Director, Psychiatry Programs
The Institute for Palliative Medicine at San Diego Hospice
4311 Third Avenue
San Diego
CAUSA
92103-1407
Email:
sirwin@sdhospice.org
Biographical Sketch: Scott A. Irwin, M.D., Ph.D., is the Director and founder of the Psychiatry Programs at The Institute for Palliative Medicine at San Diego Hospice. In this role, he investigates better assessments and treatments for depression and delirium, as well as other mental health issues, to improve outcomes for those with advanced, life-threatening illnesses and their families. He also coordinates and provides consultative psychiatric services for patients and families, as well as educates Institute faculty, palliative medicine fellows, clinical staff, and visitors from all over the world.
Dr. Irwin has received funding for his research from the NIMH, the National Palliative Care Research Center, the Archstone Foundation, and the John A. Hartford Center of Excellence in Geriatric Psychiatry at UCSD. He is the author or co-author of over 50 articles, chapters, and abstracts, and has been recognized at many levels for his research, teaching, and clinical endeavors. He is an active member of the American College of Psychiatrists, American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine, and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.
Dr. Irwin received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychobiology in 1994 from the University of California, Los Angeles, a Ph.D. in Neuroscience in 2000 and an M.D. in 2002, both from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. In 2006, he completed a psychiatry residency at UCSD as the chief resident of Outpatient Psychiatric Services, as well as a two-year elective in hospice and palliative care at San Diego Hospice. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, with certification in the subspecialty of Psychosomatic Medicine. He currently holds appointments as faculty in the Institute of Palliative Medicine at San Diego Hospice and as an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, UCSD School of Medicine.