oncology, Liverpool, United Kingdom and Breast / Genitourinary Radiotherapy training at Peter MacCallum Centre Australia. His current position is Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, Christian Medical College, Vellore. He is specialized in treating malignancies with Radiotherapy including Brachytherapy, Chemotherapy, Targeted Therapies and Immunotherapy. He has been part of more than 30 clinical trials (national and international). His main areas of interest include Breast cancer, Brain tumors, Lymphomas, Pediatric tumors, GI/GU Oncology. His special areas of interest include Reirradiation and Radiosurgery. He is a member of various organizations like AROI, ISNO, ISMPO, ESTRO, ESMO, IBS, SIOP, TISS, IBS, ISCR, AMPI etc. He has been an invited faculty in conferences both nationally and internationally. He has more than 20 publications in peer reviewed journals and is a reviewer in more than 10 journals. He has been guide for many postgraduate students in his institution.

Don S. Dizon MD, FACP, FASCO is a Professor of Medicine and Professor of Surgery at Brown University. He is the Director of the Pelvic Malignancies Program at Lifespan Cancer Institute, Head of Community Outreach and Engagement at Legorreta Cancer Center, and Director of Medical Oncology at Rhode Island Hospital. Nationally he is the Vice Chair for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Professional Integrity at SWOG Cancer Research Network. He also is a founding member of the Collaboration for Outcomes using Social Media in Oncology. His research foci include novel treatment of ovarian, uterine, and cervical cancers; communication; survivorship after cancer especially in sexuality; professional social media use; and advocacy on behalf of the sexual and gender minoritized (SGM) communities. He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians (FACP) and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (FASCO).

Dr. Ismail Jatoi is Professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology and Endocrine Surgery and holder of the Dale H. Dorn Endowed Chair in Surgery at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in San Antonio, Texas. He obtained his undergraduate bachelor’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis and his MD and PhD degrees from St. Louis University. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He completed fellowship training in surgical oncology at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, England. In recent years, his primary clinical focus has been on the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, and his research focuses on issues pertaining to cancer screening and epidemiology, and the management of breast cancer. Dr. Jatoi has published approximately 170 papers, edited, or authored 8 books, and written 8 book chapters. He has published in numerous high-impact journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, Lancet, British Medical Journal, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Lancet Oncology, JAMA Oncology, and the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Jatoi has had longstanding interest in implementation science, the design and analysis of cancer clinical trials, and the development of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. He has previously served as Co-Director of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS), the Breast Cancer Executive Committee of the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) and is the co-Principal Investigator of the NRG Oncology effort at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio and serves on the national NRG Oncology Breast Cancer Committee and Working Group.

Prof. Dr. Paul Mainwaring, Co-Founder, CEO & Chairman, XING Technologies, Consultant Medical Oncologist iCON Cancer Care. Paul worked as a medical oncologist for 25 years, with an emphasis on basic, clinical and translational research applying new technologies to deliver the best available personalized care to patients. He published extensively in the world’s leading cancer journals including the New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, Lancet Oncology, Journal of Clinical Oncology amongst others. After Paul’s initial Medical Oncology training in Sydney at Royal Prince Alfred and Royal North Shore hospitals he moved to the Royal Marsden in London – Europe’s largest cancer hospital. Paul completed his MD in cell death at the Institute of Cancer Research and was appointed as a consultant at Guy’s, King’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trusts in 1999. In 2002, Paul returned to Australia as Director of Medical Oncology, Mater Adult Hospital and in 2008 Paul transferred across into private practice in Queensland continuing his translational & clinical research. As part of this work he came across the disruptive nanotechnologies being developed in Queensland that could transform patient care. In 2019, Paul transitioned across from working as a medical oncologist to XING to assist the brilliant team of researchers in bringing the XING vision to patients.

Prof. Dr. Grace Kusumawidjaja is a Consultant, Radiation Oncologist at National Cancer Centre, Singapore. She has experience in a variety of radiation treatment techniques, including stereotactic radiosurgery and proton therapy. Dr. Grace obtained her medical degree from the University of Heidelberg, Germany in 2006 and her doctorate in the oncology field from the same university in 2007. She was subsequently trained to become a radiation oncologist at the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS), where she sub-specialized in the treatment of breast cancer, brain and spine malignancies, and other central nervous system tumors. Dr. Grace was previously involved in training visiting oncologists at the NCCS. She is currently a member of the Singapore Radiological Society. Dr. Grace has published many of her works in various international journals and presented them at international conferences. Dr. Grace Kusumawidjaja has actively participated in breast cancer awareness events and dialogues. She demonstrates her commitment through raising awareness on breast cancer, and the importance of early detection, treatment options, and support available for patients. It reflects her dedication to promoting community health and well-being beyond her clinical responsibilities.

