St. Jude Research
Department of Psychology and Biobehavioral Sciences

Division of Pediatric and Health Psychology

 

 

Our mission

The Division of Pediatric and Health Psychology is focused on conducting transformative behavioral science research in the context of pediatric catastrophic disease. Our mission is to advance the equitable, lifelong well‑being for children and families impacted by catastrophic illnesses.

Our approach

We strive to achieve this research-driven mission through a focus on discovery and clinical investigation in the following areas.

  • Understanding mechanisms: Uncovering biological, psychological, social and cultural mechanisms of behavioral health outcomes
  • Developing interventions: Leveraging user-centered design to develop and implement scalable, evidence-based and technology-enabled cognitive and behavioral interventions across the lifespan
  • Empowering families: Striving to advance patient‑ and family‑centered decision‑making for novel therapies, strengthen family communication and improve adherence and disease self‑management — especially during critical healthcare transitions

Training

The Division of Pediatric and Health Psychology is committed to training and mentoring the next generation of behavioral health scientists. We provide tailored training opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students as well as postdoctoral research fellows by equipping emerging researchers with the skills needed to advance rigorous, equitable and patient‑centered pediatric health research. Learn more about specific research training opportunities.

Selected publications

Expert recommendations for the conduct and appraisal of qualitative research in haematology
Ananth et al. Lancet Haematol, 2026
Symptom burden, healthcare utilization, and risky behaviors in survivors of the childhood cancer survivor study (CCSS): an observation cohort study
Webster et al. EClinicalMedicine, 2025
Neurocognitive outcomes and functional independence in adult survivors of childhood medulloblastoma diagnosed over 3 decades
Papini et al. Neuro Oncol, 2025
Playing Russian Roulette: Parent and Adolescent Perspectives on Tumor Surveillance for Adolescents with Cancer Predisposition Syndromes
Elias et al. Clin Cancer Res, 2024

Faculty