Featured Grantees

The researchers highlighted below have been awarded at least one Behavioral Research Program-funded NIH grant. Read on to learn about their experiences as grantees.

Note: The views expressed here are those of the grantees only and do not represent any official position of the National Cancer Institute.

Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch

David Buller, Ph.D.

Health Communication Scientist
Organization:
  • Klein Buendel, Inc.

The "ah-ha" moment that I repeatedly experience is the importance of interpersonal relations in determining health behavior. Direct personal contacts with change agents, opinion leaders, and peers have been an essential aspect of my successful cancer prevention interventions and, more recently, relationships within organizational contexts, especially as influenced by policy, have emerged as influential for improving individuals' prevention practices. ”

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W Douglas Evans, Ph.D.

Digital Health Scientist/Researcher
Organization:
  • George Washington University

I had an epiphany when I realized that everyone was using text messages for everything: Why couldn't we use them to promote healthy behaviors? ”

Ilana Graetz, Ph.D.

Health Services and Policy Researcher
Organization:
  • University of Tennessee Health Science Center

Healthcare matters for everybody - no one goes through life without having to deal with the healthcare system in a significant way. My family's experience in dealing with chronic health issues made me realize how deeply flawed the US healthcare system is, and I wanted my research to make a real difference to someone. ”

Andy J. King, Ph.D.

Health Communication Scientist/Researcher
Organization:
  • University of Utah

Early detection of cancer can save lives and improve people's quality of life. There's a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding about cancer screening, and figuring out ways to help people make informed decisions about screening through cancer communication efforts is a worthwhile goal. ”

Anne C. Kirchhoff, Ph.D., M.P.H.

Health Services Researcher
Organization:
  • University of Utah

Navigating the complexity of health care and insurance is overwhelming for many cancer patients. Patients have to become their own advocates, while dealing with the health effects and stress of a cancer diagnosis. This can be particularly hard for adolescent and young adult cancer patients, who typically have little experience with insurance complexities prior to diagnosis. ”

Sharon L. Manne, Ph.D.

Clinical psychologist
Organization:
  • Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

I have always been interested in how families adapt to and manage serious illness. My goal is to help patients and family members cope better and engage in better self-care. ”

Darren M. Mays, Ph.D., M.P.H.

Behavioral Cancer Prevention Researcher
Organization:
  • Georgetown University

My background as a public health scientist has inspired me to conduct research that is aimed for population-level impact by focusing on developing effective cancer prevention communication messaging. Some of the most common risk behaviors that are linked with cancer, like tobacco use, sun exposure, and indoor tanning, tend to develop at an early age but are highly preventable. I study how to promote cancer preventive behaviors by designing communication messages that resonate with young people and motivate healthy choices. ”

Xiaoli Nan, Ph.D.

Communication and Behavioral Scientist
Organization:
  • University of Maryland, College Park

My research suggests that people are both highly resistant and susceptible to persuasion. Science-informed persuasive strategies hold the key to developing cost-effective, ethical interventions for health behavior change ”

Pallav Pokhrel, Ph.D., M.P.H.

Behavioral Scientist/Health Behavior Researcher
Organization:
  • University of Hawaii at Manoa

The advent of e-cigarettes has marked an epoch in the history of smoking-their impact on public health needs to be studied and studied clear-headedly. ”

Brian A. Primack, M.D., Ph.D.

Physician, Professor, Researcher
Organization:
  • University of Pittsburgh

As a teacher and a student of social sciences (and an English literature major in college), I realized how important things like communication and interpretation are in all areas of human interaction and behavior. Then, when I became a physician, I realized how powerful these tools could be for prevention and treatment of disease. ”

Megha Ramaswamy, Ph.D., M.P.H.

Sociologist and Applied Public Health Researcher
Organization:
  • University of Kansas School of Medicine

Looking back, it was my early curiosity about inequality (kindled by a childhood in the Deep South and bedtime discussions with my dad about racism and politics) that ultimately motivated me as an adult to tackle the health disparities that affect marginalized women and men. ”

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Andy Tan, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., M.B.B.S.

