About Us

The Global Health Catalyst (GHC) is a cross-institutional not-for-profit initiative transforming the landscape of global health, especially in cancer and non-communicable diseases. The GHC summits provide a world leading platform for catalyzing high impact win-win collaborations for global health and development. The success of the GHC summits, which started at Harvard in 2015, with seed funding from Harvard Institutions has resulted in more funding from the USA government and other stakeholders to grow the initiative across different institutions and resulting in major high-impact CORE (Care, Outreach/Advocacy, Research, Education) collaborative initiatives. The GHC has been uniquely outstanding in contributing/shaping global oncology policy, capacity building via the award-winning Global Oncology University, leveraging cutting-edge technology to overcome distance/cost/infrastructure barriers, Diaspora Engagement (Mobilizing global communities and faith-based networks often excluded from traditional global health initiatives), and Whole-Person Health. Given the global participation and collaborations involved with the GHC, the content expressed on this website does not reflect the views of any institution or those providing support or funding.

Our Vision

Global Health Catalyst is all about catalyzing win-win collaborations to eliminate health disparities and advance development in the USA and globally

We have a dream that one day cancer will be eradicated, and that people of all socio-economic, racial, religious, and cultural backgrounds will have access to quality health care.

Our Story

Global Health Catalyst (GHC) summits are premier events dedicated to catalyzing high impact international collaborations and initiatives to eliminate health disparities in the USA and globally. The main focus of the summits is to catalyze collaborations to address the rising scourge of non-communicable diseases like cancer, mental health, pain and cardiovascular diseases which are severely impacting global health and economic development.

Since 2015, the yearly summits have led to numerous win-win collaborations including the launch of major collaboration initiatives like: the comprehensive cancer center in the cloud (C4) powered by artificial intelligence, Global Oncology University, and the International Phytomedicines Institute collaboration initiatives.

The first summits were organized at Harvard, Europe and African Institutions. The success of the GHC summits have resulted in funding support to grow organization of the summits at different top USA institutions and partners in low-and-middle-income countries to catalyze win-win collaborations benefiting both high income and low income countries. Given the global participation and collaborations involved with the GHC summits, the content expressed on this website does not reflect the views of any institution or those providing funding such as the National Cancer Institute. Join us at one of the upcoming summits for win-win collaborations for global health and development

Join us at one of the summits

Join us for the HOPE+ Summit
@ Harvard/MIT & Online
September 19–21, 2025

Global Health at the very best level with world leaders, faculty, students, leaders from industry, health care institutions, faith/community-based organizations, professional societies, government leaders, cancer advocates, athletes, survivors, artists, across disciplines all coming together to learn, network and collaborate for global health and development.

Co-organized/Hosted By:

Harvard Zhu Family Center for Global Cancer Prevention
Center for Global Health Equity at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory
The Religion and Global Health Forum at Garrett
University of Massachusetts Lowell Medical Physics Program.
Johns Hopkins CaREER program

Its All About Collaboration

The GHC helps catalyze collaborations in 4 CORE (Care, Outreach/Advocacy, Research, Education) areas, where any or everyone can collaborate. The CORE areas include the following

Care

In Care, the GHC Summits catalyze collaborations to increase access to Care with focus on Cancer, Mental Health and other non-communicable diseases leveraging advanced information and communication technologies including AI. Transformative collaborative initiatives here include the establishment of the World's Premier Comprehensive Cancer/Care Center in the Cloud (C4) powered by AI, integrating Whole Person Health, and the International Phytomedicine Institute.. The C4 has local hubs across the world including ongoing support building 7 new Cancer Centers serving as local C4 hubs of excellence

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Outreach

In Outreach the GHC Summits catalyze major collaborations with governments, industry, policy makers, healthcare institutions, students, foundations, community/faith-based organizations, diaspora, healthcare advocates, athletes, and other stakeholders. Key Outreach initiatives include the yearly GHC summits, Sing for Global Health and GHC Debates and collaboration with Breast Care International for community outreach and awareness campaigns reaching hundreds of thousands a year.

