Dr. Harvey Max Chochinov is a world leader in palliative care research, and the 46th recipient of the Frederic Newton Gisborne Starr Award – the highest award the Canadian Medical Association can bestow on one of its member physicians.
Dr. Chochinov is based at the University of Manitoba, where he is a Distinguished Professor in the medical faculty’s department of psychiatry and the country’s only Canada Research Chair in palliative care. He chairs the Canadian Virtual Hospice and is director of the Manitoba Palliative Care Research Unit.
His courses on dignity therapy are used around the world to teach end-of-life caregivers how to facilitate the expression of thoughts, feelings, and memories by individuals with life-limiting illness. His research into the psychosocial dimensions of palliation – including depression, desire for death, will to live, and dignity at the end of life – have helped define international standards for end-of-life care.
Dr. Chochinov is a sought-after guest lecturer, a prolific author, and a dedicated researcher who is generous with his time and expertise. His many awards include the Order of Manitoba, fellowships in the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and the Royal Society of Canada, and the lifetime achievement award of the Canadian Association of Psycho-social Oncology.