Health Communication Researcher
Organization:
  • Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

My research is influenced by the foundational work on structural influences of communication inequalities (Viswanath), tobacco-related health disparities (Fagan), and minority stress and resilience model (Meyer). ”

Zhijun Yin, Ph.D.

Computer Scientist
Organization:
  • Vanderbilt University Medical Center

I believe the data, or the evidence hidden in the data, is the key to understanding public health as well as personal well-being. While new technologies have dramatically changed the world, the nature of social interaction and isolation of human beings is deemed to be a key factor when decoding such evidence. ”

Tobacco Control Research Branch

Steffani R. Bailey, Ph.D.

Tobacco Treatment and Health Services Researcher
Organization:
  • Oregon Health & Science University

While working on explanatory smoking cessation trials as a postdoctoral fellow, we had to exclude people with certain comorbidities that are quite common among those who smoke. I realized that I wanted my own research career to focus on real-world patients in real-world clinical settings. My goal is to increase access to, and utilization of, effective smoking cessation interventions in health care settings that serve populations disproportionately affected by tobacco use. ”

Jennifer J. Cornacchione Ross, Ph.D.

Communication and Tobacco Regulatory Scientist/Researcher
Organization:
  • Wake Forest University Health Sciences

During graduate school, I became passionate about doing research to inform policy and regulations to improve people's health and well-being; doing this work within tobacco prevention and control, specifically, is both personally relevant and scientifically interesting and challenging. ”

Ana-Paula Cupertino, Ph.D.

Social Behavioral Researcher focused on addressing cancer disparities faced by Latinos by developing mobile health tools to be implemented in the context of community-based infrastructure
Organization:
  • University of Kansas Medical Center

I have been fascinated with the opportunity to translate my smoking cessation mobile research interventions into business models to increase access to Latino smokers in the U.S., Mexico and Brazil. ”

Michael S. Dunbar, Ph.D.

Behavioral Scientist
Organization:
  • RAND Corporation

In the past decade, we've seen dramatic changes in the policy and retail landscapes for both nicotine and cannabis products. Understanding how people are using specific types of products separately and in combination in daily life has critical implications for gauging potential risks and for informing new approaches to protect public health in a world where people have ready access to a staggering array of different products. ”

Amanda Fallin-Bennett, Ph.D., R.N.

Nurse Researcher
Organization:
  • University of Kentucky

After growing up in rural Kentucky, I moved to California and was struck by the stark geographic disparity in tobacco control policies, and became passionate about closing the gap in rural, southern states. ”

Nancy Fleischer, Ph.D., M.P.H.

Social Epidemiologist
Organization:
  • University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

As a Peace Corps Volunteer many years ago, I served in two vastly different countries: the Solomon Islands and Kazakhstan. By living in these two disparate places I became keenly aware of how place affects health - through culture, environmental conditions, and policies. I have carried these concepts with me into my research career, trying to understand ways that the social and policy environments affect health and health disparities. ”

Darla E. Kendzor, Ph.D.

Behavioral Scientist
Organization:
  • University of Oklahoma - Health Sciences Center

I had a realization that countless factors adversely impact the health of those living in poverty, and this has compelled me to work towards achieving health equity through behavior change. ”

Caryn Lerman, Ph.D.

Psychologist
Organization:
  • University of Southern California

I am passionate about transdisciplinary research to enhance our understanding about how the brain supports or constrains changes in habitual behaviors that contribute to cancer risk. ”

Erin A. McClure, Ph.D.

Behavioral Psychologist and Assistant Professor
Organization:
  • Medical University of South Carolina

Quitting smoking will never be easy, but I hope my work will help to maximize the likelihood that an individual will successfully quit the first time. ”

Andrew D. Plunk, Ph.D.

Ethicist and Social Epidemiologist
Organization:
  • Eastern Virginia Medical School

I've done interesting and scientifically important work with large datasets that never involved having to talk to a real person, but it wasn't until I started to use mixed methods and partnering with a community advisory board that I felt like my work could actually matter. I remember feeling completely humbled the first time a lay community member's feedback helped me understand what the data were trying to tell me, but which I had been unable to see. ”

Alana M. Rojewski, Ph.D.

