Biography

Anthony Back, M.D., is Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle, and at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. Dr. Back earned his M.D. at Harvard University. He is triple-board certified in palliative medicine, medical oncology, and internal medicine. Dr. Back is the PI of a randomized clinical trial of psilocybin-assisted therapy for clinicians with symptoms of depression and burnout associated with their frontline work in the COVID pandemic, and a Phase 1/2 study of a group retreat model of psilocybin-assisted therapy for patients with metastatic cancer. He co-founded VitalTalk, a national nonprofit that provides clinician training and faculty development courses to improve communication skills for individuals and institutions. His book Mastering Communication with Seriously Ill Patients is in its second edition. He is a CIIS 2020 Certificate graduate.