Name: Ilit Turgeman
Israeli Institution: Lin Medical Center
North American Institution: Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
Fellowship Year: 2025-2026
Description:
Dr. Ilit Turgeman is undertaking an advanced fellowship at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute—one of the world’s foremost cancer centers—in a pivotal step that will significantly strengthen oncology care and research capacity in Israel. Training at Dana-Farber offers unparalleled access to cutting-edge clinical care, innovative clinical trial design, and translational research infrastructure that are not available at the same depth or scale in Israel.
Under the mentorship of a leading expert in thoracic oncology and translational research, Dr. Turgeman will work within a multidisciplinary academic environment that seamlessly integrates laboratory discovery with patient care. This immersion in a U.S. center of excellence will allow her to deepen her expertise in advanced treatment strategies, biomarker-driven therapies, and the development of practice-changing clinical trials—knowledge that is essential for advancing lung cancer care nationally.
Dr. Turgeman’s commitment to Israeli oncology is longstanding and well established. She has played a central role in building oncology services in Israel’s periphery, including helping establish the Beit Shulamit Cancer Center at HaEmek Medical Center, founding the Young-Onset Cancer Service, and leading research on regional cancer disparities. More recently, at Lin Medical Center and Carmel Hospital in Haifa, she initiated her department’s first Clinical Trials Unit as a principal investigator, with multiple Phase 3 trials already underway. In parallel, she developed a national research database bridging community and academic oncology—expanding research access, strengthening collaboration, and accelerating knowledge sharing across Israel’s healthcare system.
This fellowship represents a significant personal and professional commitment, undertaken with a clear intention to return and apply advanced expertise at home. Dr. Turgeman has consistently demonstrated her ability to translate international training into local impact, including applying clinical trial expertise gained during a prior fellowship at the Sarah Cannon Research Institute in the UK to expand research programs in Israel.
Beyond her national leadership, Dr. Turgeman is deeply engaged in the global oncology community, serving in leadership roles within international professional organizations and contributing as faculty to global conferences and initiatives. These activities ensure that Israel remains integrated into—and benefits from—the global oncology ecosystem.
Upon her return, Dr. Turgeman will leverage the training, collaborations, and institutional relationships developed at Dana-Farber to expand clinical trials, strengthen translational research, mentor the next generation of oncologists, and introduce innovative care models in Israel.