Diana Sarfati

Sarfati 210210

 

 

 

 

 

 
National Director of Cancer Control, and Chief Executive, New Zealand Cancer Control Agency


(Photograph by Virginia McMillan courtesy of New Zealand Doctor)

Professor Diana Sarfati (MBChB, MPH, PhD, FNZCPHM) is National Director of Cancer Control and Chief Executive of Te Aho o Te Kahu, the Cancer Control Agency in New Zealand. Her role is to provide national leadership for, and oversight of cancer control, to provide policy advice to the Government, and to be accountable for ensuring progress towards the goals and outcomes in the New Zealand Cancer Action Plan.

Previously Diana was Head of the Department of Public Health and Director of the Cancer and Chronic Conditions (C3) research group at University of Otago, Wellington.  She has led a large body of research relating to disparities in cancer outcomes, and has close to 200 peer-reviewed publications. This work has resulted in the identification of key patient and health system factors that influence cancer survival. It has been used extensively by health policy makers, clinicians and other researchers to develop policies and practices that aim to reduce inequities in cancer outcomes

Diana has held a number of national and international roles. She is currently a commissioner for the Lancet Commission on Health Systems and Cancer, a current member of the International Advisory Committee to Lancet Oncology, the Board of the International Cancer Benchmarking Programme (ICBP), and the Advisory Committee to the International Agency for Research on Cancer’s (IARC) Pacific cancer hub. She led a 2019 Lancet Oncology series on cancer in small island developing states and is a former member of IARC’s international expert group on social inequalities in cancer, the International Academic Advisory Committee on the International Cancer Benchmarking Project, the NZ National Cancer Programme Leadership Board, the National Screening Advisory Group, the National Ethics Advisory Committee, the Bowel Cancer Taskforce and the National Bowel Cancer Screening Advisory Committee.

 

Updated: October 2021