Mentor Areas
Dr. Barakat's behavioral oncology research program is focused on examining risk-and-resistance models of adaptation to pediatric chronic conditions particularly sociodemographic and family factors in quality of life and disease management in pediatric hematology and oncology. Another focus is on translating risk-and-resistance models into empirically supported interventions to improve disease management and health-related quality life. At present, this program includes studies on implementation of psychosocial screening at diagnosis across 18 children's cancer centers in the United States; a web-based, coach assisted problem-solving intervention for caregivers of young adult survivors of childhood brain tumors; and clinical trials decision-making among youth with cancer and their caregivers.
Description:
I am a Professor of Clinical Psychology in Pediatrics and Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania (UPENN) Perelman School of Medicine, the Stephen and Susan Kelly Endowed Chair in Behavioral Oncology, and Director of Psychosocial Services and the Behavioral Oncology Research Program in the Division of Oncology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). As a senior investigator on projects funded through NCI, NHLBI, NCMHD, CDC, ACS, and B+ Foundation, my research focuses on evidence-based assessment of psychosocial risk and resilience in families of children newly diagnosed with cancer and in the transition off treatment to improve health equity, development and implementation of family interventions to improve disease management and health-related quality of life in pediatric hematology and oncology, identifying strategies to increase recruitment and retention in pediatric clinical trials, and strategies to promote successful adaptation and transition to adult care for adolescents and young adults with cancer.
Current studies (as principal investigator) funded through NIH and cancer-related foundations are implementation of psychosocial screening in children’s cancer centers, pilot randomized controlled trial of a problem-solving intervention for caregivers of young adult survivors of childhood brain tumors, and pilot RCT of a web-based decision support tool for adolescents and young adults with cancer. I also serve as co-investigator for a study evaluating survivorship care plans for adolescents and young adults (AYA) transitioning to adult cancer survivorship care, multi-site prospective evaluation of very young children diagnosed with cancer, and a multi-site RCT of meaning-focused grief therapy for caregivers bereaved of childhood cancer. Intervention studies rely on virtual strategies for implementation including web-based tools, teleconferencing platforms, and apps. My current leadership roles for the CHOP Cancer Center allow me to bridge clinical research with practice to implement evidence-based assessment and intervention guided by the Psychosocial Standards of Care in Pediatric Cancer and support research recruitment efforts for the behavioral oncology programs.
Research on how to increase involvement of AYA with cancer in cancer-related decision-making may be critical to addressing disparities in AYA cancer outcomes. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods (mixed methods) and a randomized trial, our current research aims to develop and test a decision support intervention comprised of an innovative web-based decision aid (DECIDES = AYA Deciding about Enrolling on a Clinical Intervention Trial: Decision Aid for Education and Support). DECIDES aims to increase AYA involvement in clinical trials decision-making and improve decision processes for AYA and primary caregivers. Students will be involved in all phases of our studies of AYA decision-making and exposed to additional research in the Behavioral Oncology Program of the CHOP Cancer Center.
Preferred Qualifications
Students with prior experience or courses in behavioral research methods and/or studies are preferred. Students will be exposed to behavioral research and be included in all aspects of the research study to include supporting participant recruitment, medical file review, data entry and management, and data collection (either via electronic surveys or through qualitative interviews). Students will also participate in team meetings and work closely with the clinical research coordinator and other members of the behavioral oncology team to develop their own project and participate in the team's dissemination of research findings.
Project Website
Learn more about the researcher and/or the project here. Barakat Laboratory for Psychosocial Risk and Resilience
Details:
Preferred Student Year
Second-Year, Junior, Senior
Academic Term
Fall, Spring, Summer
I prefer to have students start during the above term(s).Volunteer
Yes
Yes indicates that faculty are open to volunteers.Paid
No
Yes indicates that faculty are open to paying students they engage in their research, regardless of their work-study eligibility.Work Study
No
Yes indicates that faculty are open to hiring work-study-eligible students.