Tag: Educational Workshop

This program is being offered in a virtual format. In order to participate, please RSVP through the button above or email programs@smithcenter.org.

with Dr. McManamon, MD

Whole person cancer care involves learning what matters most to patients and engaging them in health and wellness behaviors that influence their wellbeing and longevity as cancer is treated. Such care explicitly addresses mind-body-behavior-social and spiritual aspects of a person’s life. This helps oncology teams manage the fear and confusion that come along with the disease and returns healing to medicine.

In the presentation, Dr. Alyssa McManamon will define whole person cancer care and illustrate how this type of care can become standard in all of oncology. She will summarize the science behind whole person care and the evidence that supports its application. She will describe how patients can take a more active role in their care, empowering them to craft a whole person approach to their treatment plan.

Finally, Dr. McManamon will introduce tools and resources available that oncologists, cancer care teams, and people with cancer and their loved ones can incorporate into their own healing journey.

—

About Alyssa McManamon, MD

Dr. McManamon is a triple-board certified hematologist-oncologist and associate professor of internal medicine and neurology at Wright State University’s Boonshoft School of Medicine. Previously director of advanced clerkship programs for the F. Edward Hebért School of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, MD, she is currently at the Dayton VA Medical Center where she runs a Whole Health Oncology clinic and mentors trainees in the hematology-oncology fellowship program. She is an author of Healing and Cancer published by Rodin Books and distributed by Simon and Schuster in May 2024.

Social Media
Instagram – @DrWayneJonas
Facebook – @Dr Wayne Jonas
X – @DrWayneJonas
LinkedIn – Dr Wayne Jonas/Dr. Alyssa McManamon
Vimeo – Dr. Wayne Jonas

Websites

  • HealingWorksFoundation.org
  • HowWeHealCampaign.com
  • HealingandCancerBook.com

In order to participate, register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailing programs@smithcenter.org.

with Doreen Bridgman, MS, CCC-SLP-CBHC an Marilyn Abrahamson, MA, CCC-SLP-CBHC 

Cognitive reserve is the term neuroscientists use to describe a person’s ability to maintain normal cognitive functioning even in the presence of brain pathology. Cognitive reserve can be increased throughout one’s lifetime. This presentation will review the lifestyle pillars that increase cognitive reserve.

This 45-minute program is designed to explore the concept of cognitive reserve, which refers to the brain’s resilience and capacity to maintain cognitive functioning despite potential damage or decline. The presentation will delve into how individuals can actively increase their cognitive reserve throughout their lives, emphasizing the importance of lifestyle choices. We will discuss the key Lifestyle Pillars that contribute to building and maintaining cognitive reserve, such as engaging in regular physical exercise, maintaining a healthy diet, pursuing lifelong learning, staying socially connected, and managing stress effectively.

Additionally, the program will provide practical strategies for managing cognitive energy, helping participants to optimize their mental resources and prevent burnout. These strategies include techniques for prioritizing tasks, setting realistic goals, and incorporating mindfulness practices into daily routines. By the end of the session, attendees will have a comprehensive understanding of how to enhance their cognitive reserve and maintain cognitive vitality as they age. An accountability chart will be provided as well as a template to develop Personal Action Plans.

About Doreen Bridgman, MS, CCC-SLP-CBHC

DOREEN BRIDGMAN, MS, CCC-SLP-CBHC is co-owner of BrainThrive Consulting and owner of The Cognitive Coach LLC. Doreen is the co-creator of the Long Live Your Brain Program, an online brain health program to increase cognitive reserve, improve attention and memory and allow people to stay engaged in their daily lives. Visit www.longliveyourbrain.com for more information. Doreen is an Amen Clinics Certified Brain Health Coach and a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist. She has spent her career in the field of cognitive rehabilitation working with clients to develop strategies to manage their daily lives and continue to enjoy the activities they enjoy with family and friends.

About Marilyn Abrahamson, MA, CCC-SLP-CBHC 

Marilyn Abrahamson, MA, CCC-SLP-CBHC is a speech-language pathologist and co-owner of BrainThrive Consulting. Along with her business partner, Doreen Bridgman, she is the co-creator of the Long Live Your Brain© program, an online group brain health coaching program for people striving for more reliable memory, attention, and clearer thinking.

