Faculty - Breast Cancer

Meet our Editorial Panel who are the key opinion leaders in the field of Breast Cancer. This expert panel in collaboration with the WILEY editorial team has curated the independent educational modules where you can get resources on the latest advancements in the diagnosis, treatment and management of Breast Cancer. 

Evandro de Azambuja Headshot

Dr. Evandro de Azambuja

Head of the Medical Support Team (Academic Promoting Team), Institut Jules Bordet, HUB, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium

Dr. de Azambuja earned his first PhD from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil, in May 2007 and his second PhD from the Université Libre de Bruxelles (U.L.B) in December 2015.

Dr. de Azambuja is a member of different societies including ESMO, ASCO and BSMO. He also has been chairing different ESMO activities such as Fellowship Committee (2018-2022), ESMO Leaders Generation Program (2018-2022). He is the current ESMO membership director 2023-2024 and BSMO (Belgian Society for Medical Oncology) President 2023-2026

He has (co)-authored about 300 peer-reviewed articles and 15 book chapters. He has been a member of Education and Scientific Committees of the ESMO, ESMO Breast, EBCC and ECCO meetings and invited international speaker in different conferences and countries.

Carlos Barrios Headshot

Dr. Carlos Barrios

Director and Principal Investigator of the Oncology Research Center at Hospital São Lucas, PUCRS
Director of LACOG (Grupo Latino Americano de Investigación Clínica en Oncologia – Latin American Clinical Oncology Research Group)
Oncologist of the Oncoclínicas Group in Porto Alegre

Dr. Barrios was born in Uruguay and graduated at PUCRS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil in 1979.  He is Director and Principal Investigator of the Oncology Research Center at Hospital São Lucas, PUCRS since 1996, where he has participated in over 300 clinical research trials. He is Director of Clinical Research and Oncologist of the Oncoclínicas Group in Porto Alegre. He is Adjunct Assistant Professor of the William Harrington Latin American Program of the University of Miami School of Medicine.

He has a strong interest in the development of international research collaboration and implementation of cooperative research infrastructures in Latin America.  As such, he is cofounder and current Director of LACOG (Grupo Latino Americano de Investigación Clínica en Oncologia – Latin American Clinical Oncology Research Group) that congregates more than 100 investigators, more than 70 institutions in 16 different countries in Latin America.

Has formal training and certification in the areas of Internal Medicine (Hospital de Clínicas, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil (1980-1982) and Jackson Memorial Hospital, University of Miami, Miami, Fl, US (1982-1985). He also has formal training and certification (ABIM) in Hematology and Oncology at Barnes and Jewish Hospitals, Washington University, Saint Luis, MO, US (1985-1988).

His clinical work is concentrated in the area of Breast Cancer.  Has participated in innumerous clinical research projects and has numerous abstract presentations and scientific peer reviewed publications.

José Bines Headshot

Dr. José Bines

Attending Physician at the Instituto Nacional de Cancer and Clínica Sao Vicente, Brazil

José Bines MD, PhD is an attending physician at the Instituto Nacional de Cancer and Clínica Sao Vicente, in Brazil. Dr Bines received his medical degree from the Federal University in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and he undertook his oncology fellowship training at Northwestern University in Chicago, USA.

He is one of the founders of the Breast Cancer Brazilian Cooperative Group (GBECAM). His research focus on health disparities and access to breast cancer care and treatment.

Dr Bines is currently an associate editor of Clinical Breast Cancer and Breast Cancer Research and Treatment.

Giuseppe Curigliano Headshot

Prof. Giuseppe Curigliano

Professor of Medical Oncology at University of Milan, Italy

Giuseppe Curigliano, MD PhD, is Full Professor of Medical Oncology at the University of Milano and Chief of the Clinical Division of Early Drug Development at European Institute of Oncology, Milano, Italy. Dr. Curigliano is an expert in the field of advanced drug development in solid tumors, with specific interest on breast cancer.

He contributed to the development of many anticancer treatments actually available as standard of care in the treatment of multiple solid tumors. Since 2001 he is tenure-track and full-time cancer specialist at European Institute of Oncology – one of the world’s leading cancer-research institutes and the premier Cancer Center in Italy, third in Europe and 12th globally. He serves as member of the Italian Higher Health Council. Dr. Curigliano serves ESMO as Chair of the Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee.

