David W. Kissane, MD

In over 35 years of medical practice, I have worked to help patients with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses cope with and adapt to their situations, as well as support their significant others and families. I am a board-certified psychiatrist and have extensive experience working with patients with breast, gynecologic, colorectal, lung, prostate, head and neck, melanoma, and hematologic malignancies.

My research has concentrated on psychotherapy studies with cancer patients (group, couples and family therapy) and communication skills training for clinicians of all disciplines who deliver cancer care. I also have a strong interest in existential and ethical issues in end-of-life care.

My books include Family Focused Grief Therapy (Open University Press), a clinical guide to family-centered care, Handbook of Communication in Oncology & Palliative Care (Oxford University Press), and Cancer and Depression (Wiley-Blackwell). I was awarded the Arthur Sutherland Award for lifetime contribution to psycho-oncology by the International Psycho-Oncology Society, and the Jimmie C. Holland Chair in Psycho-oncology by Memorial Sloan-Kettering. I am appointed as Professor of Psychiatry at the Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University. I have served on many academic and national committees aimed at improving cancer care.