Lawrence Kaplan

Dr. Lawrence Kaplan is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, where he serves as Director of the Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Service and Clinical Director of the Department of Psycho-oncology Psychiatry at the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. His clinical and academic work bridges psychiatry, oncology, and end-of-life care.

Education and Training

• General Psychiatry Residency: Brigham and Women's Hospital & Harvard Medical School (2014)
• Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Fellowship: Dana Farber Cancer Institute & Harvard Medical School (2015)
• Board Certification: American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (2014)
• Academy Fellowship: FACLP (2015)

Research Focus

Dr. Kaplan specializes in consultation-liaison psychiatry, psychosocial oncology, and end-of-life mental health assessment. His work addresses:

• Neuropsychiatric complications in cancer patients
• Intersection of mental health and cancer mortality
• Standardized psychiatric evaluations for the California End-of-Life Option Act
• Geriatric psychiatry in palliative care settings

Scientific Contributions

• Developed competency-based neurosciences training for psychiatry residents
• Conducted epidemiological studies linking mental health diagnoses to cancer mortality disparities
• Co-authored genetic endocrinology research on vitamin D metabolism disorders

Clinical Leadership

Dr. Kaplan leads psychiatric consultations at UCSF Parnassus and Mission Bay campuses, with a focus on:

• Emergency psychiatry in medical/surgical settings
• Collaborative care with oncologists, palliative care specialists, and social workers
• Implementation of ethical guidelines for physician-assisted death assessments