Diwakar D. Balachandran, M.D.
Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Division of Internal Medicine
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Professor, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 1995 | Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, IL, USA, MD, Medicine |
| 1991 | Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA, BA, Economics |
Postgraduate Training
| 2001-2002 | Clinical Fellowship, Sleep Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA |
| 1998-2001 | Clinical Fellowship, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Chicago Hospitals and Clinics, Chicago, IL |
| 1996-1998 | Clinical Residency, Internal Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center West Campus, Boston, MA |
| 1995-1996 | Clinical Internship, Internal Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center West Campus, Boston, MA |
Board Certifications
| 2008 | Certification, Sleep Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine |
| 2003 | Diplomate, American Board of Sleep Medicine |
| 2003 | Diplomate, Critical Care Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine |
| 2001 | Diplomate, Pulmonary Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine |
Experience & Service
Academic Appointments
Associate Professor, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2010 - 2017
Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 2002 - 2005
Instructor, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 2001 - 2002
Administrative Appointments/Responsibilities
Medical Director of Sleep Center, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2006 - Present
Medical Director, Department of Internal Medicine Center - Mays Clinic, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2006 - 2012
Honors & Awards
| 2004 | Fellow, The American College of Chest Physicians |
| 2003 | Fellow, American Academy of Sleep Medicine |
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Liao Y, Robertson MC, Winne A, Wu IHC, Le TA, Balachandran DD, Basen-Engquist KM. Investigating the within-person relationships between activity levels and sleep duration using Fitbit data. Transl Behav Med 11(2):619-624, 2021. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32667039.
- Yennurajalingam S, Carmack C, Balachandran D, Eng C, Lim B, Delgado M, Guzman Gutierrez D, Raznahan M, Park M, Hess KR, Williams JL, Lu Z, Ochoa J, Bruera E. Sleep disturbance in patients with cancer: a feasibility study of multimodal therapy. BMJ Support Palliat Care 11(2):170-179, 2021. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 31924662.
- Lai KA, Sheshadri A, Adrianza AM, Etchegaray M, Balachandran DD, Bashoura L, Shannon VR, Faiz S.. Role of Infliximab in Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Induced Pneumonitis. Journal of Immunotherapy and Precision Oncology 3(4):172-174, 2020. e-Pub 2020.
- Bailey M, Eapen G, Ost D, Casal RF, Jimenez C, Datar S, Molina S, Bashoura L, Faiz SA, Balachandran DD, Shannon VR, Sheshadri A, Grosu HB. Routine Microbiologic Studies of Pleural Fluid Specimens in Cancer Patients. Am J Med 133(2):240-244, 2020. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31401163.
- Jaumally BA, Das A, Cassell NC, Pachecho GN, Majid R, Bashoura L, Balachandran DD, Faiz SA. Excessive daytime sleepiness in cancer patients. Sleep Breath 25(2):1063-1067, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32939599.
- Faiz SA, Jimenez CA, Fellman BM, Huk T, Jazbeh S, Haque SA, Morice RC, Grosu HB, Balachandran DD, Shannon VR, Eapen GA, Bashoura L. Incidence of Bleeding Complications With Flexible Bronchoscopy in Cancer Patients With Thrombocytopenia. J Bronchology Interv Pulmonol 26(4):280-286, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 30973520.
- Charalambous A, Berger AM, Matthews E, Balachandran DD, Papastavrou E, Palesh O. Cancer-related fatigue and sleep deficiency in cancer care continuum: concepts, assessment, clusters, and management. Support Care Cancer 27(7):2747-2753, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 30903367.
- Wu IHC, Nguyen N, Balachandran DD, Lu Q, McNeill LH. Sleep and Obesity: The Mediating Role of Health Behaviors among African Americans. Sleep Health 5(2):193-200, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 30928121.
- Jaggi S, Balachandran DD, Bashoura L, Faiz SA. Severe sleep disordered breathing in head and neck cancer survivor. Postgrad Med J 95(1120):110-111, 2019. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 30425134.
- Balachandran DB, Faiz SA, Bashoura L, Manzullo E. Cancer-related fatigue presenting with excessive daytime sleepiness. Sage Open Medical Case Reports, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 29318018.
