Nurse Scientist MGH Yvonne L. Munn Center for Nursing Research, Massachusetts General Hospital

Researcher (M) Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital

Instructor in Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry Harvard Medical School

PhD University of Texas 2013

biomedical devices; brain cancer; brain metastases; cancer clinical trials; data-driven modeling of patient outcomes; device approval; device design; patient reported outcomes; pediatric cancer; quality of life; symptom management I am a nurse scientist at the Munn Center for Nursing Research at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) specializing in patient reported outcomes in adult neuro-oncology, and to a lesser extent, in all types of pediatric cancer.  I received my PhD in 2013 at the University of Texas Cizik School of Nursing (PI: Terri Armstrong). Previously, I was a fellow at the NCI in the Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology where I studied sFRP/Wnt structure function analyses (PI: Jeff Rubin). From 2016-2018, I was a Nurse Scientist at Boston Childrens Hospital (oncology and neuro-oncology). Lastly, in addition to my primary appointment at Harvard Medical School, I am an adjunct professor at Boston College, where I teach at the Connell School of Nursing. 

As a clinical expert, I have written book chapters and journal articles on the care of brain tumor patients specifically and cancer patients more generally. My research focuses on patient reported outcomes, especially around symptom experience and other quality of life metrics, during treatment for cancer. I actively lead my own research program, in addition to collaborating with clinical teams to develop and execute studies in related areas. Complementary to this work, I have a national appointment as Nurse Scientist, Patient Reported Outcomes Working Group and full membership on the NCI clinical trial consortium NRG Oncology Brain Tumor Core Committee. I also serve as Quality of Life, Lead Investigator for national trials with the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Consortia.

I have expertise in medical device research and development, most notably through previous work validating CTA and MRA for acute pulmonary embolism diagnosis through NHLBI-funded clinical trials collectively known as the Prospective Investigation of Pulmonary Embolism Diagnosis (PIOPED) Studies (PI: Charles Hales). I continue limited device work through collboration with the MGH Center for Innovations in Care Delivery. This includes clinical trial design for safety, feasibility, and efficacy.

My work has been supported by the NCI, NHLBI, American Cancer Society, Harvard Catalyst, Boston Children's Hospital, and multiple industry partners. Altogether, my background as a cancer nurse, combined with research training in instrument development and validation, as well as basic science training as a fellow at the National Cancer Institute, have prepared me to lead clinical trials and participate in translational research projects that aim to improve quality of life for cancer patients.