Marilyn is also a Brain Health Education Specialist at Ceresti Health, a company that supports, educates, and empowers family caregivers. She designed and created the educational content for Ceresti’s Brain Health Education Portal, is editor-in-chief of Ceresti’s monthly newsletter, and creates and implements all brain health education and coaching programs for Ceresti caregivers and their loved ones. Marilyn lives in New Jersey with her partner, Epi, and enjoys spending time with her grown children and her new granddaughter.

In order to participate, register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailing programs@smithcenter.org.

with Julia Rowland, Ph.D

Hearing the words, ‘there is no evidence of disease,’ may not be fully reassuring when cancer treatment ends. Worry that you may still have cancer (or develop it again!) can be overwhelming. Fear of cancer recurrence is the most common long-term effect of living with a history of cancer. If this is true for you, you are not alone. Come learn about the triggers of fear, and simple tools you can use to tame your own worry demon and reclaim your plans for the future.

About Julia H. Rowland, Ph.D.

Julia Rowland

Julia Rowland, PhD, who joined Smith Center in October 2017, comes to this position as a long-time clinician, researcher and teacher in the area of psychosocial aspects of cancer. She has worked with and conducted competitively funded research among both pediatric and adult cancer survivors and their families, and published broadly in psycho-oncology, including co-editing, along with Dr. Jimmie Holland, the ground-breaking text, Handbook of Psychooncology.  She has also been a frequent speaker on cancer survivorship, or life after cancer, for both professional and lay audiences.

Julia received her PhD in Developmental Psychology from Columbia University and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in psychosocial oncology. While at MSKCC, where she held joint appointments in pediatrics and neurology, Julia helped to develop and was the first Director of the Post-Treatment Resource Program, one of the first non-medical survivorship care programs to be offered by a major cancer center in the U.S. In 1990 she moved with her husband and two young children to Washington, DC to become founding Director of the Psycho-Oncology Program at Georgetown University and the Lombardi Cancer Center. There she helped expand services to meet the psychosocial needs of cancer patients and families, launched some of the first quality of life clinical trials, and also introduced a program to enable first year medical students to learn the art of caring for those living through and beyond cancer from survivors themselves and Lombardi faculty. Nine years later, in September of 1999, she was recruited to the National Cancer Institute to become the first, full-time Director of the Office of Cancer Survivorship, a position in which she served for 18 years, championing the growth of survivorship research and care, before stepping down in September 2017 to assume her new role at Smith Center. Although new to the team, Julia is no stranger to Smith Center. She knew Smith Center’s founder, Barbara Smith Coleman, and has volunteered her expertise across the years as a speaker, group leader and staff member for both the 1-day and weeklong residential retreats. Julia brings to her new role a passion to translate what research has taught us about healing in the context of cancer to the broader community, in essence, taking the science of survivorship from the lab bench to the park bench.

This program is being offered in a hybrid format. It will be hosted in-person at Medstar Washington Hospital Center’s Siegel Auditorium and it will also be live-streamed virtually for those who cannot attend in-person. In order to participate, register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailing programs@smithcenter.org. Please note if you plan to attend in-person.

with Julia Rowland, PhD

Cancer caregivers are ‘hidden’ survivors in the cancer experience. Many wonder if the help they provide is useful, even though research tells us that caregivers are vital to the wellbeing of their care recipient. Come learn how caregivers make a difference, discuss the common challenges that caregivers confront, and learn tools and techniques to take good care of yourself.

This program is offered in partnership with the Washington Cancer Institute at Medstar Washington Hospital Center.

About Julia Rowland

Julia Rowland

Julia Rowland, PhD, who joined Smith Center in October 2017, comes to this position as a long-time clinician, researcher and teacher in the area of psychosocial aspects of cancer. She has worked with and conducted competitively funded research among both pediatric and adult cancer survivors and their families, and published broadly in psycho-oncology, including co-editing, along with Dr. Jimmie Holland, the ground-breaking text, Handbook of Psychooncology.  She has also been a frequent speaker on cancer survivorship, or life after cancer, for both professional and lay audiences.

