William S. Breitbart, MD, Acting Director

Steve Passik, PhD, has brought renewed impetus to these symptom assessment studies, which are aimed at enhancing quality of life and relieving suffering. Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences investigators have conducted extensive research on the quality of life of patients with cancer and AIDS.

Current foci of research include integration of quality of life as a secondary endpoint in cancer treatment studies and development of effective post-treatment interventions for improving the long-term adjustment of patients and their families. Current studies are examining the psychological adaptation of cancer survivors, and persons with HIV and their families, depression recognition in lung cancer patients, and shame and stigma in head and neck cancer patients. New psychotropic trials are planned through the Counseling Center to ensure that our cancer patients receive the latest in pharmacological treatments with care to understand the complex drug interactions that are possible with multiple medication treatments.

Faculty Members

• Christian Nelson, PhD
• Jeanne Carter, PhD
• William Breitbart, MD
• Tomer Levin, MD