Psychologist and Tobacco Treatment Researcher
Organization:
  • Medical University of South Carolina

The first time I saw a patient with an IV pole smoking on the sidewalk outside of the hospital, it stopped me in my tracks. Here was a person who was facing significant health challenges from their smoking and still could not quit. If this health event was not enough of a motivation, then I would make it my mission to design interventions to help them successfully quit. ”

Shyanika W. Rose, Ph.D., M.A.

Tobacco Control and Health Equity Researcher
Organization:
  • University of Kentucky

I believe that it is not enough to study a problem or even to identify a solution. I am motivated to develop the evidence base that will support communities in developing policies and programs to meet their own needs and that center equitable outcomes for those most burdened by tobacco-related morbidity and mortality. ”

Rajani S. Sadasivam, Ph.D.

Digital Heath and Population Health Scientist/Researcher
Organization:
  • University of Massachusetts Medical School

I tested computer-tailored health communication (CTHC) techniques I learned in a 2007 workshop in a nationwide randomized control trial with 900 smokers. The system worked, and I realized the power of CTHC to help patients. During this time, companies like Amazon were using big data methods to adapt to users' continuous feedback (their collective intelligence) to tailor content. I realized that these methods could make CTHC even more powerful, and I have pursued this line of research since then. ”

Claire A. Spears, Ph.D.

Psychologist and Health Disparities Researcher
Organization:
  • Georgia State University

Practicing mindfulness has made a real difference in my life. Unfortunately, most of the research on mindfulness has not included very diverse populations, and I am committed to making mindfulness training more widely available to people from all walks of life. Using mobile technology could be one way to provide mindfulness training to low-income smokers who are interested in quitting smoking. ”

Johannes Thrul, Ph.D.

Addiction and Mobile Health Researcher
Organization:
  • Johns Hopkins University

I am excited about the potential of mobile health methods to test mechanisms of action and "active ingredients" of behavioral interventions. ”

Olivia A. Wackowski, Ph.D., M.P.H.

Public Health and Health Behavior Scientist/Researcher
Organization:
  • Rutgers University - School of Public Health and Cancer Institute of New Jersey

As a college student I remember being moved and inspired by the new, innovative and hard-hitting visuals and messages from the first wave of the national anti-smoking "Truth" campaign - I knew then that public health and tobacco control was something I wanted to focus on and be a part of. ”

Basic Biobehavioral and Psychological Sciences Branch

Allison J. Applebaum, Ph.D.

Clinical Psychologist and Psychosocial Oncology Researcher
Organization:
  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

After a decade of working with caregivers of patients with all sites and stages of cancer across the entire caregiving trajectory, it became clear to me that caregivers have become the invisible backbone of our healthcare system. These clinical experiences, and my own caregiving journey, inspired my work to support caregivers, to help them engage in caregiving without personal detriment, and to assist them in enhancing and sustaining well-being, resilience, and growth in the face of suffering ”

Kimberly Canter, Ph.D.

Pediatric Psychologist and Psychosocial Researcher
Organization:
  • Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children

My interest in serving this population began in college, when a lightbulb went off during an introductory psychology class. I had planned to pursue a career in medicine but was much more interested in the opportunity to help patients and families cope and manage stressors. My personal and professional experiences with cancer have fueled my passion to provide high-quality, accessible psychosocial care to families as they navigate what is likely one of the worst times of their lives. ”

Judith E. Carroll, Ph.D.

Biological and Health Psychologist
Organization:
  • University of California - Los Angeles

I was first motivated to work in biobehavioral research as an undergraduate student when I heard about research that demonstrated a significant impact of our thoughts and behaviors on our physical health and disease risk. I then realized I had an innate curiosity for understanding the basic biological mechanisms that connect the mind and body. ”


Julienne E. Bower, Ph.D.

Clinical and Health Psychologist
Organization:
  • University of California - Los Angeles

Understanding the relationship of biological aging with cognitive and physical health outcomes, and the role of modifiable behavioral factors, has implications for future interventions designed to mitigate morbidity associated with these biomarker risk profiles in breast cancer patients. ”

Joann G. Elmore, M.D., M.P.H.

