Julie Gralow receives Alumni Humanitarian Award

Congratulations to Dr. Julie Gralow, professor emeritus (Medical Oncology), the 2023 recipient of the UW Medicine Alumni Humanitarian Award. This award honors an alum who embodies the ideals of UW Medicine and whose career reflects an ongoing commitment to serve others through the practice of medicine, or whose research has contributed to greater communal good.

Gralow is being honored for humanitarian medical work throughout her career as a clinician, researcher, teacher, advocate, author, policymaker and mentor, improving the lives of cancer patients across the globe.

As a founder of the Women’s Empowerment Cancer Advocacy Network (WE CAN), Dr. Gralow has worked to empower women cancer patient advocates in low- and middle-income countries, organizing international education, outreach and advocacy summits that bring together leaders from the worlds of medicine, government and patient advocacy.

WE CAN helps break taboos, funds survivor programs, sparks research projects and forges long-standing relationships between patients and physicians, medical experts and policymakers.

Dr. Gralow also served as co-secretariat for the Global Task Force on Expanded Access to Cancer Care and Control in Developing Countries, a collaboration among leaders from the global health and cancer care communities worldwide.

She has led efforts in cancer patient advocacy and education locally and globally.

Dr. Gralow is the co-founder of Team Survivor Northwest, a Seattle-based nonprofit aimed at helping female cancer survivors improve their health and quality of life through fitness and exercise.