Forensic Psychiatrist – Civil & Criminal Expert

Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

Additional Information

Dr. Chandrika Shankar is a double board‑certified General and Forensic Psychiatrist with nearly two decades of experience in civil, criminal, and administrative forensic evaluation. She is the founder of CSMD Forensic & Clinical Associates, PLLC, where she provides comprehensive forensic psychiatric assessments for attorneys, courts, regulatory bodies, and institutions. Her work includes criminal evaluations: fitness to stand trial, insanity defenses, mitigation, and complex diagnostic clarification and civil assessments: impairment evaluations, professional functioning assessments, substance‑related concerns, capacity and competency determinations, fitness‑for‑duty evaluations, and medical malpractice review Dr. Shankar completed her forensic psychiatry fellowship at the Yale University School of Medicine and her psychiatry residency at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. Her early career included seven years as a consulting forensic psychiatrist for the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, where she evaluated individuals found Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity, provided expert testimony to the Psychiatric Security Review Board, and conducted competency evaluations for state and federal courts. She has held multiple senior leadership roles, including Associate Division Chief of Forensic Psychiatry at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Medical Director of Inpatient Psychiatry, Director of Quality for the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Program Director of a psychiatry residency program. Her leadership experience includes oversight of acute psychiatric services, peer review, quality improvement, regulatory compliance, and the development of clinical protocols for high‑risk and complex populations. Dr. Shankar has extensive academic experience and currently serves as Adjunct Faculty at Northwestern University. She has taught and supervised medical students, residents, and forensic psychiatry fellows for more than 15 years, with coursework covering civil commitment, involuntary treatment, psychodynamic theory, bipolar disorder, forensic evaluations, and professional functioning. She has received multiple teaching awards, including Outstanding Teaching and Mentorship at Rush University Medical Center and at Northwestern University. Her forensic publications appear in the Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, Psychiatric Annals, and the American Journal of Forensic Psychology. She has written on malingering, testamentary capacity, suicide risk, NGRI management, and forensic decision‑making. She has presented at national and regional conferences on chronic mental illness, risk assessment, and barriers in competency restoration. Dr. Shankar’s evaluations are grounded in evidence‑based practice, clear reasoning, and meticulous documentation. She is known for balanced, objective analysis and for producing reports that are thorough, well‑supported, and accessible to legal professionals. Her clinical and administrative background provides a strong foundation for cases involving impairment, professional conduct, regulatory concerns, and complex psychiatric presentations. She is licensed in Illinois and is a long‑standing member of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law and the American Psychiatric Association.