University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI)

Dana Bovbjerg, PhD (Leader)
Email: bovbjergdh@upmc.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Biobehavioral, psychological, emotional, and genetic factors in cancer risk, screening, diagnosis, and treatment

Robert Arnold, MD
Email: rabob@pitt.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Medical education for end-of-life care; doctor-patient communication; palliative medicine

Amber Barnato, MD, MPH, MS
Email: barnatoae@upmc.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
End-of-life care; social determinants of health; technology adoption and utilization; quantitative policy and decision analysis; reimbursement policy and cost-containment; practice pattern variation and physician behavior

Ellen Beckjord, PhD, MPH
Email: beckjorde@upmc.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Biobehavioral interventions; cancer survivorship; electronic health records

Inna Belfer, MD, PhD
Email: belferi@upmc.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Genetic and non-genetic determinants of human pain; post-mastectomy chronic pain

Catherine Bender, PhD
Email: cbe100@pitt.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Neuropsychological sequellae of cancer and cancer treatment, and underlying physiological mechanisms

Anthony Caggiula, PhD
Email: tonypsy@pitt.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Application of animals models of nicotine self-administration to smoking behavior in humans; drug-taking behavior and reactivity to stress

Cynthia Conklin, PhD
Email: conklinca@upmc.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Subjective, physiological, and behavioral reactivity to drug-related cues in adult smokers

David Creswell, PhD
Email: creswell@cmu.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Stress reduction interventions; mindfulness meditation

Mary Amanda Dew, PhD
Email: dewma@upmc.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Mental health, medical adherence, and quality of life outcomes

Eric Donny, PhD
Email: edonny@pitt.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Relationship between pharmacological and non-pharmacological determinants of drug use

Heidi Donovan, PhD, RN
Email: donovanh@pitt.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Symptom management; development and testing of theoretically-guided psycho-educational interventions to improve outcomes for patients with cancer

Linda Ewing, PhD, RN
Email: ewinglj@upmc.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Clinical psychology

Melanie Flint, PhD
Email: flintms@upmc.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Stress hormones and cancer; cell cycle regulation; targeted molecular therapies; drug metabolism; drug resistance

Vicki Helgeson, PhD
Email: vh2e@andrew.cmu.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Adjustment to chronic illnesses such as breast or prostate cancer

Brent Henderson, PhD
Email: hendersonb@upmc.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Behavioral medicine interventions for cancer patients

Charles Horn, PhD
Email: chorn@pitt.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Nausea and vomiting; cancer chemotherapy; development of treatments to decrease symptom burden and improve quality of life for cancer patients

Frank Jenkins, PhD
Email: fjenkins@pitt.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Role of human herpesvirus HHV-8 in the development and pathogenesis of Kaposi's sarcoma and other cancers

Thomas Kamarck, PhD
Email: tkam@pitt.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Psychosocial stress and cardiovascular disease

Michele Levine, PhD
Email: levinem@upmc.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Psychosocial factors in women's health behaviors; health behavior interventions for postpartum women

Faina Linkov, PhD, MPH
Email: faina.linkov@gmail.com
Research Interests / Keywords:
Gynecologic cancers; obesity; behavioral lifestyle intervention

Anna Marsland, PhD, RN
Email: marsland@pitt.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Human immune responses to acute and chronic stress and implications for disease processes; psychological and physical benefit of stress management interventions for families of children newly diagnosed with cancer

Karen Matthews, PhD
Email: matthewska@upmc.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Pathways connecting socioeconomic status and health; women's health; menopause

Robert Noll, PhD
Email: robert.noll@chp.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Quality of life for children with chronic illness; clinical trials of cognitive behavioral therapy to reduce distress after the diagnosis of cancer in a child; bioethical issues in pediatric oncology related to informed consent

Michelle Okun, PhD
Email: okunml@upmc.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Implications of disturbed sleep on neuroimmune and neuroendocrine markers as they relate to women's health outcomes

Ellen Ormond, PhD
Email: ormonde@upmc.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Psychosocial issues for cancer patients; symptom management; end-of-life issues

Kevin Patterson, MD
Email: pattkr@upmc.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Psycho-oncology interventions and interactions

Kenneth Perkins, PhD
Email: perkinska@upmc.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Nicotine dependence; smoking cessation

Donna Posluszny, PhD
Email: poslusznydm@upmc.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Coping with medical illnesses including cancer; psychological stress; stem cell transplantation View More

Brian Primack, MD, EdM
Email: bprimack@pitt.edu or primba@upmc.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Tobacco use; public health; health education and behavior; media literacy

Linda Robertson, RN, MSN, DrPH
Email: lynnpci@pitt.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Healthcare disparities; decision making; cancer prevention vaccines; individual behavior and impact on health; screening and early detection practices of individuals; end of life issues in underserved populations; survivorship; environmental causes of cancer; community-based research

Margaret Rosenzweig, PhD, CRNP-C, AOCN
Email: mros@pitt.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Symptom management in palliative care; symptom management barriers and end-of-life care for women with metastatic breast cancer

Michael Sayette, PhD
Email: sayette@pitt.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Psychological theories of alcohol, cigarette, and drug use and abuse; cognitive, affective, and social processes in addiction

Michael Scheier, PhD
Email: scheier+@andrew.cmu.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Role of dispositional optimism in coping with cancer treatment and chronic illness

Yael Schenker, MD, MS
Email: schenkery@upmc.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Surrogate decision making; racial/ethnic differences in end-of-life care; informed consent

John Schmidt, PhD, LP
Email: schmidtje@upmc.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Biobehavioral interventions; clinical psychology

Richard Schulz, PhD
Email: schulz@pitt.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Application of social psychological theories and perspectives to adult development and aging, including the impact of disabling disease on patients and their families

William Shadel, PhD
Email: wgs1@pitt.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Biopsychosocial mechanisms that contribute to smoking initiation and cessation; cognitive-behavioral and pharmacological smoking cessation interventions

Paula Sherwood, PhD, RN, CNRN
Email: prs11@pitt.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Behavioral and biological markers of distress in caregivers and patients with neurologic disorders
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Saul Shiffman, PhD
Email: shiffman@pitt.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Nicotine dependence; smoking cessation

Jennifer Steel, PhD
Email: steejl@upmc.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Collaborative care interventions to manage cancer-related symptoms and improve quality of life for cancer patients

Susan Stollings, PhD
Email: stollingssr@upmc.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Individual and group counseling for cancer patients

Hilary Tindle, MD, MPH
Email: tindleha@upmc.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Smoking cessation; mind-body medicine

Jeanette Trauth, MPA, MS, PhD
Email: trauth@pitt.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Health behavior theory; cancer screening behaviors in African American populations

Gjisberta van Londen, MD, MS
Email: vanlondenj@upmc.edu
Research Interests / Keywords:
Assessment and management of adverse effects of adjuvant endocrine therapy in older cancer survivors