2026 World Cancer Day Seminar

Gallbladder cancer reflects major global disparities in cancer burden and outcomes. Hear from experts as they share insights on prevention, early detection, and real-world implementation of control strategies. 

For World Cancer Day, the Global Health Interest Group at the US National Cancer Institute is highlighting cancers with important global inequities in burden and outcomes. Gallbladder cancer is a powerful example with particularly high incidence in certain regions. Invited speakers will share their experiences addressing this cancer in their setting including what they have learned about prevention, early detection, and real-world implementation of control strategies. 

This session is an opportunity to better understand how context-specific epidemiology, health systems, and community engagement shape gallbladder cancer prevention and control. The session hopes to inspire participants to think creatively about global collaborations and implementation approaches. 

Meet the speakers: 

Dr. Sharayu S. Mhatre is a molecular epidemiologist with expertise in genetic and population-based cancer research in India. She earned her Ph.D. in Epidemiology from the Homi Bhabha National Institute in 2016 and holds an M.Sc. and B.Sc. in Biotechnology from Ramniranjan Jhunjhunwala College, University of Mumbai. Dr. Mhatre leads research on genetic susceptibility, environmental exposures, and lifestyle factors influencing cancer risk, with extensive experience in cohort and case–control study design, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), next-generation sequencing, candidate gene analyses, and epidemiological data analysis. She plays a key role in establishing and strengthening molecular epidemiology and genomics infrastructure at the Centre for Cancer Epidemiology (CCE). Her research integrates genomic and epidemiological data to inform population-specific cancer prevention strategies and translational research. Dr. Mhatre has contributed to large-scale studies on gallbladder, breast,  oral, and lung cancers and continues to advance precision cancer epidemiology in India.

Sanjeev Kumar is a biotech professional and the founder of the Gallbladder Cancer Foundation. A graduate of UC Berkeley (B.A. Molecular and Cell Biology), Sanjeev began his career at Dendreon, where he served in Manufacturing & Process Engineering as a subject matter expert for Provenge—the first FDA-approved autologous cellular immunotherapy for prostate cancer. He later joined Nohla Therapeutics, rising to Associate Director of Manufacturing while overseeing Phase II clinical manufacturing operations for an allogeneic stem cell therapy, NLA-101. In 2024, inspired by his mother’s Stage 4 gallbladder cancer diagnosis and the lack of available patient resources, Sanjeev founded the Gallbladder Cancer Foundation to provide support for gallbladder cancer patients and caregivers.

Scott Lieberman is the Institutional and Large Enterprise National Consultant within Business Solutions at LPL Financial. In this role, he partners with executives, program managers, and advisors to consult on strategic solutions that support the growth and operational efficiency of their practices. Prior to joining Business Solutions, Scott served as a Relationship Manager on LPL’s Strategic Partners team, where he led data monetization initiatives and managed relationships with more than 30 asset management firms. Before joining LPL Financial, he held roles in Information Technology and Human Resources at TIAA, bringing a well rounded, cross functional perspective to his work. Scott holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a Master of Science in Leadership from Northeastern University. He is also an active member of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Alumni Board of Directors. Outside of work, Scott enjoys attending sporting events, playing golf, and traveling. He is deeply passionate about raising awareness for gallbladder cancer—a cause close to his heart following his mother, Mona’s diagnosis in June 2021 and her passing in March 2022.