Felicia Marie Knaul

Felicia Marie Knaul, PhD is a leading health economist and global oncology advocate whose work has transformed cancer policy in Latin America and globally. A breast cancer survivor herself, she founded Tómatelo a Pecho (Take It to Heart), a landmark campaign that catalyzed breast cancer awareness and early detection programs throughout Mexico and Latin America. As co-chair of the Lancet Commission on Global Access to Palliative Care and Pain Relief, she led the influential 2017 Lancet Commission report estimating that 61 million people annually suffer serious health-related suffering that could be alleviated with basic palliative care, establishing a global imperative for access to opioid analgesics and supportive oncology. Her research bridges health economics with cancer advocacy, demonstrating the catastrophic financial burden imposed by cancer on households in low- and middle-income countries and quantifying the cost-effectiveness of scale-up interventions. At the University of Miami, she directs programs examining health system strengthening for cancer control in the Americas. She has advised the WHO, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and multiple national governments on integrating cancer care into universal health coverage frameworks. Her publications span the New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, and JAMA, and she has delivered testimony to the United Nations on global cancer equity. Her dual role as scientist and patient advocate has made her one of the most impactful voices for equitable cancer access in the 21st century.