Dr. Christina Amaro (she/her) is a pediatric psychologist and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Section of Pediatric Population Science, Disparities, and Outcomes Research in the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology in the Department of Pediatrics at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She holds a secondary appointment in the Rutgers School of Public Health, Department of Health Behavior, Society, and Policy. Dr. Amaro is also a member of the Rutgers Cancer Institute and the New Jersey Hematology and Oncology Center of Excellence (NJ PHORCE).
Broadly, Dr. Amaro’s research aims to improve healthcare delivery and outcomes for youth and families, including siblings, impacted by pediatric cancer and sickle cell disease through (1) identifying social-ecological influences on health outcomes to inform potential psychosocial treatment targets; (2) applying these findings to the development and evaluation of family-centered psychosocial interventions; and (3) examining professional issues in the pediatric healthcare workforce.
Her research has been funded through the National Institutes of Health, with awards from the National Cancer Institute and National Center For Advancing Translational Sciences, as well as foundation grants, including the American Psychological Foundation and Mattie Miracle Cancer Foundation/American Psychological Oncology Society.
Dr. Amaro is actively involved in several professional organizations. She serves as the Co-Chair of the Sibling Partnership for Advocacy, Research, and Care (SPARC), an international community-academic partnership that promotes awareness regarding the diverse experience and needs of siblings of youth with health challenges. She is also the Co-Chair of the Society of Pediatric Psychology (SPP) Mentoring Program, which is an “extended networking” benefit of SPP membership.
Dr. Amaro received her doctoral degree in clinical child psychology from the University of Kansas and completed a clinical internship at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware. She then pursued a research postdoctoral fellowship through Boston University and Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware.
We welcome inquiries from trainees, clinicians, community partners, and researchers whose interests align with our work. Please visit our Lab Opportunities pages for current opportunities and contact information.
Dr. Amaro’s Rutgers Research Profile: https://www.researchwithrutgers.org/en/persons/christina-amaro/
Dr. Amaro’s ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2194-111X