- Hui D, Kilgore K, Frisbee-Hume S, Park M, Liu D, Balachandran DD, Bruera E. Effect of Prophylactic Fentanyl Buccal Tablet on Episodic Exertional Dyspnea: A Pilot Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial. J Pain Symptom Manage 54(6):798-805, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28803087.
- Sudhakaran S, Bashoura L, Stewart J, Balachandran DD, Faiz SA. Pulmonary Cryptococcus Presenting as a Solitary Pulmonary Nodule. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 196(9):1217-1218, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28892401.
- Vakil E, Faiz SA, Iliescu C, Balachandran DD, Ong P, Debiane LG, Mehran R. Managing Post Pneumonectomy Tension Hydrothorax. The Proceduralist: Ann Am Thorac Soc 14(6):1031-1035, 2017. PMID: 28570153.
- Faiz SA, Pathania P, Song J, Li L, Balachandran DD, Ost DE, Morice RC, Shannon VR, Bashoura L, Eapen GA, Jimenez CA. Indwelling Pleural Catheters for Patients with Hematologic Malignancies: A 14-Year, Single-Center Experience. Ann Am Thorac Soc 14(6):976-985, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28326798.
- Davis MP, Behm B, Balachandran D. Looking both ways before crossing the street: Assessing the benefits and risk of opioids in treating patients at risk of sleep -disordered breathing for pain and dyspnea. J Opioid Manag 13(3):183-196, 2017. PMID: 28829519.
- Faiz SA, Balachandran DD, Bashoura L, Shannon VR. Pulmonary radiation recall induced by gemcitabine. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 194(7):909-910, 2016. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 27420135.
- Yennurajalingam S, Tayjasanant S, Balachandran D, Padhye NS, Williams JL, Liu DD, Frisbee-Hume S, Bruera E. Association between daytime activity, fatigue, sleep, anxiety, depression, and symptom burden in advanced cancer patients: A preliminary report. J Palliat Med 19(8):849-56, 2016. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 27148765.
- Balachandran D, Faiz SA, Hernandez M, Kowalski A, Bashoura L, Goravanchi F, Cherian S, Rebello E, Kee S, and French K. Length of Stay in Ambulatory Surgical Oncology Patients at High Risk for Sleep Apnea as Predicted by STOP-BANG Questionnaire. Anesthesiology Research and Practice, 2016.
- Gutierrez C, Pravinkumar E, Balachandran D, Schneider V. Fatal hemorrhagic pneumonia: Don't forget Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. Respir Med Case Rep 19:12-4, 2016. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 27358764.
- Faiz SA, Bashoura L, Kodali L, Hessel AC, Evans SE, Balachandran DD. Sleep-disordered breathing as a delayed complication of iatrogenic vocal cord trauma. Sleep Med 22:1-3, 2016. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 27544828.
- Morgan CK, Bashoura L, Balachandran D, Faiz SA. Spontaneous Hemothorax. Ann Am Thorac Soc 12(10):1578 - 1582, 2015. PMID: 26448354.
- Yennurajalingam S, Balachandran D, Pedraza Cardozo SL, Berg EA, Chisholm GB, Reddy A, DeLa Cruz V, Williams JL, Bruera E. Patient-reported sleep disturbance in advanced cancer: frequency, predictors and screening performance of the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System sleep item. BMJ Support Palliat Care, 2015. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 26475092.
- Faiz SA, Balachandran D, Hessel A, Lei X, Beadle B, William W, Bashoura L. Sleep Related Breathing Disorders in Patients with Tumors in the Head and Neck Region. The Oncologist(19):1-7, 2014. PMID: 25273079.
- Ost DE, Jimenez CA, Lei X, Cantor SB, Grosu HB, Lazarus DR, Faiz SA, Bashoura L, Shannon VR, Balachandran D, Noor L, Hashmi YB, Casal RF, Morice RC, Eapen GA. Quality-adjusted Survival Following Treatment of Malignant Pleural Effusions with Indwelling Pleural Catheters. Chest 145(6):1347-56, 2014. PMID: 24480929.
- Blevins DP, Dadu R, Hu M, Baik C, Balachandran D, Ross W, Gunn B, Cabanillas ME. Aerodigestive fistula formation as a rare side effect of antiangiogenic tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy for thyroid cancer. Thyroid 24(5):918-22, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 24635127.
