ICEC Announces 2025 Coleman Kaplan Mentorship Fund Awardees

September 30, 2025

The International Cancer Expert Corps is excited to share that the C. Norman Coleman / Paul Kaplan Mentorship Fund and Endowment Governance Committee has selected three outstanding projects for two-year, $25,000 grants.

These awards will support programs that accelerate the development of high-quality cancer care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) through mentorship initiatives designed to strengthen care delivery and improve outcomes in radiation oncology. Chosen from a highly competitive field of submissions, these projects exemplify innovation, collaboration, and commitment to global cancer equity.

Radiation Oncology Training and Mentorship

LMIC PI: Dr. Ruslan Baltaga, Institute of Oncology (IO), Chișinău, Moldova

Co-Investigator / Lead Mentee: Dr. Artiom Mînzătean

Lead HIC Partners: Dr. Horia Vulpe, Amethyst Radiotherapy (Bucharest, Romania); Kaiser Permanente Medical Group, Dublin, CA, USA

Project Title: Mentorship-Based Capacity Building in Radiation Oncology for LMIC Cancer Professionals through SCMPCR Training Programs (A project of the Alo Bhubon Trust)

LMIC PI: Prof. Dr. Hasin Anupama Azhari, Director, South Asia Centre for Medical Physics and Cancer Research (SCMPCR)

HIC PI / Mentor: Prof. Dr. Golam Abu Zakaria,  Founder Chairman, South Asia Centre for Medical Physics and Cancer Research (SCMPCR)

Project Title: From Evidence to Impact: Improving Prostate Cancer Radiotherapy Outcomes through Mentorship-Based Dosimetric Quality Enhancement at KCMC and ORCI, Tanzania

LMIC PI: Dr. Atukuzwe Kahakwa, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, Moshi, Tanzania; Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

HIC PIs / Mentors: Dr. Chika Nwachukwu, University of California San Diego, CA USA; Dr. Agnes Ewongwo, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX USA

Learn more about the awardees and their projects under the Coleman Kaplan Fund.