2026 Awards

Amit M. Oza, MD (Lon), FRCPC, FRCP Senior Scientist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, UHN Medical Director of the Cancer Clinical Research Unit, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre CEO, Ozmosis Research Co-Chair, Clinical Research Collaborative Centre, UHN Director of the Bras Family Drug Development Program, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre Dr. Amit M. Oza is the recipient of the 2026 IGCS Lifetime Achievement Award, honoring his decades of extraordinary contributions to the field of gynecologic oncology through research, clinical leadership, mentorship, and international collaboration. Dr. Amit M. Oza is the Medical Director of the Cancer Clinical Research Unit (CCRU) and Director of the Bras Family Drug Development Program (DDP) at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and a Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto. He serves as Co-Chair of the University Health Network (UHN) Clinical Research Collaborative Centre and the UHN Clinical Research Executive. He has served as Chair of the Gynecologic Cancer Inter Group and Co Chair of NCI Gynecologic Steering Committee. Under his leadership, the gynecologic oncology clinical trials group at Princess Margaret has grown into one of the largest and most productive globally, enrolling more than 200 patients annually. His group has played a pivotal role in landmark studies that have led to the global approval and adoption of targeted agents such as PARP inhibitors (olaparib, niraparib) and anti-angiogenic therapies (bevacizumab). Over the past decade, Dr. Oza has been Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator on more than 19 research grants awarded by leading national and international agencies including the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute, the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, the U.S. National Institutes of Health, and the U.S. Department of Defense. He was awarded the O. Harold Warwick Prize by the Canadian Cancer Society and made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2023. He has published more than 400 peer-reviewed articles and invited contributions in leading journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine (Impact Factor [IF]=79), Lancet Oncology (IF=36), JAMA Oncology (IF=20), Clinical Cancer Research (IF=10), and CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians (IF=24),with his work cited nearly 86,000 times.

Farr R. Nezhat, MD, FACOG, FACS Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Weill Cornell Medical College, and Director of the Division and Fellowship in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery at NYU Langone–Long Island. A pioneer in minimally invasive gynecologic oncology, Dr. Nezhat has played a transformative role in the development and worldwide adoption of advanced laparoscopic and robotic surgery for gynecologic malignancies. He pioneered minimally invasive approaches to radical hysterectomy with lymphadenectomy, cytoreductive surgery for advanced ovarian cancer, and multidisciplinary management of complex pelvic and upper abdominal disease, helping establish minimally invasive surgery as a standard option for appropriately selected patients with gynecologic cancers. Dr. Nezhat is equally recognized for his groundbreaking contributions to the understanding and surgical treatment of endometriosis. His innovative minimally invasive techniques revolutionized the management of advanced disease, preserving fertility and enabling many women previously considered infertile to achieve pregnancy. He was also among the first to define the relationship between endometriosis and ovarian cancer, advancing knowledge of endometriosis-associated malignancies. An internationally respected surgeon, educator, and mentor, Dr. Nezhat has trained physicians worldwide through postgraduate courses, live surgical demonstrations, textbooks, and scientific meetings. In recognition of his singular contribution to the field, the society of Gynecologic Oncology named one of its most distinguished scientific forums, the Farr Nezhat Surgical Session. His enduring contributions continue to shape gynecologic surgery and improve the lives of women worldwideDr. Farr R. Nezhat

Dr Swee Chong Quek  MBBCh, BAO (Dublin) MRCOG (UK) FAMS (Singapore) Dr Quek Swee Chong is a specialist in Obstetrics & Gynaecology at the ASC Clinic for Women in Gleneagles Hospital. He was formerly Senior Consultant & Head, Pre-invasive Disease & Screening Unit, Department of Gynaecological Oncology, KK Women’s & Children’s Hospital. He served on the board of the International Federation of Colposcopy & Cervical Pathology and was former president of the Society of Colposcopy & Cervical Pathology of Singapore. He is also an honorary member of the Portuguese Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology, the Philippine Society of Colposcopy & Cervical Pathology and the Thai Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology.  He received his undergraduate medical training in Dublin, Ireland, before working as an Obstetrician & Gynaecologist in London, UK for several years, including 3 years as a clinical research fellow. He has worked in Singapore since 2000. His special interest is in the area of prevention of gynaecological cancers, particularly cancer of the cervix.    He has a passion for teaching and training doctors and healthcare workers in under-privileged areas and has worked with the International Agency for Research into Cancer (IARC, WHO) in the area of colposcopy training as well as developing Single-Visit Approaches for the prevention of cervical cancer. He has authored several books and book chapters including “Lower Genital Tract Precancer 2ed” (Blackwell Science) and  “Cervical and lower genital tract Precancer 3ed”.  His research work includes real-time detection of cervical cancer and precancer, cervical screening HPV testing, and was involved in the early clinical trials for HPV vaccines.   He has lectured extensively, both regionally and internationally in the area of cervical cancer prevention and conducts several training colposcopy courses a year.  Dr Quek has run the Himalayan Women’s Health Project, a voluntary non-profit humanitarian screening and treatment initiative since 2010. The main focus of this project is to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer in the region of Ladakh, India as well as Nepal. 

Joseph S. Ng MD FACOG FAMS Senior Consultant, Division of Gyn Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology National University Hospital (NUH)  Chair, Gyn Cancer Program, NCIS Chair, NUH Gyn Robot-Assisted Cancer and Endoscopic Surgery Chair, NUHS Comprehensive Robotic Surgery Program  Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, NUS Immediate Past President, Gynecologic Cancer Group, Singapore (GCGS)  “I have known Joe for more than 10 years, since we first met through the SGO International Committee, where I had the privilege of serving as Chair. From the very beginning, Joe stood out for his genuine passion for building global collaboration and advancing education for physicians, nurses, and patients in gynecologic cancer awareness and management.  When then President-Elect Michael Quinn and I began discussing the prototype of what would become the IGCS Global Oncology Fellowship, Joe was immediately identified as a key supporter of this vision. Along with Professor Quinn, CEO Mary Eiken, Professor Kathleen Schmeler, Professor Tom Randall, and many others, we spent countless hours in meetings and email discussions in 2016 developing what was first known as the Mentorship and Training Program, later evolving into the IGCS Global Oncology Fellowship Program.  In those early days, Joe and I worked closely on curriculum development and program eligibility criteria. Joe worked tirelessly on these efforts, editing entire documents with remarkable care and dedication, all while maintaining a full-time role as a gynecologic oncologist and robotic surgery director at the National University Cancer Institute, Singapore. I was deeply impressed by Joe’s work ethic, vision, and unwavering commitment to the IGCS mission.  Joe also traveled frequently to Vietnam while serving as an international mentor for the Da Nang program, and later succeeded Professor Schmeler as Program Director for the IGCS Global Oncology Fellowship Program. In addition, Joe has served with distinction on the IGCS Board. Over the past decade, Joe’s heart and soul have consistently been devoted to advancing education in gynecologic oncology and improving the management of preinvasive disease.”  -Dr Linus Chuang