Arif Kamal

Arif Kamal, MD, MBA, MHS, FACP, FAAHPM, FASCO serves as the first-ever chief patient officer for the American Cancer Society. In this role, Dr. Kamal drives the coordinated efforts to accelerate progress against cancer through the organization’s patient-facing activities. He is responsible for leading the American Cancer Society’s patient support objectives and developing strategic plans to measurably improve the lives of cancer patients and their families. Dr. Kamal oversees clinical leadership of the organization’s cancer control, patient navigation, educational programs, patient lodging solutions, transportation services, contact center, and digital patient support offerings, as well as all aspects of organizational functions that touch cancer patients across 5,000 communities around the globe.

Prior to joining the American Cancer Society, Dr. Kamal served for more than 12 years as an oncologist, researcher, and innovative leader at Duke University and the Duke Cancer Institute. Dr. Kamal is an associate professor of Medicine and Population Health at the Duke University School of Medicine, and recently served as physician quality and outcomes officer at the Duke Cancer Institute. He holds nationally recognized expertise in oncology quality assessment and palliative care. Dr. Kamal continues to keep a small palliative care clinical practice at Duke Cancer Center.

In addition to clinical and academic pursuits at Duke Cancer Institute, Dr. Kamal co-founded Prepped Health, a company that develops innovative technology solutions to educate and engage patients facing a serious illness like cancer and their caregivers. He also holds several leadership positions within professional organizations, including the National Quality Forum (NQF), American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), and American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM).

Dr. Kamal was selected as one of the Top Influential Leaders Under 40 from AAHPM and received an Innovator Award from the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC). He has published more than 200 peer-reviewed articles in journals such as JAMA, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Annals of Internal Medicine, and Lancet Oncology. He holds grant funding from the National Cancer Institute, National Institute on Aging, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation. 

Dr. Kamal received his medical degree from the six-year combined BA/MD program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, completed his internal medicine residency and a hospice and palliative medicine fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, as well as a hematology/oncology fellowship at Duke University. He holds a master’s degree in health science in clinical research from Duke University and a master’s in business administration from the University of Massachusetts – Amherst.

Dr. Kamal resides in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with his wife and two young children.