Dr. Sermsak Lolak is a staff oncology psychiatrist at Life with Cancer ® and part of the physician team at Inova Schar Cancer Institute. He is board certified in general psychiatry and consultation-liaison psychiatry (psychiatry in the medically ill). He joined Inova Health System in 2015 and has been practicing since 2005.

Prior to joining Inova, Dr. Lolak served as a faculty member and psychiatrist at the University of Pittsburgh, Stanford University, and George Washington University. In 2012, Dr. Lokak was named a fellow in the Rathmann Family Foundation Educators-4-CARE Medical Education Fellowship in Patient-Centered Care program by Stanford University School of Medicine. In addition, he completed the teacher training program with the Stanford Center of Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) and is a certified teacher for its Compassion Cultivation Training program, which he teaches at Life with Cancer. He is currently a Fellow of Academy of Consultation Liaison Psychiatry (FACLP) and serves as Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at George Washington University.

Dr. Lolak specializes in the management of mental health issues such as depression, stress, and anxiety in the context of cancer diagnosis and treatment, including drug interactions between cancer therapies and psychiatric medications. He also has a special interest in mind-body and contemplative practices, especially mindfulness and compassion cultivation, as well as the issue of clinician burnout. He has co-authored several publications and given a number of presentations at a national level.

Awards/Associations/Appointments

• Top Doctors, Washingtonian, 2022

Research and Publications

View list of publications from Dr. Lolak's research

Blog Posts

Banish Stress: 7 Ways to Stay Calm During Cancer Treatment. October 24, 2017.