- Perrier ND, Balachandran D, Wefel JS, Jimenez C, Busaidy N, Morris GS, Dong W, Jackson E, Weaver S, Gantela S, Evans DB, Grubbs EG, Lee JE. Prospective, randomized, controlled trial of parathyroidectomy versus observation in patients with "asymptomatic" primary hyperparathyroidism. Surgery 146(6):1116-22, 2009. e-Pub 2009. PMID: 19879613.
- Cannon JL, Collins A, Mody PD, Balachandran D, Henriksen KJ, Smith CE, Tong J, Clay BS, Miller SD, Sperling AI. CD43 Regulates Th2 Differentiation and Inflammation. J Immunol 180(11):7385-93, 2008. PMID: 18490738.
Invited Articles
- Balachandran D, Faiz, SA, Bashoura L, Manzullo E. Cancer-Related Fatigue and Sleep Disorders. Sleep Medicine Clinics, 2013. e-Pub 2013.
Manuals, Teaching Aids, Other Teaching Publications
- Weiss S, Bassetti C, MacFarlane J, Scammell T, Matheson J, Rosenberg R, Lammers G, Lim A, Overeem S, Murray B, Gert van Dijk J, Singh R, Mahakian C, Doghramji K, Mignot E, Balachandran D, Baumann C, Niroumand M.. Case Book of Sleep Medicine. American Academy of Sleep Medicine: Westchester, IL, 2008.
Abstracts
- Balachandran D, Manzullo E, Holmes H, Bashoura L, Faiz S, Escalante C, Kallen M. Sleep Architecture in Patients with Cancer Related Fatigue (CRF). Supportive Care in Cancer, 2012.
- Manzullo E, Balachandran D, Holmes H, Bashoura L, Faiz S, Escalante C, Kallen M. Age effects on sleep architecture in patients with cancer-related fatigue (CRF). Supportive Care in Cancer, 2012.
- Holmes H, Manzullo E, Balachandran D, Escalante C, Kallen M. The paradox of symptom burden in older patients with cancer-related fatigue (CRF). Supportive Care in Cancer, 2012.
- Faiz S, Balachandan D, Tallajavhula S. Sleep Disorders in Patients with Hematological Malignancies,. Chest, 2012.
- S. Faiz, D. Balachandran, B. Aaron-Remmert, V. Murphy, N. Pachecho, S. Mahoney, L. Keus, P. Patel, L. Bashoura. Sleep Disorders in Prostate Cancer. Chest, 2011.
- Faiz S, Balachandran D., Bashoura L.. Sleep Disorders in Lung Cancer Patients. Sleep, 2010.
- Lara Bashoura MD, Diwakar Balachandran MD, Brenda K Aaron-Remmert BS, RPSGT4. Saadia A Faiz MD. Sleep Disorders in Patients with Breast Cancer Based on Polysomnographic Data. San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, 2009.
- Faiz S, Balachandran D, Aaron-Remmert B, Bashoura L.. Significant Sleep Disordered Breathing in Patients With Head and Neck Cancers and Radiation. Chest, 2009.
- Balachandran D, Bashoura L, Faiz S, Aaron-Remmert B, Kallen M, Valdres R, Lam T, Escalante C, Manzullo E.. Sleep Disorders in Patients With Cancer-Related Fatigue. Chest, 2009.
Book Chapters
- Shannon VR, Eapen GA, Jimenez CA, Grosu HB, Morice RC, Bashoura L, Evans SE, Adachi R, Kroll M, Faiz SA, Balachandran DD, Pravinkumar SE, Dickey BF.. Respiratory Complications, Sleep in Cancer. In: Cancer Medicine. BC Decker.
Grant & Contract Support
| Title: | The Effect of Parathyroidectomy on Sleep, Cognition, and Function in the Elderly |
| Funding Source: | 2005 Dennis Jahnigen Career Development Award |
| Role: | Co-Investigator |
| Title: | Pilot Study on the Effect of Parathyroidectomy on Sleep |
| Funding Source: | IRG Clinical Grant The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center |
| Role: | Co-Investigator |
| Title: | Computer-based symptom intervention for underserved patients with cancer |
| Funding Source: | American Cancer Society (ACS) |
| Role: | Co-Investigator |
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified June 11, 2024