Julia received her PhD in Developmental Psychology from Columbia University and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in psychosocial oncology. While at MSKCC, where she held joint appointments in pediatrics and neurology, Julia helped to develop and was the first Director of the Post-Treatment Resource Program, one of the first non-medical survivorship care programs to be offered by a major cancer center in the U.S. In 1990 she moved with her husband and two young children to Washington, DC to become founding Director of the Psycho-Oncology Program at Georgetown University and the Lombardi Cancer Center. There she helped expand services to meet the psychosocial needs of cancer patients and families, launched some of the first quality of life clinical trials, and also introduced a program to enable first year medical students to learn the art of caring for those living through and beyond cancer from survivors themselves and Lombardi faculty. Nine years later, in September of 1999, she was recruited to the National Cancer Institute to become the first, full-time Director of the Office of Cancer Survivorship, a position in which she served for 18 years, championing the growth of survivorship research and care, before stepping down in September 2017 to assume her new role at Smith Center. Although new to the team, Julia is no stranger to Smith Center. She knew Smith Center’s founder, Barbara Smith Coleman, and has volunteered her expertise across the years as a speaker, group leader and staff member for both the 1-day and weeklong residential retreats. Julia brings to her new role a passion to translate what research has taught us about healing in the context of cancer to the broader community, in essence, taking the science of survivorship from the lab bench to the park bench.

This program is being offered virtually only now.

In order to participate, register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailing programs@smithcenter.org.

with Erin Price, LICSW, OSW-C

Receiving a cancer diagnosis, going through treatment, and managing side effects all while continuing to live your life can often make you feel crazy. Many cancer survivors feel like their family and friends don’t understand and that they aren’t sure how to make sense of their identity after cancer. This workshop provides information on the prevalence of mental and emotional health issues among cancer survivors, normalizes the experience, and offers tools and resources for coping. This program is offered in partnership with the Washington Cancer Institute at Medstar Washington Hospital Center.

About Erin Price, LICSW, OSW-C

Erin Price

Erin serves as Smith Center’s Director of Young Adult and Psychosocial Support Programs. She is trained in Integrative Patient Navigation, a Project LEAD graduate, and holds a Masters in Social Work. A ten-year+ breast cancer survivor, Erin is passionate about providing support and community to other cancer survivors, especially young adults. She works with Smith Center’s DC Young Adult Cancer Community and is also actively involved in the cancer community through the Association of Oncology Social Workers, the Young Survival Coalition, the Georgetown Breast Cancer Advocates, and the National Breast Cancer Coalition.

This program is being offered in a virtual format only.  

In order to receive the Zoom invite, register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailing programs@smithcenter.org.

with Erin Price, LICSW, OSW-C & Julia Rowland, PhD

Part 4 of this 4 part series discusses the importance of healthy lifestyle in preventing cancer recurrence and risk reduction. We will talk about the various aspects of healthy lifestyle that have evidence related to cancer prevention: diet, weight management, physical activity, smoking, sun block use, and alcohol use.

Participants can choose to register to attend all 4 parts of this survivorship series, or specific sessions.

Survivorship 101 Sessions include:

  • February 6 – Part 1: Introduction to survivorship: definitions, transition to recovery challenges and developing a survivorship care plan.
  • February 20 – Part 2: Managing fear of recurrence, sleeping better and stressing less.
  • March 5 – Part 3: The importance of social support: Managing other’s expectations at home, at work, at school; communication with family, friends and colleagues and Finding (and using!) the right healing resources.
  • March 19 – Part 4: The importance of healthy lifestyle: diet, weight, physical activity, smoking, sun block use, alcohol use.

This program is offered in partnership with the Washington Cancer Institute at Medstar Washington Hospital Center.

About Julia H. Rowland, Ph.D.

Julia Rowland

Julia Rowland, PhD, who joined Smith Center in October 2017, comes to this position as a long-time clinician, researcher and teacher in the area of psychosocial aspects of cancer. She has worked with and conducted competitively funded research among both pediatric and adult cancer survivors and their families, and published broadly in psycho-oncology, including co-editing, along with Dr. Jimmie Holland, the ground-breaking text, Handbook of Psychooncology.  She has also been a frequent speaker on cancer survivorship, or life after cancer, for both professional and lay audiences.

Julia received her PhD in Developmental Psychology from Columbia University and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in psychosocial oncology. While at MSKCC, where she held joint appointments in pediatrics and neurology, Julia helped to develop and was the first Director of the Post-Treatment Resource Program, one of the first non-medical survivorship care programs to be offered by a major cancer center in the U.S. In 1990 she moved with her husband and two young children to Washington, DC to become founding Director of the Psycho-Oncology Program at Georgetown University and the Lombardi Cancer Center. There she helped expand services to meet the psychosocial needs of cancer patients and families, launched some of the first quality of life clinical trials, and also introduced a program to enable first year medical students to learn the art of caring for those living through and beyond cancer from survivors themselves and Lombardi faculty. Nine years later, in September of 1999, she was recruited to the National Cancer Institute to become the first, full-time Director of the Office of Cancer Survivorship, a position in which she served for 18 years, championing the growth of survivorship research and care, before stepping down in September 2017 to assume her new role at Smith Center. Although new to the team, Julia is no stranger to Smith Center. She knew Smith Center’s founder, Barbara Smith Coleman, and has volunteered her expertise across the years as a speaker, group leader and staff member for both the 1-day and weeklong residential retreats. Julia brings to her new role a passion to translate what research has taught us about healing in the context of cancer to the broader community, in essence, taking the science of survivorship from the lab bench to the park bench.

