Daniel Epner, MD, FACP

Dr. Epner is a palliative care physician at MD Anderson Cancer Center who practiced medical oncology for several years before moving to the Department of Palliative Care in 2012. He began his faculty career at Baylor College of Medicine as principle investigator of a basic science lab, but he now focuses on psychosocial aspects of oncology.  His primary academic interest is communication skills training for palliative care fellows and a variety of other providers. He uses narrative medicine techniques to teach communication skills.  Such techniques include reflective writing, close reading of medically-themed stories, and discussing films relevant to clinical practice. In recent years, Dr. Epner has contributed several reflective pieces about his own experiences as a doctor to the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Annals of Internal Medicine, JAMA Oncology, and other journals to serve as enduring educational resources. He authored “Empathy: Reals Stories to Inspire and Enlighten Busy Clinicians”, released by McGraw Hill in Spring 2022.