David Kissane

David William Kissane (1951—) is an Australian psychiatrist and researcher, with specialties in psycho-oncology and palliative care. He has held leadership positions at the University of Melbourne (1996-2003); the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Cornell University, USA (2003-2012); Monash University (2012-2019); and the University of Notre Dame Australia ("Professor David Kissane AC", n.d.)

Kissane is an outspoken opponent of pro-voluntary euthanasia legislation (Hondros, 2019); he stated that patients were often driven to seek out euthanasia due to 'negative cognitive states' and suggested that effective palliative care would negate any need for legislation in the area (Street & Kissane, 1999). Kissane notably co-authored a landmark paper (with Annette Street and Philip Nitschke) that reported case studies of seven deaths in the Northern Territory at the time the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act 1995 was in place (see Kissane, Street & Nitschke, 1998). 

In 2018 he was made a Companion of the Order of Australia ("Professor David Kissane AC", n.d.). 

Hondros, N. (2019, September 6). Philip Nitschke: WA dying laws will have to change for people like David Goodall. WA Today. https://www.watoday.com.au/politics/western-australia/philip-nitschke-wa-dying-laws-will-have-to-change-for-people-like-david-goodall-20190913-p52r0p.html

Kissane, D., Street, A, & Nitschke, P. (1998). Seven deaths in Darwin: case studies under the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act, Northern Territory, Australia. The Lancet 352: 1097-1102.

Professor David Kissane AC. [n.d.]. The University of Notre Dame Australia [archived from the original]. https://web.archive.org/web/20201017104329/https://www.notredame.edu.au/about/schools/sydney/medicine/school-staff/david-kissane

Street, A. & Kissane, D. (1999). Dispensing death, desiring death: an exploration of medical roles and patient motivation during the period of legalized euthanasia in Australia. Omega (Westport) 40(1): 231-48. doi: 10.2190/jb07-5gcr-bh81-j2qn