About Erin Price, LICSW, OSW-C

Erin Price

Erin serves as Smith Center’s Director of Young Adult and Psychosocial Support Programs. She is trained in Integrative Patient Navigation, a Project LEAD graduate, and holds a Masters in Social Work. A ten-year+ breast cancer survivor, Erin is passionate about providing support and community to other cancer survivors, especially young adults. She works with Smith Center’s DC Young Adult Cancer Community and is also actively involved in the cancer community through the Association of Oncology Social Workers, the Young Survival Coalition, the Georgetown Breast Cancer Advocates, and the National Breast Cancer Coalition.

This program is being offered virtually only now. To receive the Zoom link to join, please register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailing programs@smithcenter.org.

with Julia Rowland, PhD

Part 3 of this 4-part series provides information on the importance of Social Support. This includes managing other’s expectations at home, at work, at school; communication with family, friends and colleagues and finding (and using!) the right healing resources.

Participants can choose to register to attend all 4 parts of this survivorship series, or specific sessions.

Survivorship 101 Sessions include:

  • February 6 – Part 1: Introduction to survivorship: definitions, transition to recovery challenges and developing a survivorship care plan.
  • February 20 – Part 2: Managing fear of recurrence, sleeping better and stressing less.
  • March 5 – Part 3: The importance of social support: Managing other’s expectations at home, at work, at school; communication with family, friends and colleagues and Finding (and using!) the right healing resources.
  • March 19 – Part 4: The importance of healthy lifestyle: diet, weight, physical activity, smoking, sun block use, alcohol use.

This program is offered in partnership with the Washington Cancer Institute at Medstar Washington Hospital Center.

About Julia H. Rowland, Ph.D.

Julia Rowland

Julia Rowland, PhD, who joined Smith Center in October 2017, comes to this position as a long-time clinician, researcher and teacher in the area of psychosocial aspects of cancer. She has worked with and conducted competitively funded research among both pediatric and adult cancer survivors and their families, and published broadly in psycho-oncology, including co-editing, along with Dr. Jimmie Holland, the ground-breaking text, Handbook of Psychooncology.  She has also been a frequent speaker on cancer survivorship, or life after cancer, for both professional and lay audiences.

Julia received her PhD in Developmental Psychology from Columbia University and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in psychosocial oncology. While at MSKCC, where she held joint appointments in pediatrics and neurology, Julia helped to develop and was the first Director of the Post-Treatment Resource Program, one of the first non-medical survivorship care programs to be offered by a major cancer center in the U.S. In 1990 she moved with her husband and two young children to Washington, DC to become founding Director of the Psycho-Oncology Program at Georgetown University and the Lombardi Cancer Center. There she helped expand services to meet the psychosocial needs of cancer patients and families, launched some of the first quality of life clinical trials, and also introduced a program to enable first year medical students to learn the art of caring for those living through and beyond cancer from survivors themselves and Lombardi faculty. Nine years later, in September of 1999, she was recruited to the National Cancer Institute to become the first, full-time Director of the Office of Cancer Survivorship, a position in which she served for 18 years, championing the growth of survivorship research and care, before stepping down in September 2017 to assume her new role at Smith Center. Although new to the team, Julia is no stranger to Smith Center. She knew Smith Center’s founder, Barbara Smith Coleman, and has volunteered her expertise across the years as a speaker, group leader and staff member for both the 1-day and weeklong residential retreats. Julia brings to her new role a passion to translate what research has taught us about healing in the context of cancer to the broader community, in essence, taking the science of survivorship from the lab bench to the park bench.

As a reminder, this program is being offered in a hybrid format. It will be hosted in-person at Medstar Washington Hospital Center’s Siegel Auditorium and will also be live-streamed virtually for those who cannot attend in-person.

In order to participate, register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailing programs@smithcenter.org.

with Erin Price, LICSW, OSW-C & Julia Rowland, PhD

Part 2 of this 4-part series will focus on offering strategies to manage fear of recurrence, tips to improve sleep, and discuss ways to reduce stress.

