Jesse Fann, MD, MPH
Dr. Jesse Fann is a psychiatrist who cares for people who have received a diagnosis of cancer during their treatment, and beyond into survivorship. He majored in electrical engineering but then developed a fascination with the intersection of neuroscience, behavior, and medicine. This led him to train in psychiatry, public health, and the psychiatric care of people with serious medical illness. Dr. Fann is the Medical Director for the Department of Psychosocial Oncology at Fred Hutch Cancer Center. In addition to his clinical and administrative role at Fred Hutch, Dr. Fann holds multiple teaching and research roles at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He is the Director of the Clinician Scientist Training Program in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, the Mark N. Tabbutt Endowed Professor for Education in Brain Health, and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine. In addition, he is Adjunct Professor in the Department of Epidemiology in the University of Washington School of Public Health.
What is Psychosocial Oncology?
The field of psychosocial oncology (or psycho-oncology) combines expertise from psychiatry (the study and treatment of mental health and illness) and oncology (the study and treatment of cancer) to care for cancer patients as whole people with complex needs. It focuses on the needs of cancer patients and survivors to have their mental health cared for as well as their physical health. The American Psychosocial Oncology Society (APOS) defines psychosocial oncology as “a cancer specialty that addresses the variety of psychological, behavioral, emotional, and social issues that arise for cancer patients and their loved ones.” APOS explains that psychosocial oncology care may be needed for a cancer patient and their family across the phases of their cancer journey, including diagnosis, treatment, post-treatment care, recurrence/progression of disease, and/or end of life care.
The short video below features Dr. Jesse Fann explaining the importance of his research, as part of the Biden Cancer Moonshot, a national initiative to end cancer by preventing deaths from cancer as well as improving the experience of people with a cancer diagnosis.
"It has become very clear to me that cancer affects not just a person’s physical health but also a person’s mental health. And this affects their ability to get through cancer treatment. It affects their quality of life and their ability to function on a daily basis and do the things that they want to do, both during their cancer treatment and beyond."
— Dr. Jesse Fann, MD, MPH, The White House, 2024
Dr. Fann’s Story
While Dr. Fann’s family moved around a lot when he was a child, he considered the Chicago area as his home. With a mathematician mother and an environmental engineer father, it is no surprise that Dr. Fann loved math and science as a child. Growing up, he wanted to become an engineer like his father. However, Dr. Fann’s career path would take several twists and turns, taking him from electrical engineering to psychiatry, and then to clinical research and patient care, where he specializes in the field of psychosocial oncology. His educational journey would also bounce him between the Midwest and the West Coast, where he ultimately settled in Seattle, Washington to work at Fred Hutch Cancer Center and the University of Washington.
While majoring in electrical engineering at Stanford University in California, Dr. Fann took classes in biology and psychology and became fascinated with neuroscience and medicine. This inspired him to pursue a medical degree at Northwestern University in Illinois. During medical school, he became particularly interested in the brain and behavior and decided to specialize in psychiatry, which is the study and treatment of mental illness.
After medical school, physicians need to complete a residency, which is an intense period of clinical training which takes between three and seven years (psychiatry residency takes four years). After doing his internship training in Chicago, where he took care of medical, surgical, and pediatric patients, Dr. Fann headed back to the West Coast to complete his residency at the University of Washington. He explained that during his residency experience, “I developed an interest in helping people cope with serious physical illness and injury, so decided to embark on a research project during my last year in residency.” During this time, Dr. Fann was mentored by Dr. Wayne Katon, a renowned UW Psychiatry professor who eventually passed away from cancer. Dr. Fann shared that Dr. Katon “showed me how gratifying it is to engage in cutting-edge research and supportive mentorship while also providing outstanding patient care.” He continued, “only then did I realize my passion for clinical research” which led Dr. Fann to pursue a research fellowship at the University of Washington. As a psychiatry research fellow, Dr. Fann cared for cancer patients at Fred Hutch Cancer Center, many of whom “were struggling with psychological issues such as depression and anxiety.” Dr. Fann reflected, “I found working with the patients and collaborating with the faculty and staff [at Fred Hutch] incredibly rewarding and inspirational.” These educational and training experiences led him to positions at both Fred Hutch and the University of Washington Medical school.
