Professor Cristina Stefan receives the IARC Award for Women in Cancer Research 2022

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is pleased to announce that the inaugural recipient of the IARC Award for Women in Cancer Research is Professor Cristina Stefan, Director of the Institute of Global Health Equity Research in Kigali, Rwanda. IARC Director Dr Elisabete Weiderpass will present the award to Professor Stefan during an online ceremony on Thursday 19 May. The ceremony and a presentation by Dr Stefan will be recorded and made available on the IARC YouTube channel shortly thereafter.

As a woman who is a leader, a scientist, and a mentor, Professor Stefan has had a tremendous impact on cancer research globally. Her areas of expertise include cancer research, education, and community involvement, and she has particular interests in national cancer control plans, childhood cancer, and cancer registration in South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. She has extensive international experience, having collaborated with countries in Africa, Asia, and Europe, and she has promoted twinning and research activities in 18 African countries.

In addition to Professor Stefan’s wide research interests, her activities have also spanned clinical trials, continuing education of cancer specialists, and cancer control guidelines. In recognition of her contributions to her profession, she was voted as winner of Africa’s Most Influential Women in Business and Government (Medical and Veterinary Sector) in 2016 and recognized among the Top 100 Women Health-care Leaders in Asia in 2019.

Professor Stefan completed her paediatrics residency and her oncology fellowship at Stellenbosch University (South Africa). She received her master’s in Cancer Epidemiology from York University (United Kingdom), her Ph.D. in Medical Education, and her MBA from the International School of Management in Paris, France. She was a fellow at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (USA) and a fellow in the Cancer Registration and Epidemiology programme at IARC.

The IARC Award for Women in Cancer Research is a new initiative of IARC, administered by the IARC Equity and Diversity Advisory Group. This award acknowledges and rewards outstanding women who have made a significant contribution to research, in particular in the field of cancer prevention.

Read Professor Stefan’s bio 

Read more about the nomination process 

For more information about the award, contact the IARC Equity and Diversity Advisory Group