Susan Block

Dr. Susan D. Block is a Professor of Psychiatry, Chief of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Co-Director of the Harvard Medical School Center for Palliative Care. She received her MD from Case Western Reserve University and completed residences in psychiatry and internal medicine at the Beth Israel Hospital Boston. Block is a nationally and internationally known researcher and prominent expert in palliative care and psycho-oncology. Her current areas of research are mental health and communication in advanced illness, bereavement, and how clinicians deal with the psychological challenges of life-threatening illness. Block is also currently collaborating with Dr. Atul Gawande to create and test a Serious Illness Communication Checklist designed to improve the achievement of patient goals at the end of life.