Dr. Ella Kazerooni, Inaugural Chair of the ACS NLCRT, honored by the American Cancer Society

Interim CEO of ACS and ACS CAN Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick, Dr. Ella Kazerooni, Chair of the Volunteer Impact Panel and 2024 Volunteer Leadership Award winner, Scott Rollin, and Chair of the ACS Board of Directors Brian Marlow.

The ACS NLCRT is proud to share that our inaugural chair, Ella Kazerooni, MD, MS, FACR, FACC, FSABI, was recently honored with the prestigious Volunteer Leadership Award by the American Cancer Society (ACS). This is the highest recognition given to ACS volunteers, awarded annually to up to two individuals for exceptional leadership and long-standing service to enterprise-wide programs, initiatives, Board level committees, or task forces. 

A Visionary Leader at the Helm 

Dr. Kazerooni has been chair of the ACS NLCRT since its inception in 2017, serving as a driving force behind the roundtable’s expansive growth and shaping it into a nationally recognized coalition committed to improving lung cancer outcomes. As an internationally respected thoracic radiologist, she brings not just a wealth of expertise but also unwavering energy, profound respect from her peers and advocacy groups, and a steadfast commitment to collaboration. 

From the outset, Dr. Kazerooni played a key role in designing the roundtable’s structure, recruiting key stakeholders, and building partnerships across the lung cancer continuum. Under her leadership, the ACS NLCRT has engaged over 220 member organizations, bringing together experts from across medical, public health, research, and advocacy sectors to advance a shared mission – creating more lung cancer survivors.  

Transforming Bold Ideas into National Impact 

Dr. Kazerooni’s leadership has turned vision into tangible progress, catalyzing national initiatives that are shaping the future of lung cancer care, including:  

  • Designing the ACS NLCRT Strategic Plan: Dr. Kazerooni played a key role in crafting this national roadmap for improving lung cancer outcomes. The roundtable published nine sections of the strategic plan in Cancer in 2024, with six more slated for 2025. 
  • Co-founding National Lung Cancer Screening Day (LCSD): Under Dr. Kazerooni’s leadership, ACS NLCRT and the American College of Radiology (ACR) launched LCSD, a groundbreaking national initiative aimed at expanding access to lung cancer screening. In LCSD’s first three years, over 1,700 sites have participated.  
  • Leading 25+ ACS NLCRT workshops and annual meetings: She has participated in over 1,000 Zoom and in-person meetings on ACS NLCRT initiatives during her tenure, helping convene more than 25 national discussions on key topics across the lung cancer continuum. Most recently, she headlined the eighth ACS NLCRT Annual Meeting in December 2024.  
  • Strengthening state-based screening efforts: Dr. Kazerooni was instrumental in launching the first Michigan Lung Cancer Roundtable in her home state. Outside of her work leading the ACS NLCRT, she has personally collaborated with Michigan-based ACS staff to organize and promote state plans for LCSD 2024. 
  • Focusing ACS NLCRT efforts on high-impact strategies: Dr. Kazerooni has guided the roundtable towards initiatives that contribute to better lung cancer outcomes, including a comprehensive set of strategies to increase lung cancer screening rates and ensure adherence to evidence-based guidelines for diagnosis, staging, and treatment. 

A Legacy of Leadership and Progress 

Dr. Kazerooni was honored with the Volunteer Leadership Award at the ACS Volunteer Leadership Summit on January 27. As we celebrate her exceptional service and vision, we’re grateful she has volunteered so much of her time and expertise to advancing our mission.  

ACS NLCRT’s Dr. Robert Smith, Dr. Ella Kazerooni, and Lauren Rosenthal