Dr. Nabeel Zafar, assistant professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology, received the OncoDaily Yvonne Award for Global Oncology at the OncoDaily Party 2026 on May 29.
The Yvonne Awards honor exceptional achievements in oncology. Designed to recognize young innovators and leaders advancing cancer care, the award celebrates excellence and innovation in the field. This award has nine different categories: Breakthrough Research, Global Oncology, Community Oncology, Leadership, Mentorship, Challenging the status Quo, Pediatric Oncology, Humanitarian Award, and AI in Oncology named by ZS. Each category highlights a different part of the cancer care ecosystem.
Dr. Zafar is committed to advancing cancer surgery and health systems in low-resource settings. Currently, he leads the UW Carbone Cancer Center Global Oncology Program, which advances equitable cancer care in low- and middle-income countries through research, education, outreach, capacity building, policymaking, technological innovations, and sustained international collaboration. He also co-authored a Lancet Oncology Commission on Global Cancer Surgery report with practical initiatives that promote safe, timely and accessible cancer surgery for patients in any part of the world. In addition, Dr. Zafar leads several initiatives that use health services research and real-world data to improve the quality and accessibility of cancer surgery in underserved regions.
“Cancer around the world is a growing burden, a tsunami,” Dr. Zafar said. “It really is a death sentence in many countries. Growing up, I saw that, and I ran away from cancer. Coming to America, I see how we can really make a difference. What I’m trying to do is train people, build bridges and capacity, and really level the playing field to have cancer outcomes equitable across the world.”
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