Physician
Organization:
  • University of California - Los Angeles

Based on my personal experience as a patient, I decided to expand my research from radiology to pathology to turn the microscope back on ourselves (the physicians), and to see how we can improve diagnostic accuracy and patient outcomes. ”

Robert J. Ferguson, Ph.D.

Clinical Health Psychologist and Cancer Survivorship Researcher
Organization:
  • University of Pittsburgh

In early surveys of the cognitive rehabilitation outcomes literature, I recognized that focusing solely on enhancing memory performance as assessed by neurocognitive testing was incomplete; cognitive abilities - e.g., memory, attention, emotion regulation - exist to perform valued activities in daily life. Using effective behavior change methods to enhance performance in daily activity was key to quality of life and functional improvement, regardless of the cognitive change one experiences after cancer. ”

Matthew C. Hocking, Ph.D.

Pediatric Psychologist and Behavioral Scientist
Organization:
  • Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

As a graduate student, I worked in a multidisciplinary clinic where I conducted psychological consultations for survivors of childhood cancer. The experience of meeting these youth who had been cured of their cancer but were experiencing significant health problems and developmental issues had a substantial impact on me. I became particularly fascinated by the effects of cancer treatments on the developing brain and the different problems that occur as a result. ”

Jennifer W. Mack, M.D., M.P.H.

Outcomes Researcher
Organization:
  • Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

The most profound influence on my work was my mentor, Dr Jane Weeks, who taught me that doing research, and working with the smartest, most interesting, most fun people, can be one of the great joys of life. ”

Jeanne S. Mandelblatt, M.D., M.P.H.

Geriatrician
Organization:
  • Georgetown University

I began my career as a family doctor working in neighborhood health centers in underserved communities. The turning point in my career from clinician to clinician researcher occurred on a job interview in an internal medicine department at a teaching hospital caring for a large population of older individuals. ”

Brenna C. McDonald, Psy.D., M.B.A., A.B.P.P.

Clinical Researcher
Organization:
  • Indiana University School of Medicine

I was first directly exposed to fMRI maps when interviewing for fellowships over 20 years ago. Actually seeing activation of the motor strip exactly where it "should" be in the brain gave me my first real glimpse of the potential power of the technology for exploring brain-behavior relationships and understanding cognitive dysfunction, which has been the focus of my research for the past two decades. ”

Kimberly A. Miller, Ph.D., M.P.H.

Behavioral Scientist
Organization:
  • University of Southern California

Young adulthood is often an incredibly challenging time. Adding a cancer diagnosis can make this life stage exponentially more difficult. Adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors require tailored, age-appropriate supportive care services to maintain high physical, mental and social quality of life. My hope is to identify the clinical and lifestyle interventions that AYA cancer survivors want to ensure healthy survivorship for this distinct group. ”

Frank J. Penedo, Ph.D.

Clinical Health Psychologist
Organization:
  • University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center

The most profound a-ha moment early in my career was that stress and other psychosocial factors can truly get "under the skin" and impact critical clinical markers in HIV, cancer, CVD, and other conditions. ”


Michael H. Antoni, Ph.D.

Clinical Health Psychologist
Organization:
  • University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center

My first experience "connecting the dots" from experimentally inducing stress reduction to biobehavioral changes to long-term clinically meaningful physical health outcomes was when I observed that women with breast cancer who completed a group-based cognitive behavioral stress management program not only reported decreased anxiety, negative affect, and improved quality of life, but also had physiologic changes during primary treatment, which predicted lower odds of disease recurrence over the next 10+ years. ”

Hermine Poghosyan, Ph.D., M.P.H.

Cancer Epidemiology and Survivorship Researcher
Organization:
  • Yale University

Tobacco use, which is the leading cause of preventable premature death worldwide, affects too many cancer survivors, their families, and friends. My goal is to find ways to better promote smoking cessation among individuals who have received a cancer diagnosis and their social network members, including families, friends, and others. ”

Timothy R. Rebbeck, Ph.D.

