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Leadership: |
LEND Director | ||||||||||||||||||||
Primary Activity Coordinators: |
Cultural and Linguistic Responsiveness Data Coordinator Pediatric Services Research Research Director |
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Discipline Coordinators: |
Psychology Psychology: Developmental |
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Specialty Resource Contacts: | Bioethical Issues
Children with sickle cell disease |
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Project/Program/Clinic Contacts: | Chair, Behavioral Sciences Committee, Children's Oncology Group
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Discipline(s): |
Psychology |
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AUCD Council Membership: |
No Council Membership |
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Research: | Peer relationships of children with disabilities; bioethical issues related to informed consent in pediatric oncology research trials; providing problem solving skills training to mothers of children recently diagnosed with ASD to alleviate distress; developing multi-site functional neurocognitive and behavioral assessments within the Children's Oncology Group; sleep and temperament issues in children with Fragile X | ||||||||||||||||||||
Education: | BBA from Ohio University; PhD from Michigan State University with a focus on clinical child psychology and developmental psychology; post doctoral training pediatric psychology at Michigan State University | ||||||||||||||||||||
Service: | Family based behavioral health services to children with chronic illness (cancer, JRA, CF) and their families |
Vita/Bio
Since receiving my PhD in 1983, my research has focused on gaining a better understanding of the impact of medical challenges for children, their parents, and siblings. The fundamental premise for this body of work has been two fold. First, to identify specific domains of functional vulnerability so that clinical trials could be initiated with a specific target; and second, to utilize medical trauma/challenges in children as a metaphor to better understand the psychological impact of random stressful life events on the functioning of children. My work has included studies examining the functioning of children with cancer, sickle cell, arthritis, hemophilia, migraines, fibromyalgia, and neurofibromatosis. I have published 115 peer-reviewed papers in scientific journals. I have been involved in 5 different multi-site randomized clinical trials involving pediatric cancers as a site Principal Investigator. Along with this academic focus, I have been extremely involved in the mentoring of undergraduates, graduate students, fellows, and junior faculty. At the present time, I am the Chair of the Behavioral Science Committee within the Children's Oncology Group and I am responsible for the mentoring/development of a number of scholars in the US.