Active Projects:

Developing a Digital Single-Session Intervention for Adolescent Siblings of Youth with Cancer

Funding: National Cancer Institute, K08CA293333, 08/01/2025-07/31/2030 (PI: Christina Amaro) and the APF Alice F. Chang Cancer Wellness Grant, 10/25/2024-10/29/2026 (PI: Christina Amaro)

Summary: Through community engagement with siblings and parents of youth with cancer as well as psychosocial providers, we aim to create and refine a digital single-session intervention for adolescent siblings of youth with cancer.

 

A Scoping Review of the Use of Improv to Support Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults 

Summary: To explore how improvisational theater interventions have been used to address psychosocial well-being in children, adolescents, and young adults. The review will examine various psychosocial outcomes, such as problem-solving, communication skills, resilience, and emotional regulation, as well as symptom-related outcomes like well-being, depression, and anxiety. 

In collaboration with Scott Moerdler, MD (Rutgers Cancer Institute), Yingting Zhang, MLS, AHIP-D (Rutgers University Health Sciences Libraries), and Danielle Hatchimonji, PhD (Lurie Children’s Hospital) 

 

A Systematic Review of Brief Interventions for Parents/Caregivers

Summary: To systematically review the existing literature on the effectiveness of brief interventions aimed at parents/caregivers to address mental/behavioral health problems in family systems, as well as their delivery formats, populations, and outcomes.

In collaboration with the Erica Szkody, PhD (Northwestern University) and Anil Chacko, PhD (New York University) 

 

Completed Projects:

 

Exploring Preferences for a Digital Single-Session Intervention for Adolescent Siblings of Youth with Cancer

Funding: New Jersey Alliance for Clinical and Translational Science (NJ ACTS), K12TR004788, 7/1/2024-7/31/2025 (PI: Christina Amaro) and the Mattie Miracle Cancer Foundation/American Psychosocial Oncology Society Early Investigator Award, 01/05/2023-12/31/2024, (PI: Christina Amaro)

Summary: To understand the perspectives of key community members (adolescent siblings, parents/caregivers, psychosocial providers, and community organization administrators) regarding the potential utility of digital health interventions and their preferences for a web-based single-session for adolescent siblings of youth with cancer. Findings from this qualitative study provided community-informed guidance to inform the development of a digital Sibling SSI.  

 

The Needs Survey for Cancer Survivors and their Families

Research funding and collaboration through the New Jersey Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Research Center of Excellence (NJ PHORCE) (PI: Katie Devine) 

Summary: To survey the unmet needs and psychosocial functioning of child, adolescent, and young adult (CAYA) cancer survivors, their siblings, and parents/caregivers from Rutgers Cancer Institute and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey.