A Seat at the Table: Drs. Olazagasti, Velez Reflect on Research, Mentorship, and Collaboration at ASCO 2025

Coral Olazagasti, MD, of Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and Maria Velez, MD, MS, of the University of California, Los Angeles, joined Lung Cancers Today at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting to share their highlights.

“I’m excited to see the data,” Dr. Olazagasti said. “I’m excited to see the oral presentations for all the abstracts for thoracic oncology…. we’re going to see so much of what’s in the future, what’s in the pipeline.”

Dr. Velez also shared what she’s looking forward to in terms of new data at the ASCO Annual Meeting.

“In the lung cancer space, there’s a lot of data already in the new adjuvant and adjuvant in the perioperative space using immunotherapy,” Dr. Velez said. “For someone like us who does also head and neck [oncology], it’s very exciting to see some of these approaches being applied in the head and neck space because it’s such an unmet need.”

Beyond the data, they highlighted the opportunities for connection and collaboration at the annual meeting.

“I’m excited to see not only our friends and our sisterhood, but something that’s very special to me is also to see my mentees, seeing them present and seeing how their work is flourishing and seeing how great they are makes me such a proud mentor,” Dr. Olazagasti said.

Dr. Velez and Dr. Olazagasti explained that the ASCO Annual Meeting is also a critical time for colleagues to come together and support each other, explaining that beyond collaboration, it’s critical to sponsor and support one another.

“Being in oncology, being Latina, being able to have this platform to get together and discuss potential collaborations is fabulous. We met each other through the Florez Lab and collaborations together,” Dr. Velez said. “We’ve become not only colleagues, but really good friends.”

The annual meeting represents multiple opportunities for sponsorship and mentorship, which is a critical part of ensuring that all parties have a seat at the table in the field of oncology, they concluded.