Participants can choose to register to attend all 4 parts of this survivorship series, or specific sessions.

Survivorship 101 Sessions include:

  • February 6 – Part 1: Introduction to survivorship: definitions, transition to recovery challenges and developing a survivorship care plan.
  • February 20 – Part 2: Managing fear of recurrence, sleeping better and stressing less.
  • March 5 – Part 3: The importance of social support: Managing other’s expectations at home, at work, at school; communication with family, friends and colleagues and Finding (and using!) the right healing resources.
  • March 19 – Part 4: The importance of healthy lifestyle: diet, weight, physical activity, smoking, sun block use, alcohol use.

This program is offered in partnership with the Washington Cancer Institute at Medstar Washington Hospital Center.

About Erin Price, LICSW, OSW-C

Erin Price

Erin serves as Smith Center’s Director of Young Adult and Psychosocial Support Programs. She is trained in Integrative Patient Navigation, a Project LEAD graduate, and holds a Masters in Social Work. A ten-year+ breast cancer survivor, Erin is passionate about providing support and community to other cancer survivors, especially young adults. She works with Smith Center’s DC Young Adult Cancer Community and is also actively involved in the cancer community through the Association of Oncology Social Workers, the Young Survival Coalition, the Georgetown Breast Cancer Advocates, and the National Breast Cancer Coalition.

About Julia H. Rowland, Ph.D.

Julia Rowland

Julia Rowland, PhD, who joined Smith Center in October 2017, comes to this position as a long-time clinician, researcher and teacher in the area of psychosocial aspects of cancer. She has worked with and conducted competitively funded research among both pediatric and adult cancer survivors and their families, and published broadly in psycho-oncology, including co-editing, along with Dr. Jimmie Holland, the ground-breaking text, Handbook of Psychooncology.  She has also been a frequent speaker on cancer survivorship, or life after cancer, for both professional and lay audiences.

Julia received her PhD in Developmental Psychology from Columbia University and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in psychosocial oncology. While at MSKCC, where she held joint appointments in pediatrics and neurology, Julia helped to develop and was the first Director of the Post-Treatment Resource Program, one of the first non-medical survivorship care programs to be offered by a major cancer center in the U.S. In 1990 she moved with her husband and two young children to Washington, DC to become founding Director of the Psycho-Oncology Program at Georgetown University and the Lombardi Cancer Center. There she helped expand services to meet the psychosocial needs of cancer patients and families, launched some of the first quality of life clinical trials, and also introduced a program to enable first year medical students to learn the art of caring for those living through and beyond cancer from survivors themselves and Lombardi faculty. Nine years later, in September of 1999, she was recruited to the National Cancer Institute to become the first, full-time Director of the Office of Cancer Survivorship, a position in which she served for 18 years, championing the growth of survivorship research and care, before stepping down in September 2017 to assume her new role at Smith Center. Although new to the team, Julia is no stranger to Smith Center. She knew Smith Center’s founder, Barbara Smith Coleman, and has volunteered her expertise across the years as a speaker, group leader and staff member for both the 1-day and weeklong residential retreats. Julia brings to her new role a passion to translate what research has taught us about healing in the context of cancer to the broader community, in essence, taking the science of survivorship from the lab bench to the park bench.

This program is being offered in a hybrid format. It will be hosted in-person at Medstar Washington Hospital Center’s Siegel Auditorium and will also be live-streamed virtually for those who cannot attend in-person.

In order to participate, register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailing programs@smithcenter.org.

Please indicate in the notes if you plan to attend virtually or in-person.

with Julia Rowland, PhD

Part 1 of this 4-part series will focus on offering an introduction to survivorship. We will review important definitions, discuss transition to recovery challenges and the importance of developing a survivorship care plan.

Participants can choose to register to attend all 4 parts of this survivorship series, or specific sessions.

Survivorship 101 Sessions include:

  • February 6 – Part 1: Introduction to survivorship: definitions, transition to recovery challenges and developing a survivorship care plan.
  • February 20 – Part 2: Managing fear of recurrence, sleeping better and stressing less.
  • March 5 – Part 3: The importance of social support: Managing other’s expectations at home, at work, at school; communication with family, friends and colleagues and Finding (and using!) the right healing resources.
  • March 19 – Part 4: The importance of healthy lifestyle: diet, weight, physical activity, smoking, sun block use, alcohol use.

