Understanding how a cancer diagnosis affects individuals and their families both during and after treatment
Developing and testing interventions to help cancer-related adjustment
Identifying important psychosocial predictors of cancer screening behaviors
My research is broadly focused on psychological and behavioral aspects of cancer screening, diagnosis and survivorship. I am interested in the psychosocial consequences of a cancer diagnosis and testing interventions to ameliorate significant concerns. My recent work has identified stigma as a considerable challenge for patients with lung cancer; our lab is developing an intervention to lessen stigma. Another recent focus is on cancer survivors, including efforts to improve their quality of life and physical activity levels.