Professor Ian Kunkler is Consultant in Clinical Oncology at the Edinburgh Cancer Centre, University of Edinburgh. He qualified in Medicine at Cambridge University and undertook clinical training at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London. After training in general medicine in Nottingham, he moved to Edinburgh and trained in Clinical Oncology under Professor Bill Duncan. He spent a year as a French Government and EEC research fellow in the Department of Curietherapy with Professor Daniel Chassagne and Dr Alain Gerbaulet. He was appointed Consultant in Clinical Oncology in Sheffield, specialising in the treatment of brain tumours, breast cancer and lymphomas. He returned to Edinburgh in 1992 where he is senior specialist in Clinical Oncology for breast cancer. His research interests are in adjuvant trials of radiotherapy for breast cancer, the development of biosensors in cancer management and the application of telemedicine in cancer care. He is Chief Investigator of the BIG 2-04 MRC/EORTC SUPREMO trial, the PRIME 2 trial and Principal Investigator at Edinburgh University in the European FP7 large scale integrating project (METOXIA) on translating the hypoxic microenvironment. He has edited two editions of Walter and Miller’s Textbook of Radiotherapy and published over 100 articles. He is a past President of the British Oncological Association

Dr. Md. Zaker Ullah is a Consultant Oncoplastic Breast & General Surgeon at The Harley Street Clinic, The Holly Private Hospital and Barts Health NHS Trust. Dr Ullah has a vast range of experience in breast cancer and general surgery. Dr Ullah has trained in a number of world-renowned hospitals including The Royal Marsden, St Mary’s and Royal Free. Dr Ullah has a keen interest in Oncoplastic Breast Surgery and he has been trained in hospitals such as The Royal Marsden Hospital, St Mary’s Hospital & The Royal Free Hospital. This training has enabled him to gain extensive experience in both benign and malignant breast conditions, as well as inspiring him to introduce the one-stop breast clinic at Whipps Cross Hospital.

Dr. Rashmi Chand is a Radiologist, Apollo Gleneagles Hospital, Kolkata, India. Dr Rashni is an experienced and accomplished medical professional specializing in radiology with advanced training in oncoradiology. Throughout her career, she has gained extensive hands-on experience. She has worked as a Resident at Tata Main Hospital and Meherbai Cancer Research Hospital in Jamshedpur, and in her own setup with GE Logic P5 and X-ray machines. As a Consultant Radiologist, she has been associated with several reputed institutions, including Isha Diagnostics Centre in Bangalore and Vikram Hospital in Mysore. Her notable experience as a Fellow in Oncoradiology at Tata Medical Centre in Kolkata has further solidified her expertise in diagnostic and interventional radiology. She currently works as a Consultant Radiologist and Incharge of Oncoradiology at Apollo Multispeciality Hospital, Kolkata, where she continues to contribute to the advancement of medical imaging techniques. In addition to her clinical roles, Dr. Rashmi is also an educator, serving as a DNB teacher and Thesis Guide for DNB Radiology residents since 2019. Her commitment to mentoring future radiologists reflects her dedication to the growth and development of the field.

Prof. Dr. Dodul Mondal is a Radiation Oncologist and a director at Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, New Delhi, India. He covers cancer treatments, such as Radiation, Chemotherapy, Immunotherapy, and Targeted therapy. He is experienced Radiation and Clinical Oncologist with a demonstrated history of working in the hospital & health care industry. He is skilled in Proton Beam Therapy, SRS, SBRT, IMRT, IGRT and Brachytherapy for various malignancies. He is currently working with Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Delhi which is first JCI accredited hospital in India. He provides consultancy in setting up new oncology facility including radiation facility also provides analytical information in oncology related market driven services. He has worked as a faculty in Radiation Oncology Department at AIIMS Delhi, NCI.

Dr See Hui Ti is a Senior Consultant, Medical Oncologist at Parkway Cancer Centre. Dr See Hui Ti was awarded the Singapore Government HMDP fellowship in 2002 after completing advanced oncology training at the National Cancer Centre. From 2003 to 2004, she furthered her training in Medical Oncology at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Dr See Hui Ti was previously a Consultant in Medical Oncology at the National Cancer Centre as well as a visiting Consultant at the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital specializing in adult breast and gynecologic cancers. She is registered with the General Medical Council (UK), and worked at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, UK, before continuing her internal medicine training at the Singapore General Hospital. Dr See Hui Ti is a member of the International Gynecologic Cancer Society, American Society of Clinic Oncology and the Singapore Medical Association. She served as an executive committee member of the Singapore Society of Oncology from 2001 to 2007.

