Surbhi Grover, MD, MPH

Dr. Grover, who has served as ICEC’s Chairperson since 2025, is an Associate Professor and Co-Director of Center for Global Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania, Oncology Lead for the Botswana-UPenn Partnership, and an Adjunct faculty at the Universities of Botswana, Witwatersrand, Pretoria and Cape Town. Throughout her career, she has focused on addressing cancer disparities, expanding access to radiotherapy through cost-effective solutions, and developing sustainable oncology programs, with a special emphasis on sub-Saharan Africa.

Dr. Grover’s previous work at Princess Marina Hospital in Botswana developed a multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach to improve care and communication between professionals and patients. Through weekly meetings with radiation oncologists, clinical oncologists, gynecologists, nurse coordinators, and palliative care specialists to discuss cases and treatment plans, the team reduced treatment and process delays significantly.

Over the course of six months, they were able to reduce the time between diagnosis and treatment initiation by over 50 percent, cutting the median delay from biopsy to treatment initiation to 39 days from the previous average of 108 days.

With numerous publications on topics such as cervical cancer, HPV and HIV-related risks, and cancer care in sub-Saharan Africa, Dr. Grover brings invaluable global expertise to the board. For many years, she has collaborated with ICEC, particularly through twinning and mentoring programs. Her appointment to the Board was recommended by ICEC co-founder Dr. C. Norman Coleman, who praised her dedication to our shared mission of improving access to radiotherapy and the quality of cancer care worldwide.