Dr. ZafarDr. Zafar is a gastrointestinal medical oncologist and healthcare delivery researcher. He is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Public Policy at the Duke Cancer Institute and Sanford School of Public Policy. His research explores ways to improve care delivery for patients with cancer. He has advanced training in health services research and has participated in studies focusing on access to care, cost of care, and comparative effectiveness of care delivery between health systems. His primary area of interest is in cancer treatment-related financial burden to patients. He has conducted institutional and national studies on how treatment-related costs impact cancer patients' experience and quality of care. His current work focuses on how the cost of care can drive medical decision-making and impact the physician-patient relationship.

Dr. Zafar is Director of Applied Cancer Health Research at the Duke Cancer Institute and Focus Area Leader for Duke Cancer Institute’s Healthcare Delivery Research. He is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Health Disparities Committee and the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology's Health Disparities and Health Outcomes Committees. Dr. Zafar's work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the American Cancer Society, the HealthWell Foundation, the Duke Cancer Institute, the Duke Clinical Research Institute, and the CALGB Foundation