Dr. Hagop M. Kantarjian is a preeminent oncologist and global leader in leukemia research and treatment. He serves as Professor and Chair of the Department of Leukemia at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, holding the prestigious Samsung Distinguished Leukemia Chair in Cancer Medicine and the Kelcie Margaret Kana Research Chair. Born in Beirut in 1954 to an Armenian family, Dr. Kantarjian earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1975 and his Doctor of Medicine in 1979 from the American University of Beirut. Following his medical training at the American University of Beirut, he completed a fellowship in hematology and medical oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center in 1983, establishing the foundation for his remarkable career in cancer research.
Dr. Kantarjian has made transformative contributions to leukemia treatment that have revolutionized patient outcomes worldwide. His pioneering work in developing and testing first- and second-generation BCR-ABL inhibitors for chronic myeloid leukemia dramatically improved 10-year survival rates from 20% to 90%, turning a once fatal disease into a manageable condition. He developed the innovative HPER-CVAD regimen for acute lymphocytic leukemia, which increased cure rates from 20% to over 60%, and was instrumental in the discovery of decitabine for myelodysplastic syndrome and clofarabine for leukemias. His research and collaborations have served as the basis for FDA approvals of more than 20 drugs in leukemia, and he has authored or co-authored over 2,400 peer-reviewed medical publications that have fundamentally reshaped clinical practice guidelines.
As a non-resident fellow in health policy at the Rice University Baker Institute and a member of the American Society for Clinical Oncology board of directors, Dr. Kantarjian continues to influence cancer policy and clinical practice on a global scale. His exceptional contributions have been recognized with numerous prestigious awards including the ASCO David A. Karnofsky Memorial Award for lifelong contributions to leukemia research and patient care in 2023, the Joseph H. Burchenal Memorial Award from the American Association for Cancer Research, and the John Mendelsohn Lifetime Scientific Achievement Award from MD Anderson Cancer Center. Designated as a Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher, he has been honored with the Castle Connolly National Physician of the Year Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2014. Dr. Kantarjian remains at the forefront of translational-clinical developmental therapeutics in leukemia, driving innovation that continues to save countless lives and transform the prognosis for patients with blood cancers worldwide.
