Current Research and Scholarly Interests
My research focuses on improving cancer survivorship through better understanding of late/long-term effects, unmet needs, and preferences for support, and through the development of theoretically driven, evidence-based behavioral interventions. The overall goal of my work is to improve adjustment, risk management, and quality of life in survivorship, particularly among young adults affected by cancer. This is an underserved patient population, identified as a health disparity group. Much of my work is guided by a self-regulation theoretical framework and rooted in decision-making science to understand how patients make decisions about health and healthcare under conditions of uncertainty and emotional distress. I have applied this framework to inform intervention development around self-management and adherence, fertility and family-building, and financial toxicity barriers to care. I lead quantitative and qualitative studies examining health outcomes and as a part of a broader research trajectory to build interventions that address the numerous, co-occurring, and long-lasting medical, psychosocial, and financial needs after cancer. This work also overlaps with research focusing on the use of digital health platforms to provide tailored, targeted support, and “real world” impact. I work closely with the developers of a cancer peer-to-peer support app to understand user engagement and both the benefit and potential for harm from peer interactions in a digital space. I collaborate with several young adult cancer patient organizations to support patient-centered research and greater research dissemination to patient communities.