He was awarded with the first ESO Umberto Veronesi Award in Vienna in 2017 and with the Fellowship of the European Academy of Cancer Sciences in Paris in 2017. Dr Curigliano in 2022 was identified as Clarivate™ world’s most influential researchers. Dr Curigliano has contributed to over 670 peer-reviewed publications.

Alessandra Gennari Headshot

Prof. Alessandra Gennari

Professor of Oncology, University of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
Head, Medical Oncology, Maggiore University Hospital, Novara, Italy

During her career, Alessandra Gennari MD PhD, has been involved in the development of new treatment strategies and treatment individualization with particular emphasis on breast cancer. She has coordinated and performed as Principal Investigator on many clinical trials in early and advanced breast cancer in a multidisciplinary setting, including translational laboratory research.

Her current research areas are:
Metabolic aspects in breast cancer patients, with particular emphasis on body weight, diet, physical activity asnd dietary supplementation in early and metastatic disease.
Evaluation of the role of innate and adaptive immunity in early and advanced breast cancer.
Evaluation of T-cell senescence as a predictive factor in early breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy.
Application of -omics assays to evaluate the potential predictive and prognostic impact of host-related -omic profiles in breast and lung cancer patients.

Dr. Gennari is the author of more than 200 peer reviewed articles

Valentina Guarneri Headshot

Prof. Valentina Guarneri

Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova Istituto Oncologico Veneto IRCCS, Padova, Italy

Valentina Guarneri, MD, PhD, is Full Professor  of Oncology at the University of Padova, and Director of the Oncology 2 Division at the Istituto Oncologico Veneto. She is Director of the Specialty programme in Medical Oncology, chair of the multidisciplinary Breast Unit, Director of the Master Degree programme in Clinical Research in Oncology.

She completed her fellowship in Oncology in 2003, and she obtained her PhD Degree in Clinical and Experimental Oncology in 2007. In 2005, she completed a research experience at the Department of Breast Medical Oncology, UT. MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, where she also was Visiting Assistant Professor in 2009.

In 2005, she has been appointed Assistant Professor of Oncology at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, where she also chaired the Breast Unit from 2011 to 2013. She moved to University of Padova in2013, where she has been appointed the position of Associate Professor of Oncology.  From 2015 to 2018, she was member of the Research Committee of the Italian  Ministry of Health.

She was a long-standing member of the ESMO Fellowship and Award Committe, Oncology Pro Working Group and ESMO Young Oncologists Committee (YOC). She is also a founder member of the Women for Oncology Italy initiative (a national spin-off of the ESMO initiative).  She is in the editorial review board of several International journals, including The Lancet Oncology, Annals of Oncology, Clinical Cancer Research, The Oncologist and Clinical Breast Cancer.

Her research interest is mainly focused on clinical and translational research for breast cancer patients. She published more than 240 papers in peer-reviewed journals. She has  presented more than 400 lectures at national and International conferences.

Nadia Harbeck Headshot

Prof. Nadia Harbeck

Head of Breast Center and holds the chair for Conservative Oncology at the Dept. of OB&GYN, LMU University Hospital, Munich, Germany

Nadia Harbeck, MD, PhD, obtained her specialist degree (OB&GYN) at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and her medical degree from the Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich (LMU).

Professor Harbeck is the current ESMO Director of Education and Subject Editor of the ESMO Breast Cancer Guidelines. She is also member of the expert panel issuing the German AGO recommendations for breast cancer therapy (www.ago-online.de). She is co-director of the West German Study Group (www.wsg-online.com). From 2009-2015, she served on the EORTC Executive Board as chair of the Translational Research Division. Professor Harbeck is principal investigator or steering committee member of numerous breast cancer trials, particularly with novel targeted compounds and individualized treatment strategies. She has a strong interest in eHealth and is co-developer of CANKADO, an international digital patient diary (www.cankado.com).

Professor Harbeck is one of the most frequently cited clinical researchers worldwide (Highly Cited Researcher 2021 and 2022). She has authored more than 635 papers in peer-reviewed journals (h-index 95) and is coordinating editor-in-chief of Breast Care (Karger Publishers). She is ESMO co-director of the annual Methods in Clinical Cancer Research Workshop (MCCR) and panel member of several international breast cancer consensus conferences.