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Research

In Research the GHC Summits catalyze win-win collaborations via the C4, including growing ongoing multi-country clinical trials, implementation research, and citizen science projects, supported with collaborative grant funding and other support from government agencies, Industry, foundations, Diaspora, Faith-based/community organizations and other stakeholders.

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Education

In Education, the GHC summits catalyze collaborative education activities via the Global Oncology University (GO-U), with an award-winning collaborative education model.. GO-U provides opportunity for access to the same world-class education and training provided by faculty from Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Oxford and other world leading institutions helping turn brain drain to brain circulation and global health gain.

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GHC summit Chairs/Organizing

Some of the Chairs/Moderators of the GHC summits include the following: (subject to change/updates)

Prof David Collingridge

Editor-in-Chief, The Lancet Oncology.

Prof Cesaltina Ferreira Lorenzoni

President-elect of the African Organization for research and Training in Cancer

Dr Lydia Asana

Director of GHC Young Catalysts, Faculty, University of South Florida

Prof Thomas Bortfeld

MGH, Harvard Medical School

Prof Saiful Huq

UPMC, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; GHC Director UPMC

Prof Hedi Hricak

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; GHC Director MSKCC

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Prof Stephen Avery

University of Pennsylvania

GHC Director and PI. UPenn

Dr Yan Susu

MGH. Harvard Medical School

Dr Brylyne Chitsunge

Pan African Ambassador for Food Security

Prof David Kerr

University of Oxford, Co-Founder, GHC's Global Oncology University

Prof. Ahmed Elzawawy,

Suez Canal University, Egypt; Co-Founder and Chair of GHC's Global Oncology University

Prof Twalib Ngoma

Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences; Co-Founder, Global Oncology University

Dr Catharine Young

Global Cancer Fund Lead

Dr Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu

President-elect Union for International Cancer Control

Prof. Kenneth Ngwa

Director of Religion and Global Health Forum. Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary;

Jochen Kirsch

Executive Director at Mission 21

Dr Beatrice Addai Wiafe

Chief Executive Officer at Peace and Love Hospitals
Ghana

Dr William Swanson

Emory University School of Medicine

Oscar Nebangwa

GHC Diaspora Coordinator

Jennifer Dent

President, Bio Ventures for Global Health

Prof Bashkim Ziberi

GHC Director, East Europe.

Professor, University of Tetova

Chris Muflam

GHC Finance Strategist. Director Innovative Global Health Fianancing

Dr Kamal Uddin

Associate Professor (CC) at National Institute of ENT
Bangladesh

Vivian Birchall

CEO Healthcare Blindspots. GHC Director for Media and Communications.

Prof Akila Viswanathan

Professor and Chair of Radiation Oncology, Johns Hopkins University

Prof Erno Sajo

Director of Medical Physics, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Dr Bilinga Tendwa

Director, GHC South Africa; Phytomedicine Lead

Dr Gustavo Olivera

Chief Operating Officer and Technology Officer Executive | Healthcare Exec

CORE (Care, Outreach, Research, Education) Opportunities for everyone

Opportunities are open to all including healthcare professionals, religion/faith-based organization and whole person health professionals. Consistent with the outcomes of the first GHC summit at Harvard in 2015, these opportunities leverage advanced information and communication technologies including AI, with a focus on addressing disparities

Care

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Everyone can participate in outreach with different stakeholders, governments, industry, diaspora community/faith-based organizations, students, advocates/celebrities, cancer patients, etc The GHC provides outreach opportunities for collaboration, cancer awareness, prevention, policy, development, addressing other diseases, etc

Outreach

Opportunities for collaborative research, inculde in multi-center clinical trials, implementation research, artificial intelligence, low-cost technologies and approaches for cancer control, and co-mentored research supported by collaborative (micro)grants for publications, Masters and PhD research opportunities etc.

Research

Opportunities to teach or receive education and training via the award-winning Global Oncology University (GO-U) which has been one of the high-impact outcomes from the GHC summits for collaborative education. Whether you are a student, professional, or retired, all can participate or benefit from the opportunities via GO-U

Education