Academic History
Hagop Kantarjian, MD, is a renowned global authority in leukemia treatment. He serves as the Chair of the Leukemia Department and Professor at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, as well as the Samsung Distinguished Leukemia Chair in Cancer Medicine. Prof. Kantarjian attended the American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon, where he earned his medical degree and completed internal medicine training. He went on to specialize in hematology/oncology at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. Prof Kantarjian is a member of several societies, including ASH, ASCO, and the American Association for Advancement of Cancer Research.
Prof. Kantarjian is a prolific researcher, having authored over 1800 peer-reviewed publications and founded the internationally recognized department of leukemia at MD Anderson. His achievements have earned him numerous awards and honors throughout this career, including the Jeffrey A Gottlieb Memorial Award, the John Mendelsohn Lifetime Scientific Achievement Award and the Charles A. LeMaistre Outstanding Achievement Award in Cancer.
Speaking on translational developmental therapeutics in leukemia
Prof. Kantarjian has dedicated his career to the study of leukemia and has made unparalleled contributions to the field. His work was instrumental in the development of first- and second-generation BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitors for chronic myeloid leukemia, including imatinib, dasatinib, nilotinib, and ponatinib. Additionally, Prof. Kantarjian was integral in the development of current standard of care chemotherapy regimens in leukemia, widely used combination therapies for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and novel agents in acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes. Over 20 FDA drug approvals are attributable to his research. Prof. Kantarjian is currently investigating immunotherapies in adult leukemia.