Dr. Jabed Iqbal is a Senior Consultant and Pathologist at SingHealth, Singapore. Dr. Iqbal is a pathologist at Singapore General Hospital in the department of histopathology. He obtained his MBBS degree from Dhaka Medical College in Bangladesh. He completed a four-year anatomical and clinical pathology residency training in USA and was certified by the American Board of Pathology in 2006. He has completed one year fellowship training in oncologic pathology at Roswell Park Cancer institute and another fellowship in hematopathology. He also obtained a PhD in molecular biology from Allegheny University of health Sciences (Philadelphia, PA). Dr. Iqbal’s clinical and research interests include molecular and pathological aspects of hematological and breast malignancies. He has also authored several scientific articles in different peer-reviewed journals.

Dr. Joanne Ngeow Yuen Yie is a Senior Consultant in Division of Medical Oncology at National Cancer Centre, Singapore and Associate Professor, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University. Dr Ngeow currently heads the Cancer Genetics Service at the National Cancer Centre Singapore with an academic interest in hereditary cancer syndromes and translational clinical cancer genetics. She was awarded consecutive fellowships by the National Medical Research Council and the Ambrose Monell Foundation to complete formal clinical and bench training in Cancer Genomic Medicine at the Genomic Medicine Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Ohio. Dr Ngeow’s research focuses on understanding how a gene-environmental interaction predisposes to cancer initiation and progression. Her team seeks to identify, characterize and understand genes which cause susceptibility to traditional and complex heritable cancer syndromes, to determine their role in sporadic carcinogenesis. The Cancer Genetics Service led by Dr Ngeow is the go-to for clinical cancer genetics in Singapore and the region. Dr Ngeow is funded by the National Medical Research Council, Terry Fox Foundation and Lee Foundation. Her work is published in over 70 peer-reviewed top scientific journals and she is the recipient of consecutive scientific awards from the American Society of Clinical Oncology and Endocrine Society in recognition of her contributions to the field of cancer genomic medicine.

Dr Tan Si Ying is a Consultant Surgical Oncologist in the Department of Breast Surgery in both Singapore General Hospital and National Cancer Centre Singapore. She graduated on the Dean’s List from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore in 2009. She became a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons (Edinburgh) and registered as a specialist in General Surgery in 2018. She has a keen interest in bettering multidisciplinary and holistic care of Young Women with Breast Cancer, and breast cancer survivorship, as co-lead of the SingHealth Young Women with Breast Cancer (YoWo) team. Her current research interests are in Patient Young Women with Breast Cancer- Unique Needs. Oncofertility, Sexual health, Genetics, Decision Aids, Return to work, Education materials and accessibility, Outreach and awareness, Psychosocial and Emotional support, Patient navigation, Patient advocacy, Patient Reported Outcome Measures in Breast Cancer, Exercise and Breast Cancer, Occult Lymph node scarring in Breast Cancer Patients who have undergone Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and the Impact of Death and Dying on the Personhood of Healthcare Practitioners She has completed surgical international observerships in minimally invasive breast surgery with Kameda Medical Centre (Japan), Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) and Kangbuk Samsung Medical Centre (South Korea) and has also completed the training programme in 3-dimensional endoscopic assisted Nipple sparing mastectomy at the Endoscopic and Oncoplastic Breast Surgery Centre at Changhua Christian Medical Foundation Changhua Christian Hospital (Taiwan).

Dr. Ma Jun is a distinguished consultant in the Department of Medical Oncology at the National Cancer Centre, Singapore, where she has demonstrated expertise in treating and researching cancer, particularly breast and lung cancers. Her contributions to the field extend beyond clinical practice into teaching and academic research. Dr. Ma is actively involved in the Singapore Society of Oncology, serves as an instructor at Duke-NUS, and is a Core Faculty Member at SingHealth Residency. Dr. Ma's academic qualifications include an MBBS from Monash University in Australia (2013), MRCP (UK) in Internal Medicine (2018), and MRCP (SCE) in Medical Oncology (2021). She achieved Specialist Accreditation in Medical Oncology in 2022. Her career trajectory reflects a commitment to excellence, having held multiple positions within the National Cancer Centre Singapore, starting as a Junior Resident in 2016, advancing to Senior Resident by 2019, and later becoming an Associate Consultant in 2022, before attaining her current position as a Consultant in 2024. Dr. Ma's academic and professional contributions are widely recognized, with numerous publications in medical journals and frequent presentations at international conferences on the latest research. Her exceptional work has earned her the prestigious Outstanding Faculty award from SingHealth, Singapore.