Educational Pathway
- Undergraduate: BS in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA, 1985
- Medical Degree: MD from Northwestern University School of Medicine in Chicago, IL, 1989
- Internship: Transitional Internship at Columbus Hospital in Chicago, IL, 1990
- Residency: Residency in Psychiatry at University of Washington Affiliated Hospitals in Seattle, WA, 1993
- Board Certification: Psychiatry, American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology, 1994, 2015, 2025
- Fellowship: Fellowship in Psychiatry Research at University of Washington Affiliated Hospitals in Seattle, WA, 1995
- Master’s Degree: Master of Public Health (MPH) at University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, WA, 1996
Outside of Work
During his down time, you can find Dr. Fann picking out a tune or lacing up his hiking boots. He shared, “I come from a very musical family and music is still a part of all our family events.” He continued, “My music has ranged from playing heavy metal guitar in college (I’ve since circled back to my Chicago blues roots), to classical piano, drums, harmonica, and ukulele.” Dr. Fann also enjoys hiking and spending time in nature.
"The best part of my job is the opportunity – through a combination of patient care, research, teaching, and administrative leadership – to work with brilliant and passionate colleagues and trainees to improve the lives of individuals with cancer and other medical illnesses."
— Dr. Jesse Fann, MD, MPH
A Day in the Life
At work, Dr. Fann juggles multiple roles and wears many hats. As a clinician, he cares for the mental health of patients who are undergoing treatment at Fred Hutch. As an administrator and leader, he directs the Psychosocial Oncology Department at Fred Hutch, which includes working with psychiatrists, psychologists, physician assistants, social workers, patient navigators, nurses, and other supportive care providers. As a teacher and mentor, he is helping to prepare the next generation of psychiatry researchers through the UW Medicine Clinician Scientist Training Program. Finally, as a researcher, he is conducting research with the goal of improving the mental health of people with cancer, traumatic brain injuries, and other medical conditions. Dr. Fann shared that “it can sometimes be a challenge juggling my various roles, but they are all roles that I love.” For example, he explained, “Keeping up with the sheer volume of medical information that is available while staying on top of daily communications and deadlines can be challenging at times.”
One of Dr. Fann’s current research project is SCOPE, or Supporting Collaborative Care to Optimize Psychosocial Engagement in the Cancer Setting, which is funded by the National Cancer Institute. This six-year project brings together Dr. Fann’s undergraduate training as an engineer and his interest in supporting the mental health of people with cancer. He explained: “Due to immense stress, many patients with cancer become clinically depressed, which can significantly affect their quality of life, functioning, and ability to complete cancer treatment.” He continued, “Unfortunately, many patients with cancer and depression do not receive the mental health care that they need.” The SCOPE research study “involves collaborating with colleagues at UW’s College of Engineering to develop and test new web-based technologies to improve the care of depression among people with cancer.”
In his role as a clinical psychiatrist, Dr. Fann sees patients who are impacted by a cancer diagnosis, sometimes developing care relationships that stretch over several years. In this 9-minute segment from New Day Northwest filmed in 2018, Dr. Fann and his patient Ron Robbecke discussed the importance of psychosocial oncology care for patients with cancer. (Note that Seattle Cancer Center Alliance mentioned in the video is now part of Fred Hutch Cancer Center). In this interview, Ron, who has a diagnosis of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML), explained that he has met with Dr. Fann regularly for twelve years during his cancer treatment to help him navigate through challenges with sleep, mental health, and other impacts to his daily life. Ron shared, “…having the drug [to treat the leukemia] and having him [Dr. Fann] has kept me alive.”
"My over two decades as Medical Director of Psychosocial Oncology at Fred Hutch has enabled me to bring together my interests in caring for patients, doing research, teaching students and trainees, and developing innovative programs."
— Dr. Jesse Fann, MD, MPH
Advice for Students
Dr. Fann offered this advice for high school students: learn about careers in mental health. He shared, “Growing up, I had no idea about the vast array of career opportunities in the areas of psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience, and mental health in general.” However, he explained, “given the importance of mental health in nearly every aspect of society, the opportunities are endless.”
U.S. Wage Information
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, the median wage for psychiatrists in the U.S. in 2023 was $256,930.
Additional Resources
Credit: Thank you to Dr. Jesse Fann for generously participating in this project. Headshot from Kris Krug. Personal photo provided by Dr. Fann. Additional information from the American Psychosocial Oncology Society. Quotation from Dr. Jesse Fann’s Cancer Moonshot Story (The White House, 2024). Profile written by Dr. Kristen Bergsman, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. Published in December 2024.