Professor Harbeck is recipient of the 2023 German Cancer Award and the 2020 ESMO Lifetime Achievement Award. She also received several additional recognitions of her clinical and translational research such as the 2021 UPO Award for Women in Academy and Research, the 2015 Bavarian Cancer Patient Award, the 2012 Claudia von Schilling Award, the 2008 EBCC Award, the 2002 AGO Schmidt-Matthiesen Award, a 2001 AACR Award, and the 2001 ASCO Fellowship Merit Award for the highest ranking abstract.

Mattea Reinisch Headshot Photo

Dr. Mattea Reinisch

Deputy Clinic Director, Clinic for Senology/Interdisciplinary Breast Cancer, Evang. Clinics Essen-Mitte, Germany

Mattea Reinisch, MD, PhD graduated from medical school in Berlin, Germany at the Charité, started her practical medical training in Berlin, Frankfurt /Main and Essen, Germany. She is trained as a gynecologist and has subsequently specialized in treating patients with breast cancer.  Her scientific training in clinical researched started during her residency at the German Breast Group, where she is still actively involved as a scientific advisor. She is now leading the breast Unit at the Kliniken Essen-Mitte, is the deputy director of the department, is part of the surgical team and leads the department for breast cancer studies.

She is an active member of the adjuvant and neoadjuvant Subboard of the German Breast Group, as well as an ESMO and DEGUM and DKG member. Among others, she is author of some major publications about male breast cancer and deescalating strategies on the axillary surgery. Mattea Reinisch has been principal investigator of more than 20 multicenter clinical trials Phase II and III. She is working on finding strategies to improve study recruitments into clinical trials in Germany, is co-founder of the locoregional study network west-go-breast.de. Her research has been acknowledged by national (DGS) and international committees (ESMO).

Gustavo Werutsky

Dr. Gustavo Werutsky

Executive Director of the Latin American Cooperative Oncology Group (LACOG)
Medical Oncologist of the Breast Cancer Program, Hospital Moinhos de Vento, Porto Alegre, Brazil

Gustavo Werutsky, MD, is the Executive Director of the Latin American Cooperative Oncology Group (LACOG) and Medical Oncologist of the Breast Cancer Program, Hospital Moinhos de Vento, Porto Alegre Brazil. He is member of the Breast International Group (BIG) Executive Board, Brussels, Belgium. He is also member of the Breast Cancer Group Steering Committee member of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC). He serves as representative of LACOG in the SWOG Cancer Research Network, United States. He was a former medical research fellow at the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) 2008-2011 working in the breast and gastrointestinal cancer groups. Also, past fellow of the Flims workshop on cancer research (EORTC – NCI - AACR), Flims, Switzerland and the ESMO translational research unit visit, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Graduated in Medicine at Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (2003), specialisation in Internal Medicine (2006) and Medical Oncology (2008) at Hospital São Lucas PUCRS, Porto Alegre, Brazil and PhD (2021) in Medicine at Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil. He is member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) and Sociedade Brasileira de Oncologia Clínica (SBOC). Areas of interest are breast cancer research, drug development and methods in clinical trials.

Rachel Wuerstlein Headshot

Dr. Rachel Würstlein

Senior physician and co-manager of the Breast Center at the LMU University Hospital Munich, Germany

PD Dr. med. Rachel Würstlein qualified in obstetrics/gynaecology before specialising in breast diagnostics, systemic treatment of adjuvant and metastatic breast cancer, palliative care, genetics and clinical trials. She is active partner of WSG (www.wsg-online.com) and represents outreach and precision medicine at the CCC Munich.
Her research interests include national and international translation research, prognostic and predictive factors in early and metastatic breast cancer, palliative care, implementation of health provision and health services research. She has a strong focus in education and medical training with interdisciplinary and interprofessional teams.
Dr. Würstlein is also lead of the Munich Breast Cancer Group (www.tumorzentrum-muenchen.de), a member of the expert panel issuing the German AGO recommendations for breast cancer therapy (www.ago-online.de) and DKG / AGSMO (German Cancer Society, supportive therapies). She participates at various editorial boards, f.e. of Breast Care and is active partner of several patient initiatives and engaged in education of HCP.