Internationally Renowned Oncologist, Dr. Fadlo R. Khuri Joins a Select Circle of Global Leaders Including Bill Gates, Princess of Wales Catherine Middleton, Princess Ghida Talal of Jordan, and Princess Adila bint Abdullah Al Saud of Saudi Arabia in shaping the future of cancer care worldwide
Dr. Fadlo Khuri, president of the American University of Beirut (AUB) and an internationally recognized oncologist, has been named among the 100 most influential people in oncology in 2025 by OncoDaily, the leading global media platform dedicated to cancer research, clinical practice, innovation, and oncology leadership.
“The 100 Most Influential People in Oncology in 2025 recognizes the changemakers in cancer care who have helped shape current practice in oncology and continue to drive innovation and research towards better outcomes, advocacy, philanthropy, leadership, and education,” the announcement stated.
Being named alongside global leaders such as Bill Gates, Princess of Wales Catherine Middleton, Princess Ghida Talal of Jordan, and Princess Adila bint Abdullah Al Saud of Saudi Arabia whose influential voices and contributions have advanced equity in global health, testifies to Dr. Khuri’s pioneering work as an oncologist and academic leader, with a career spanning groundbreaking cancer research, excellence in medical education and visionary institutional leadership.
This prestigious honor further builds on Khuri’s remarkable record of global achievements and recognitions, most recently his election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the world’s most prestigious honorary society and independent research center.
In response to the news, Dr. Khuri remarked “For the better part of four decades, it has been my personal mission to treat patients with cancer, to study the disease, its biology, prevention, and treatment. Even as I transitioned into more administrative roles, I have remained connected with the public health implications of this disease and its prevention, through the enactment and support vigorous smoking cessation and cancer prevention programs.”
I have had the great privilege and opportunity to collaborate with and mentor generations of exceptional scholars, many of whom are now in their prime, and whose contributions to the field have helped improve the five-year survival with these diseases, to upwards of 70 percent in the United States and in economically developed countries. I can humbly say that it has been a profession that has been most rewarding.”
“My nomination among these influential global changemakers in cancer care at this stage in my career, or at any stage for that matter, reinforces my unwavering commitment to the field. My focus for most of the last decade has been to advance health equity for people afflicted with cancer, by ensuring that cancer care is rooted in scientific excellence, guided by the principles of equity and accessibility to all, values that lie at the core of our academic and medical mission at AUB.”
He added: “this recognition extends well beyond a personal milestone. It also attests to the leading role that an American academic institution with deep roots in Lebanon and the region can play on the global stage, despite the challenges this institution continues to face. The American University of Beirut remains steadfast in its mission and its pioneering role in advancing health and scientific research, while serving both local and global communities.”
In their announcement, OncoDaily highlighted Dr. Khuri’s transformative leadership and commitment to academic excellence, the betterment of society through education and research “As the sixteenth president of the American University of Beirut, Khuri has led the university through successive national crises, including Lebanon’s economic collapse, the Beirut port explosion, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2023–24 war, while strengthening the university’s global standing as a mission-driven academic health institution.”
It further noted that he oversaw the acquisition of AUB’s first community hospital and major health system modernization, including the adoption of the Epic electronic health record system and AUB’s entry into the COSMOS research consortium, making it the first institution outside the United States to do so.
The announcement also highlighted that Khuri previously held endowed chairs at Emory University, served on the faculty at MD Anderson Cancer Center, and was editor in chief of Cancer from 2011 to 2021. “In Lebanon, he strengthened national cancer guidelines and advanced tobacco-control policy.”
As noted in the announcement, he has chaired NIH oncology study sections and served on review committees for ASCO, the American Cancer Society, and the National Cancer Institute. His honors include the AACR Rosenthal Award, the WHO No Tobacco Award, the IASLC Joseph W. Cullen Award, and election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2025. Follow this link for the full list of The 100 Most Influential People in Oncology in 2025
About AUB
Founded in 1866, the American University of Beirut bases its educational philosophy, standards, and practices on the American liberal arts model of higher education. A teaching-centered research university, AUB has more than 790 full-time faculty members and a student body of over 9000 students. AUB currently offers more than 140 programs leading to bachelor’s, master’s, MD, and PhD degrees. It provides medical education and training to students from throughout the region at its Medical Center that includes a full-service 365-bed hospital.
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