Dr. Amar Devdatta Deshpande is a Consultant Surgical Oncologist (Breast) at Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, India, a position he has held since April 2024. Prior to this, he served as a Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Wigan, UK, from January 2010 to March 2024, where he also led the Enhanced Recovery after Breast Cancer Surgery program. Dr. Deshpande earned his MB,BS from the University of Bombay in February 1993, followed by an MS in General Surgery from the same university in August 1996. He furthered his surgical training, obtaining FRCS(Glasg) in April 1999 and FRCS(Gen Surg) in January 2007. He is a Life Member and Visiting Faculty for the Association of Breast Surgeons of India (ABSI), participating in workshops and delivering guest talks at ABSICON conferences. He is also a Life Member of BRASA and IASO. Academically, Dr. Deshpande has served as a Senior Clinical Lecturer at Edge Hill University (2019-2025) and the University of Edinburgh (2017-2019). He initiated the MCh program in Oncoplastic and Reconstructive Breast Surgery at Wrightington Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, where he also supervised MCh students. He has held numerous other academic roles, including FRCS examiner, question writer for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, and tutor for Manchester Medical School students. His leadership experience includes serving as Lead Clinician (2012-2022) and Clinical Director for General Surgery (2016) at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh. Dr. Deshpande has achieved significant improvements in patient care, including successful implementation of Day Case Breast Cancer Surgery, reduction of length of stay after breast reconstructions, and improvement in Peer Review Compliance. He also initiated a "Patient Involvement event" to foster communication between patients and their caregivers. He is a National Peer Reviewer for Breast Cancer Services and has numerous national and international presentations and peer-reviewed publications to his credit. His research projects have focused on surgical site infections, colorectal referrals, and the reliability of core biopsies in breast cancer diagnosis. Dr. Deshpande is actively involved in teaching medical students and junior doctors, developing structured clinical training programs. He is a visiting faculty member at B.K.L Walawalkar Rural Medical College, Derwan, Maharashtra, India, where he conducts breast surgery workshops.

Professor Dr. Golam Abu Zakaria was former Chairman of the Department of Medical Radiation Physics, Gummersbach Teaching Hospital, University of Cologne, and presently Professor of Clinical Engineering at the University of Applied Sciences, Koethen, Germany. He is also appointed as Guest/Honorary/Adjunct Professor in many institutes or universities in Germany, Italy, China, India, and Bangladesh. He is the Chair of the Accreditation Committee-2 (Radio-Oncology Physics) of the International Medical Physics Certification Board (IMPCB) and Vice- Chair of IOMP Accreditation Committee. Dr. Zakaria is the founder Chairman, South Asia Centre for Medical Physics and Cancer Research (SCMPCR) under the Alo Bhubon Trust, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Prof. Zakaria has more than 40 years of clinical and academic experiences in medical physics (both in Radiotherapy and Imaging).

Professor Schmid is the clinical director of the Breast Cancer Centre and an honorary consultant medical oncologist at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital. He was appointed in 2013 as Chair in Cancer Medicine at Barts Cancer Institute (BCI), Queen Mary University London. Professor Schmid is the Lead of the Centre of Experimental Cancer Medicine at BCI, overseeing the conduct of early phase trials at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital and BCI. He leads the academic breast cancer programme at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital and BCI. Professor Schmid trained in medicine in Munich and Aberdeen. He was awarded scholarships by the 'Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes' (German Academic Scholarship Foundation), the 'Hanns-Seidel-Foundation', and the 'Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst' (German Academic Exchange Service). He graduated from the Technical University of Munich medical school in 1997, gaining a MD in Clinical Chemistry in 1998 from the University of Munich and a Clinical Research PhD in 2005 from Charité University in Berlin. Prof Schmid trained at the University Hospital Charité in Berlin in internal medicine, haematology, and oncology, before he became a Senior Clinical Lecturer and Director of the Hammersmith Early Clinical Trials Unit at Imperial College London in 2005. Professor Schmid was appointed as Foundation Chair in Cancer Medicine at the University of Sussex in 2010, before taking on his current role at BCI in 2013.

Zubin Master, based in Singapore, is currently a Medical Physicist at National Cancer Centre Singapore. Zubin Master brings experience from previous roles at Dept of Hematopathology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Parel and Brookhaven National Laboratory. Zubin Master holds a 2004 - 2007 Master of Science in Physics at Stony Brook University. With a robust skill set that includes Medical Physics, Radiation, Data Analysis, Research, Biochemistry and more.