Founder: Alexander Miamen, MMSc
Alexander Miamen, a Liberian-born Cancer Research Scientist, serves as the Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of The African Cancer Education and Research Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to integrating otherwise care "naïve" cancer patients of African descent into the healthcare system. Additionally, the foundation focuses on educating community members about the benefits of earlier diagnosis and cancer prevention measures.
After leaving Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, MN, under the mentorship of Dr. Lewis Roberts, Alexander Miamen has directed his research efforts towards addressing the high incidence and disproportional presentation of Hepatocellular Carcinomas (HCC), primarily liver cancer, in sub-Saharan Africa and among recent immigrants from that region. His groundbreaking work at the Mayo Clinic has resulted in novel therapeutic approaches for treating HCC and has been published in numerous scientific publications.
Recognized for his contributions to the African immigrant communities in Minnesota, Alexander's research endeavors have received funding from the US National Institute of Health. Informed by his development of disruptive innovations in therapeutic vaccines for cancer treatment and his dedication to his homeland, Alexander was recruited to join a team of Harvard Medical School scholars to explore novel approaches to developing sustainable healthcare systems in Low-and-Middle-Income countries.
As a contributor to two Lancet Commissions, namely The Lancet Commission of Global Pediatric Oncology and The Lancet Commission on Non-Communicable Diseases and Injury, Alexander collaborates with renowned experts such as Professor Paul Farmer and Professor Rifat Atun. With their guidance, he aims to apply his expertise in design thinking and disruptive technology to establish sustainable healthcare delivery systems, focusing on preventing communicable and non-communicable diseases in Africa.
Alexander advocates for the preemptive preparation for future epidemics/pandemics by building clinical and public health systems with adequate staff, space, supplies, and systems. He believes that resilient health systems, responsive to micro and macro shocks, are essential to alleviate current and future human suffering.
Due to his tireless advocacy for building resilient health systems, Alexander has been invited by the Ministry of Health of Liberia, Rwanda, and colleagues in the Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Norte. He also held the Dean Jeffrey S. Flier Scholar position at Harvard Medical School from 2016 to 2018.
