Seven prominent healthcare innovators of Indian origin have been named to the Association for Value-Based Cancer Care’s 2026 Class of “40 Under 40 in Cancer.”
Selected from a highly competitive national pool of roughly 2,800 nominees, these trailblazers represent the vanguard of clinical oncology, health economics, patient advocacy, and digital medical education.
The honorees bridge their deep ancestral roots and foundational medical ideals from the Indian subcontinent with cutting-edge American research to reshape the landscape of modern cancer care.
Among this year’s distinct class is Dr. Vishnukamal Golla, an expert in clinical urology and health policy at Evolent, who focuses on easing the financial toxicity and structural burdens that complex cancer diagnoses inflict on vulnerable patient populations.
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Similarly advancing care delivery, Dr. Puneeth Indurlal, Vice President of Practice Operations at the American Oncology Network, leverages deep foundational insights to design alternative payment models that ensure life-saving cancer therapies remain economically accessible.
Dr. Sundeep Grandhe, a quadruple board-certified physician-executive who completed his medical education at Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute in Chennai, India, focuses his work on highly specialized, culturally responsive palliative medicine.
Alongside him, Dr. Milan Thakor utilizes his clinical experience at Colla Mental Health to pioneer critical psychological support systems, addressing the underreported mental health crises confronting cancer patients and their care networks.
The list also highlights influential figures in therapeutic innovation and widespread patient communication. Dr. Sanjay Juneja, a triple board-certified hematologist-oncologist at the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center in Louisiana, has democratized complex medical education for over half a million people globally through his highly regarded digital media platform, “TheOncDoc.”
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Operating on the front lines of pharmaceutical research, Dr. Paul Singh serves as the U.S. Medical Director for Multiple Myeloma at AstraZeneca, where he spearheads clinical trial strategies and critical medical affairs to accelerate targeted oncology pipelines.
Rounding out the exceptional cohort is Dr. Urvi Shah, an assistant attending physician with the Myeloma Service at the world-renowned Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Dr. Shah, who completed her early clinical milestones in India before moving to the United States, has become a prominent voice in exploring how metabolic health and dietary interventions intersect with standard therapies to improve long-term survival outcomes for myeloma patients.
The AVBCC noted that this year’s list honors the profound, transformative impact first-generation and immigrant-descended medical minds exert on the U.S. medical system. The 2026 class will be formally celebrated during a private reception on May 30 at the historic Palmer House in Chicago, Illinois.