This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, you must register here or by emailing carla@smithcenter.org

with Bernardine Pinto, PhD (University of South Carolina) and Melinda Irwin, PhD (Yale University)

Did You Know?

Smith Center is pleased to announce the launch of a special series of talks designed to celebrate the 25^th anniversary of the founding of the center. Each of the talks will highlight one of eight healing practices that research and practice tell us is important to the health and well-being of cancer patients/survivors, and their loved ones.

The topics include: Eating Well, Moving More, Managing Stress, Sleeping Well, Creating a Healing Environment, Sharing Love and Support, Exploring What Matters Now, and Expressing Oneself.

For each topic, we will have two expert speakers. One will provide a clear and concise review of the science behind the given topic: what we do and do not know about the topic, the impact of this practice on cancer-related quality of life and mortality specifically, and national recommendations for action. The second speaker will “translate” this information into an action plan (e.g., provide user-friendly tips about how to integrate this aspect of healing into your daily life). At the end, there will be time for a question and answer period.

Did You Know? will be hosted Monthly on Wednesdays from 6:00-7:30pm.

Upcoming Dates: 

• February 17 – Moving More
  • with Bernardine Pinto, PhD, University of South Carolina and Melinda Irwin, PhD, MPH, Yale University
• March 17 – Managing Stress
  • with Candida DeLuise, PhD and Paul Jacobsen, PhD, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD

In honor of our 25th Anniversary in 2021, we are suggesting donations for this series in fractions or multiples of the number “25.” E.G. $2.50, $12.50, $25, etc.

About Bernardine Pinto, PhD

Dr. Bernardine Pinto is a clinical psychologist, who received her doctoral degree from Western Michigan University in 1992, after completing her internship at the University of Mississippi and the Veterans Affairs Medical Centers.  She completed a post-doctoral fellowship in Behavioral Medicine at the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown Medical School. She then began her professional career as an Assistant Professor at the Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, W. Alpert Medical School of Brown University and rose through the ranks to become a Professor (Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, W. Alpert Medical School of Brown University and the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, School of Public Health at Brown University).  She is currently a tenured Professor and Associate Dean for Research, College of Nursing at the University of South Carolina.  Her research interests focus on the development of theoretically-based exercise interventions for adult patient populations, and in promoting healthy behaviors among cancer survivors with a special emphasis on exercise promotion among cancer survivors.  She has published over 100 original articles and book chapters including publications in top tier journals in her field.  As Principal Investigator, she has received grant funding from the National Cancer Institute, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institute on Aging, the American Cancer Society and the Lance Armstrong Foundation.  She has received continuous federal funding for her research since 1996. Dr. Pinto has extensive teaching experience: in addition to classroom teaching and seminars, she has served as supervisor for psychology interns, post-doctoral fellows and junior faculty at the W. Alpert Medical School of Brown University.  She currently mentors students and junior faculty at the College of Nursing, University of South Carolina.  She lectures extensively both nationally and internationally and has received citation awards for her presentations at scientific meetings.  She is a member of the American Psychological Association and a Fellow of the Society of Behavioral Medicine.

About Melinda Irwin, PhD, MPH

Melinda L. Irwin, PhD, MPH, Associate Dean of Research and Professor of Epidemiology in the Yale School of Public Health, Associate Cancer Center Director (Population Sciences) in the Yale Cancer Center, and Deputy Director of Public Health for the NIH CTSA Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (YCCI), is a prominent leader in the field of cancer prevention and control research. Dr. Irwin is also co-chair of the national SWOG Cancer Research Network Survivorship Committee. Her NCI- and foundation-funded research has focused on randomized controlled trials of exercise, diet, and weight loss interventions on cancer treatment-related side effects, adherence to treatment, biological markers associated with cancer survival and quality of life in patients with cancer. She has served on numerous national advisory boards focused on lifestyle behavior change in cancer survivors. Dr. Irwin is passionate about mentoring, and is PI of an NCI-funded training program in cancer prevention and control and PI of an energy balance and cancer education program for early career investigators. Her vision is to maximize opportunities for new investigators so they can become leaders in their respective fields and have a maximal impact on the health and well-being of patients and the population.