This program is offered in partnership with the Washington Cancer Institute at Medstar Washington Hospital Center.

About Julia H. Rowland, Ph.D.

Julia Rowland

Julia Rowland, PhD, who joined Smith Center in October 2017, comes to this position as a long-time clinician, researcher and teacher in the area of psychosocial aspects of cancer. She has worked with and conducted competitively funded research among both pediatric and adult cancer survivors and their families, and published broadly in psycho-oncology, including co-editing, along with Dr. Jimmie Holland, the ground-breaking text, Handbook of Psychooncology.  She has also been a frequent speaker on cancer survivorship, or life after cancer, for both professional and lay audiences.

Julia received her PhD in Developmental Psychology from Columbia University and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in psychosocial oncology. While at MSKCC, where she held joint appointments in pediatrics and neurology, Julia helped to develop and was the first Director of the Post-Treatment Resource Program, one of the first non-medical survivorship care programs to be offered by a major cancer center in the U.S. In 1990 she moved with her husband and two young children to Washington, DC to become founding Director of the Psycho-Oncology Program at Georgetown University and the Lombardi Cancer Center. There she helped expand services to meet the psychosocial needs of cancer patients and families, launched some of the first quality of life clinical trials, and also introduced a program to enable first year medical students to learn the art of caring for those living through and beyond cancer from survivors themselves and Lombardi faculty. Nine years later, in September of 1999, she was recruited to the National Cancer Institute to become the first, full-time Director of the Office of Cancer Survivorship, a position in which she served for 18 years, championing the growth of survivorship research and care, before stepping down in September 2017 to assume her new role at Smith Center. Although new to the team, Julia is no stranger to Smith Center. She knew Smith Center’s founder, Barbara Smith Coleman, and has volunteered her expertise across the years as a speaker, group leader and staff member for both the 1-day and weeklong residential retreats. Julia brings to her new role a passion to translate what research has taught us about healing in the context of cancer to the broader community, in essence, taking the science of survivorship from the lab bench to the park bench.

In order to participate, register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailing programs@smithcenter.org.

with Julia Rowland, Ph.D

Hearing the words, ‘there is no evidence of disease,’ may not be fully reassuring when cancer treatment ends. Worry that you may still have cancer (or develop it again!) can be overwhelming. Fear of cancer recurrence is the most common long-term effect of living with a history of cancer. If this is true for you, you are not alone. Come learn about the triggers of fear, and simple tools you can use to tame your own worry demon and reclaim your plans for the future. This program is offered in partnership with the Washington Cancer Institute at Medstar Washington Hospital Center.

About Julia H. Rowland, Ph.D.

Julia Rowland

Julia Rowland, PhD, who joined Smith Center in October 2017, comes to this position as a long-time clinician, researcher and teacher in the area of psychosocial aspects of cancer. She has worked with and conducted competitively funded research among both pediatric and adult cancer survivors and their families, and published broadly in psycho-oncology, including co-editing, along with Dr. Jimmie Holland, the ground-breaking text, Handbook of Psychooncology.  She has also been a frequent speaker on cancer survivorship, or life after cancer, for both professional and lay audiences.

Julia received her PhD in Developmental Psychology from Columbia University and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in psychosocial oncology. While at MSKCC, where she held joint appointments in pediatrics and neurology, Julia helped to develop and was the first Director of the Post-Treatment Resource Program, one of the first non-medical survivorship care programs to be offered by a major cancer center in the U.S. In 1990 she moved with her husband and two young children to Washington, DC to become founding Director of the Psycho-Oncology Program at Georgetown University and the Lombardi Cancer Center. There she helped expand services to meet the psychosocial needs of cancer patients and families, launched some of the first quality of life clinical trials, and also introduced a program to enable first year medical students to learn the art of caring for those living through and beyond cancer from survivors themselves and Lombardi faculty. Nine years later, in September of 1999, she was recruited to the National Cancer Institute to become the first, full-time Director of the Office of Cancer Survivorship, a position in which she served for 18 years, championing the growth of survivorship research and care, before stepping down in September 2017 to assume her new role at Smith Center. Although new to the team, Julia is no stranger to Smith Center. She knew Smith Center’s founder, Barbara Smith Coleman, and has volunteered her expertise across the years as a speaker, group leader and staff member for both the 1-day and weeklong residential retreats. Julia brings to her new role a passion to translate what research has taught us about healing in the context of cancer to the broader community, in essence, taking the science of survivorship from the lab bench to the park bench.