Molecular Epidemiologist
Organization:
  • Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

The explosion of genetic information into the lives of patients and populations requires that we find tools that will translate genomics to better patient experiences in decision-making, treatment, quality of life, and outcomes. To achieve this goal, we must nucleate interdisciplinary teams that include geneticists, population scientists, behavioral scientists, oncologists, and others to develop and implement comprehensive and impactful patient tools. ”

Health Behaviors Research Branch

Marc A. Adams, Ph.D., M.P.H.

Behavioral Scientist and Epidemiologist
Organization:
  • Arizona State University - Tempe

Early in my career I discovered the world outside of the skin was just as complex and interesting as the one inside of the skin. That moment led me down a path of discovery of the principles of behavior change in our macro- and micro-environments and how these mechanisms influence preventive behaviors for chronic disease, such as physical activity. ”

Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, Ph.D., R.D.

Nutrition Scientist
Organization:
  • University of Alabama at Birmingham

I am motivated daily by the participants in our studies who continually teach me new things and who provide inspiration. ”

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Stacey Kenfield, Sc.D.

Cancer Epidemiology Researcher
Organization:
  • University of California - San Francisco

A cancer diagnosis is a teachable moment when individuals are motivated to change behavior to reduce risk of adverse health outcomes. This has led me to focus my research on elucidating the role of lifestyle factors in relation to patient-reported outcomes (e.g., quality of life, treatment side effects) and clinical outcomes (e.g., recurrence, mortality) in adults with cancer to improve quality of life, cancer prognosis, and overall health. ”

Amber L. Pearson

Health Geographer
Organization:
  • Michigan State University

I first became interested in how neighborhood green spaces may improve health through my work in New Zealand, where green spaces tend to be high quality and accessible. Now I live in Michigan, where Detroit is recovering from decades of disinvestment in its parks. While improvements have been made, neighborhoods remain where the city's parks renaissance has not reached. This study allows us to test how restoring parks to be vibrant green spaces may contribute to health in underserved communities. ”

Dorothy W. Pekmezi, Ph.D.

Behavioral Scientist/Researcher
Organization:
  • University of Alabama at Birmingham

The most profound influences on my research program have come from clinical encounters and qualitative research, in which patients/participants are often eager to eat healthier and exercise more but describe real barriers to accessing related programs/resources (costs, transportation, etc.) and desire encouragement and accountability. ”

Lisa M. Quintiliani, Ph.D.

Behavioral Scientist/Researcher
Organization:
  • Boston Medical Center

My "ah-ha" moment came as a first year PhD student, when my mentor Dr. Marci Campbell invited me to eastern North Carolina to attend my first community-based research meeting. That was my first time seeing community-based research in action; lessons I have been applying to my research ever since. ”

Andrew D. Ray, P.T., Ph.D.

Physical Therapist and Exercise Physiology Scientist/Researcher
Organization:
  • Roswell Park Cancer Institute Corp

I always knew there was something special about my work, but it wasn't until I presented my findings to a neighboring University I realized how strong my pilot data really was. ”

Jessica Scott, Ph.D.

Exercise Scientist
Organization:
  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Through interdisciplinary collaborations, I learned the research I was conducting at NASA to monitor and prevent toxicities in astronauts was very applicable to cancer patients. This motivated me to explore whether the tools and techniques used by NASA to offset spaceflight-related toxicity could be applied to improve long-term health and quality of life in cancer patients impacted by therapy-related toxicities. ”

Erin L. Van Blarigan, Sc.D.

Public Health Scientist/Researcher
Organization:
  • University of California - San Francisco

Cancer survivors' experiences and perspectives have a profound influence on my program of research. ”

Yelena P. Wu, Ph.D.

Behavioral Scientist/Pediatric Psychologist
Organization:
  • Huntsman Cancer Institute - University of Utah

Childhood ultraviolet radiation exposure and sunburns are key modifiable risk factors for development of skin cancers, such as melanoma, later in life. However, there are few skin cancer prevention programs targeting adolescents, including in schools, that focus on teen intentional tanning and sun protection behaviors. ”