Keynote Speakers

Dr. Irwin is the Chief of Psychiatry and Psycho Social Services 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.  In addition, he educates Institute faculty, palliative medicine fellows, clinical staff, and visitors from all over the world, as well as family medicine and internal medicine residents from various San Diego programs; he also coordinates several UCSD Psychiatry Resident rotations related to hospice and palliative medicine.

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.  In 2009, his program was honored with the Gold Achievement Award of the American Psychiatric Association’s Institute for Psychiatric Services for Innovative Psychiatry Programs.   He is a 2008 College of Palliative Care Research Scholar, was the 2005 APA/Lilly Chief Residents Executive Leadership Program Awardee from UCSD, received a NIMH Outstanding Resident in Psychiatry Award in 2004, and awarded the PRITE Fellowship from American College of Psychiatrists from 2003-2005.

Dr. Jacobsen received his doctoral degree in Psychology (Clinical) from Michigan State University and completed post-doctoral training in psychosocial oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.  In 1994, he was recruited to the Moffitt Cancer Center to develop and direct its clinical and research programs in psychosocial oncology and palliative care.  He is currently Associate Center Director for Population Science at Moffitt and Professor of Psychology and Oncologic Sciences at the University of South Florida.  For the past 25 years, his work has focused on using knowledge from the behavioral and social sciences to promote reductions in cancer risk, early detection of cancer, and improvements in quality of life following cancer diagnosis. Dr. Jacobsen is the author of more than 200 journal articles and the recipient of numerous research and training grants from the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute. In 2008 he received the Bernard Fox Memorial Award for outstanding contributions to psychosocial oncology from the International Psycho-Oncology Society, and in 2010 he received the Holland Distinguished Leadership Award from the American Psychosocial Oncology Society. He is a past president of the American Psychosocial Oncology Society and is closely involved in the society’s current efforts to develop and promote quality standards for psychosocial care of cancer patients. 

Mr. Loscalzo is the Liliane Elkins Professor in Supportive Care Programs in the Department of Supportive Care Medicine and Professor in Department of Population Sciences. He is also the Executive Director of the Department of Supportive Care Medicine and the Administrative Director of the Sheri & Les Biller Patient and Family Resource Center at the City of Hope-National Medical Center, Duarte California.

Professor Loscalzo has over 30 years experience in caring for cancer patients and their families.  He is recognized internationally as a pioneer in the clinical, educational, and research domains of psychosocial aspects of cancer.  Professor Loscalzo was the President of the American Psychosocial Oncology Society and the Association of Oncology Social Workers. His areas of focus have been pain and palliative care, the implementation of problem-based screening programs, gender-based medicine and problem solving therapies.

Professor Loscalzo has held leadership positions at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the Johns Hopkins Oncology Center, the Rebecca and John Moores Cancer Center at the University of California at San Diego and now at the City of Hope. He has created a number of highly integrated interdisplinary biopsychosocial programs based on a unique staff leadership model. 

Since 2000 Dr. Simone has been president of Simone Consulting Company, which advises organizations on cancer program organization, quality and development. He spent most of his medical career at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, where he joined the staff in 1967 and served as its director from 1983 to 1992.  In his years there, he played a leadership role in the development of curative treatments for childhood leukemia and lymphoma. From 1992 to 1996 he served as physician-in-chief of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City where he instituted a disease management system and a satellite hospital system. He served as Senior Clinical Director of the Huntsman Cancer Institute from 1996 to 2001 and was instrumental in the design of the Huntsman Cancer Hospital. He served as director pro tem of University of Florida-Shands Cancer Center from 2008 to 2010. He is clinical director emeritus of the Huntsman Cancer Institute and professor emeritus of pediatrics and medicine at the University of Utah School of Medicine.

Dr. Simone has served as chairman of the National Cancer Policy Board of the Institute of Medicine, which has published several reports on the quality of cancer care. He was the founding medical director and chairman of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.  He has served on the Board of Scientific Advisors of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and he serves on the external advisory committees of eight NCI-designated cancer centers.

Dr. Simone is the founder of American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Quality Oncology Practice Initiative. He is also a columnist for Oncology Times.