Julie Gralow Receives MedNews Week Global Oncology Leadership Award at ASCO Breakthrough 2026
Awards and Recognition
Julie Gralow, MD, FACP, FASCO, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), was honored with the MedNews Week Global Oncology Leadership Award during ASCO Breakthrough 2026 in Singapore.
Recognition Details
The recognition acknowledged Dr. Gralow’s longstanding leadership in oncology, including her commitment to mentorship, international collaboration, clinical research, survivorship, and more equitable cancer care around the world.
Response to Recognition
Responding to the recognition, Dr. Gralow wrote:
"Thanks Yan Leyfman, MD and MedNews Week for all of your coverage of American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Breakthrough 2026 – and for this very special award."
ASCO Breakthrough 2026
ASCO Breakthrough 2026 brought together the international oncology community in Singapore from June 25 to 27, creating a platform for scientific exchange, multidisciplinary discussion, and collaboration across regions.
Dr. Gralow's Contribution
For Dr. Gralow, whose career has consistently connected academic oncology, clinical trials, patient advocacy, and global health, the setting was particularly meaningful. Her work has extended far beyond one institution, one disease area, or one country. It has focused on a central question facing oncology worldwide: how can progress in cancer research and treatment reach more patients, in more settings, with fewer barriers?
The MedNews Week Global Oncology Leadership Award
This broader contribution to the field was recognized with the MedNews Week Global Oncology Leadership Award. It reflected a career shaped not only by research and professional leadership, but also by a sustained effort to bring patients, clinicians, advocates, policymakers, and researchers into the same conversation.
Leadership at ASCO
Dr. Gralow serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of ASCO, one of the world’s leading professional organizations in oncology. In this role, she helps guide ASCO’s medical and scientific priorities at a time when cancer care is becoming increasingly complex.
Academic Career
Before joining ASCO full-time, Dr. Gralow spent more than 25 years at the University of Washington School of Medicine, where she directed the Breast Medical Oncology Program and served as an Affiliate Professor of Global Health. She was also affiliated with the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and served as Director of Breast Medical Oncology at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.
Influential Recognition
Awarded the ASCO Humanitarian Award for her work empowering women with cancer and cancer survivors globally in 2018, Dr. Gralow is internationally recognized for her work in breast cancer clinical care, research, and survivorship.
WE CAN Network
Through her work with the Women’s Empowerment Cancer Advocacy Network (WE CAN), Dr. Gralow has helped bring together patient advocates, clinicians, government representatives, and community leaders to address breast and cervical cancer care in countries where resources and access may be limited.
Global Oncology Efforts
Dr. Gralow has also co-chaired the Resource-Stratified Guideline Advisory Group, focusing on making cancer guidance more useful across diverse health systems, recognizing that recommendations must account for differences in infrastructure, workforce capacity, diagnostics, medicines, and supportive care.
Mentorship and Patient Advocacy
Dr. Gralow’s leadership has also been shaped by her commitment to the lives patients lead beyond the clinic. In 1995, she co-founded Team Survivor Northwest, an organization that supports women affected by cancer through fitness, activity, and community.
Conclusion
The MedNews Week Global Oncology Leadership Award recognizes that Dr. Gralow’s work has advanced breast cancer research, strengthened international oncology partnerships, supported patient advocacy, and helped shape a more connected global cancer community.