Stein Kaasa has long been a pioneer and bridge-builder in palliative medicine, a field that demands collaboration across professions and sectors. Appointed Scandinavia’s first professor in palliative medicine in 1993, Kaasa has since led efforts to advance evidence-based, patient-centred care nationally and internationally.
In recognition of his lifelong contributions, His Majesty the King of Norway has appointed Kaasa Knight 1st Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav. The honour was presented during the 14th International Seminar of the European Palliative Care Research Centre (PRC), a centre Kaasa founded in 2009, now internationally renowned with 25 partner institutions across Europe, North America, and Australia.
Kaasa is an oncologist, researcher, and health leader who has consistently championed care that reflects patients’ values and voices. His academic legacy includes over 600 publications, mentorship of 40+ PhD candidates, and leadership of the Lancet Oncology Commission on integrating oncology and palliative care. He has also served as National Director of Cancer Strategy at the Norwegian Directorate of Health.
Currently, Kaasa is leading major EU-funded research projects on patient-centred care and quality-of-life measurement, including the MyPath project. He is deputy director of MATRIX, Norway’s national centre for clinical cancer research, and continues to push boundaries in modern cancer care.
On World Cancer Research Day, we celebrate not only this well-deserved honour, but also the impact of research that improves how people live with cancer, not just how we treat it.
Congratulations, Stein Kaasa!