David Banayan

Malecki Brooks Law Group, LLC is proud to continue our new communication highlighting the backgrounds and accomplishments of our clients.

Name: David Banayan, MD, MSc, FRCPC

Specialty: Consultation-Liaison (CL) and Transplant Psychiatry

Currently: Assistant Professor, Rush University, Chicago, Illinois

Dr. Banayan’s comment:  “As a Transplant Psychiatrist with a focus in renal transplantation, it has been a labor of passion to work with patients and remove the barrier of psychiatric illness so they can become eligible for kidney transplantation and have a better long-term outcome. “

Why he chose this path: “Brain Health, sometimes referred to as “mental health” is the core of our lives. I had initially intended to pursue a career in critical care medicine. An elective rotation with a neuropsychiatrist had a profound impact on me. It showed me how deeply connected physical health is to both brain function and psychological well-being. Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry offers the perfect mix of lifelong learning about many areas of medicine while working closely with teams to treat patients who are hospitalized with acute illness and who are going through a challenging time in their lives.  The work of a CL Psychiatrist also includes harnessing the power of psychopharmacology which has evolved tremendously over the past few decades. I learn something new every day. “

Comment from colleague transplant surgeon: “Transplant professionals have been relatively insensitive to the enormous psychological and often psychiatric stress that patients with end-stage organ failure often endure. The initial anxiety of receiving a terrifying diagnosis, through waiting for a call for an organ, the constant dread of organ rejection, immunosuppressive medications and other issues related to transplantation are very stressful. The Rush Program found that the involvement of a dedicated psychiatrist has proven invaluable in helping patients. There has been clear improvement in issues with compliance and adapting to the post-operative physical changes for those who have a good result and for patients who unfortunately do not do as well.”

Roar:  I was elected by the Chicago Medical Society as the Chair of the Physician Wellness Subcommittee during the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, I am now working on my first book in the form of a “fireside chat” with your friendly neighborhood psychiatrist to advance education and awareness about brain health on a national scale.