How Alicia Zhou Turned a Scientist’s Journey into a Mission to Transform Cancer Research

In this episode of OncoInfluencers, host Gevorg Tamamyan speaks with Alicia Zhou, Chief Executive Officer of the Cancer Research Institute (CRI), about her journey from lab scientist to nonprofit leader — and how AI-driven discovery, sustainable funding for young scientists are shaping the future of oncology research. Key points: ✅ From MIT → Harvard/Dana-Farber & Broad → UCSF: a bench-to-leadership journey ✅ 9 years at Color Genomics → product, regulation, and access lessons translated back to research impact ✅ New AI/data push: building foundational datasets to accelerate immunotherapy discovery ✅ Funding the pipeline: Postdoctoral Fellowships, IGNITE (postdoc→faculty) ✅ Practical advice: master scientific communication + EQ; stay mission-driven and open to opportunity 00:00 Introduction 01:16 Falling in love with biology: Alicia’s early start in cancer research 03:50 Harvard and Dana-Farber: The data revolution in cancer biology 05:17 From academia to startup: joining Color Genomics 06:40 Lessons from building accessible cancer diagnostics 07:42 Leading the Cancer Research Institute (CRI): returning to research impact 11:12 Alicia’s key to success: embracing randomness and staying mission-driven 13:35 Advice for young scientists and future leaders 18:26 Inside CRI: how $40M in annual grants fuels global cancer research 20:19 The role of AI and data-driven discovery in the next era of oncology 23:00 Supporting the next generation: CRI’s IGNITE and STAR programs 24:58 Alicia’s message to early-career researchers 25:15 Closing Remarks #AliciaZhou #GevorgTamamyan #CancerResearchInstitute #Immunotherapy #AIinOncology #OncologyInnovation #Mentorship #ScientificCommunication #OncoInfluencers #OncoDaily SUBSCRIBE to get the latest #oncodaily    / @oncodailytv   Visit the OncoDaily Website : https://oncodaily.com Like OncoDaily on LinkedIn:   / oncodaily   Like OncoDaily on X (Twitter): https://x.com/oncodaily Follow OncoDaily on Instagram:   / oncodailynews   Follow OncoDaily on TikTok:   / oncodaily   Like OncoDaily on Facebook:   / oncodaily   SUBSCRIBE to OncoDaily Newsletter: https://oncodaily.com/submit-newsletter About OncoDaily OncoDaily is your trusted source for the latest oncology news, expert interviews, patient stories, and cutting-edge research. Our mission is to empower the global cancer community—patients, survivors, professionals, and advocates—with timely, credible information. Subscribe for weekly podcasts, expert conversations, and updates on groundbreaking cancer research. 🔔 New videos every day! 💻 Visit us at https://oncodaily.com/