Our Research Partners

We collaborate with researchers across the vibrant and innovative UNC campus. Our goal is to approach research from multidisciplinary and collaborative perspectives – which includes the AYA patient voice. Check out some of our partners in our work to improve AYA care and outcomes.

Carly Bailey, MA

Program Director, Physical Activity and Integrative Oncology

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Ian Davis, MD, PhD

G. Denman Hammond Associate Chief, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology; Named Professorship UNC-Chapel Hill

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Zev Nakamura, MD

Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry

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Allison Lazard, PhD

Assistant Professor, School of Media and Journalism

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Hazel B. Nichols, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology

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Leeza Park, MD, MS

Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Medicine

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Donald Rosenstein, MD

Director, Comprehensive Cancer Support Program

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Carmina G. Valle, PhD, MPH

Assistant Professor, Department of Nutrition

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Bill Wood, MD

Associate Professor, School of Medicine UNC-Chapel Hill

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Research Working Group

Our working group gives researchers across UNC’s campus a place to come together to share ideas and collaborate on projects. This group meets monthly and is open to researchers from any field of study who are interested in AYA oncology. Are you a researcher or student at UNC and want to learn more or join our group?

Publications

Take a look at some of the research our team and collaborators are pushing forward in the field of adolescent and young adult oncology.

The Development and Implementation of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Programs: Teen Cancer America’s Strategy (2024)
Haines ER, Gan H, Kupelian A, Roggenkamp B, Lux L, Kumar B, Davies S
Influence of an AYA cancer program on cancer care delivery (2024)
Stein JN, Ritzwoller D, Swift C, Matson M, Wardell AC, Winslow HC, Waters A, Haines ER, Lux L, Smitherman AB
Health Care Access Barriers and Self-Reported Health Among Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors (2024)
Meernik C, Dorfman CS, Zullig LL, Lazard AJ, Fish L, Farnan L, Nichols HB, Oeffinger KC, Akinyemiju T
Geographic Access to Fertility Counseling among Adolescent and Young Adult Women with Cancer in North Carolina (2024)
Rodriguez-Ormaza N, Anderson C, Baggett CD, Delamater PL, Troester MA, Wheeler SB, Wardell AC, Deal AM, Smitherman A, Mersereau J, Baker VL, Nichols HB
Caring for Children in Relation to Financial Hardship, Advance Care Planning, and Genetic Testing Among Adolescent and Young Adults with Cancer (2024)
Tan KR, Meernik C, Anderson C, Deal AM, Engel S, Getahun D, Kent EE, Kirchhoff AC, Kwan ML, Mitra S, Park EM, Smitherman A, Chao CR, Kushi L, Nichols HB
The Adolescent and Young Adult Needs Assessment & Service Bridge (NA-SB): A single-arm feasibility pilot study (2024)
Haines ER, Lux L, Swift C, Matson M, Kleissler D, Stein J, Childers J, Salsman JM, Smitherman AB
Physical Activity Intervention Characteristics and Effects on Behavioral and Health-Related Outcomes Among Adolescents and Young Adults Living with and Beyond Cancer: A Systematic Review (2024)
Hoover RL, Xu J, Conklin JL, Nichols HB, Smitherman A, Valle CG, Schwartz T, Mayer DK, Hirschey R
Developing a Comprehensive Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Program: Lessons Learned from 7 Years of Growth and Progress (2023)
Haines ER, Lux L, Stein J, Swift C, Matson M, Childers J, Kleissler D, Mayer DK, Steiner N, Steiner L, Rosenstein D, Gold S, Smitherman AB
Social Media Use for Cancer Support Among Young Adults with Cancer (2023)
Lazard AJ, Meernik C, Collins MKR, Vereen RN, Benedict C, Valle CG, Love B
Active Treatment to Survivorship Care: A Mixed-Methods Study Exploring Resource Needs and Preferences of Young Adult Cancer Survivors in Transition (2023)
Camp L, Coffman E, Chinthapatla J, Boey KA, Lux L, Smitherman A, Manning ML, Vizer LM, Haines E, Valle CG
Frailty and Comorbidities Among Young Adult Cancer Survivors Enrolled in an mHealth Physical Activity Intervention Trial (2023)
Coffman EM, Smitherman AB, Willis EA, Ward DS, Tate DF, Valle CG
Disparities in fertility preservation use among adolescent and young adult women with cancer (2023)
Meernik C, Engel SM, Wardell A, Baggett CD, Gupta P, Rodriguez-Ormaza N, Luke B, Baker VL, Wantman E, Rauh-Hain JA, Mersereau JE, Olshan AF, Smitherman AB, Cai J, Nichols HB.
Time to cancer treatment and reproductive outcomes after fertility preservation among adolescent and young adult women with cancer (2023)
Meernik C, Engel SM, Wardell A, Baggett CD, Gupta P, Rodriguez-Ormaza N, Luke B, Baker VL, Wantman E, Rauh-Hain JA, Mersereau JE, Olshan AF, Smitherman AB, Cai J, Nichols HB
Frail young adult cancer survivors experience poor health-related quality of life (2022)
Pranikoff S, Ayer Miller VL, Heiling H, Deal AM, Valle CG, Williams GR, Muss HB, Nichols HB, Smitherman AB.
Guidance to Support the Implementation of Specialized Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Care: A Qualitative Analysis of Cancer Programs (2022)
Haines ER, Asad S, Lux L, Gan H, Noskoff K, Kumar B, Roggenkamp B, Salsman JM, Birken S
Initiation and changes in use of social media for peer support among young adult cancer patients and survivors (2021)
Lazard AJ, Collins MKR, Hedrick A, Horrell LN, Varma T, Love B, Valle CG, Benedict C
An actionable needs assessment for adolescents and young adults with cancer: the AYA Needs Assessment & Service Bridge (NA-SB) (2021)
Haines ER, Lux L, Smitherman AB, Kessler ML, Schonberg J, Dopp A, Stover AM, Powell BJ, Birken SA
Patient/Provider Discussions About Clinical Trial Participation and Reasons for Nonparticipation Among Adolescent and Young Adult Women with Cancer (2020)
Anderson C, Smitherman AB, Meernik C, Edwards TP, Deal AM, Cannizzaro N, Baggett CD, Chao C, Nichols HB
Conditional relative survival among long-term survivors of adolescent and young adult cancers (2018)
Anderson C, Smitherman AB, Nichols HB.
Modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors for preterm delivery among adolescent and young adult cancer survivors (2018)
Anderson C, Smitherman AB, Engel SM, Nichols HB
Frailty and Comorbidities Among Survivors of Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Examination of a Hospital-Based Survivorship Cohort (2018)
Smitherman AB, Anderson C, Lund JL, Bensen JT, Rosenstein DL, Nichols HB

Our Research Partners

Carly Bailey, MA

Ian Davis, MD, PhD

Zev Nakamura, MD

Allison Lazard, PhD

Hazel B. Nichols, PhD

Leeza Park, MD, MS

Donald Rosenstein, MD

Carmina G. Valle, PhD, MPH

Bill Wood, MD

Research Working Group

Publications

UNC AYA Partners