Alexandra Potter is an MD candidate at Harvard Medical School. She is particularly interested in thoracic surgery and thoracic oncology. She received a BS in bioengineering from the University of California, Berkeley.

Alexandra’s primary focus has been leading efforts to increase access to lung cancer screening through community outreach, advocacy, and research. She is the founder and President of the American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative (ALCSI), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to increasing lung cancer screening awareness and access. Alexandra leads a team of over 700 high school, undergraduate, and medical students on grassroots community outreach and advocacy efforts to improve access to lung cancer screening. Her work was recognized with the 2021 University of California Berkeley Chancellor’s Award for Public Service. Additionally, in 2023, Alexandra received a Samuel Huntington Public Service Award to support her efforts to increase lung cancer screening access in underserved communities.

Alexandra has also published over 45 original investigations, including first-authored research studies in JAMA, the British Medical Journal, the Journal of Clinical Oncology, and JAMA Oncology. In recognition of her research, she has received numerous awards, including an International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer Early Career Award and J. Maxwell Chamberlain Memorial Award for the Best Paper in Thoracic Surgery at the 2025 Society of Thoracic Surgeons Annual Meeting.

Alexandra aspires to become a thoracic surgeon and an international leader in lung cancer screening research. She also envisions expanding her non-profit, ALCSI, into a global movement that unites tens of thousands of students and doctors across the world in efforts to increase lung cancer screening access.

Alexandra grew up in a military family and spent most of her childhood in Dupont, WA. In her free time, she enjoys running, skiing, and wakeboarding. She also loves to travel.