Research Summary

I am an internationally recognized expert in pain and symptom management research. A portion of my program of research focuses on the identification of phenotypic and genotypic characteristics that place patients at highest risk for the development of the most deleterious symptoms that occur as a result of cancer and its treatment. More recently, my work is focused on an evaluation of differences in the co-occurrence of multiple symptoms in younger versus older oncology patients.

Research Funding

  • September 30, 2021 - May 31, 2025 - Characteristics and impact of chronic pain and pain management in older adults , Co-Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01AG064947
  • July 1, 2017 - June 30, 2022 - Biobehavioral Research Training in Symptom Science , Co-Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: T32NR016920
  • September 1, 2017 - August 31, 2021 - Impact of Hearing Loss and Tinnitus in Cancer Survivors , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01CA212064
  • July 1, 2015 - June 30, 2021 - Biomarker and Phenotypic Risk Factors for Breast Cancer Lymphedema , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01CA187160

Education

Molloy College, Rockville Center, NY, BSN, 1974, Nursing
Adelphi University, Garden City, NY, MS, 1979, Nursing
St. Johns University, Jamaica, NY, MS, 1984, Biology
St. Johns University, Jamaica, NY, PhD, 1987, Physiology
University of California, San Francisco, Postdoc, 1988-90, Pain Management

Honors & Awards

  • 2000
    Distinguished Nurse Researcher, Oncology Nursing Society
  • 2000
    Helen Nahm Research Lecturer, School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco
  • 2000
    Wilbert Fordyce Clinical Investigator Award, American Pain Society
  • 2002
    Distinguished Merit Award, International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care
  • 2005
    Distinguished Service Award, American Pain Society
  • 2006
    Distinguished Researcher Award, Western Institute of Nursing Research

Selected Publications

  1. Shin J, Kober K, Yates P, Wong ML, Cooper BA, Paul SM, Hammer M, Conley Y, Levine JD, Wright F, Miaskowski C. Higher Lifetime Stress and Symptom Burden Contribute to the Occurrence of Shortness of Breath. Semin Oncol Nurs. 2023 Jul 25; 151471.  View on PubMed
  2. Hammer MJ, Cooper BA, Chen LM, Wright AA, Pozzar R, Blank SV, Cohen B, Dunn L, Paul S, Conley YP, Levine JD, Miaskowski C. Identification of distinct symptom profiles in patients with gynecologic cancers using a pre-specified symptom cluster. Support Care Cancer. 2023 Jul 22; 31(8):485.  View on PubMed
  3. Cooke A, Castellanos S, Koenders S, Joshi N, Enriquez C, Olsen P, Miaskowski C, Kushel M, Knight KR. The intersection of drug use discrimination and racial discrimination in the management of chronic non-cancer pain in United States primary care safety-net clinics: Implications for healthcare system and clinic-level changes. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2023 Jul 07; 250:110893.  View on PubMed
  4. Harris C, Kober KM, Paul SM, Cooper BA, Shin J, Oppegaard K, Morse L, Calvo-Schimmel A, Conley Y, Levine JD, Miaskowski C. Neurotransmitter Gene Polymorphisms Are Associated with Symptom Clusters in Patients Undergoing Radiation Therapy. Semin Oncol Nurs. 2023 08; 39(4):151461.  View on PubMed
  5. Xu Z, Lee MC, Sheehan K, Fujii K, Rabl K, Rader G, Varney S, Sharma M, Eilers H, Kober K, Miaskowski C, Levine JD, Schumacher MA. Chemotherapy for pain: reversing inflammatory and neuropathic pain with the anticancer agent mithramycin A. Pain. 2023 Jun 27.  View on PubMed
  6. Kwong YD, Liu KD, Hsu CY, Cooper B, Palevsky PM, Kellum JA, Johansen KL, Miaskowski C. Subgroups of patients with distinct health utility profiles following acute kidney injury. Kidney360. 2023 Jun 26.  View on PubMed
  7. Kleven AG, Miaskowski C, Torstveit AH, Ritchie CS, Engh ME, Andersen E, Utne I. Quality of life of older gynecologic oncology patients at the initiation of chemotherapy. Nurs Open. 2023 Jun 19.  View on PubMed
  8. Davis JK, Mark S, Mackin L, Paul SM, Cooper BA, Conley YP, Hammer MJ, Levine JD, Miaskowski C. Sleep disturbance and decrements in morning energy contribute to a higher symptom burden in oncology patients. Sleep Med. 2023 08; 108:124-136.  View on PubMed
  9. Calvo-Schimmel A, Paul SM, Cooper BA, Harris C, Shin J, Oppegaard K, Hammer MJ, Cartwright F, Conley YP, Kober KM, Levine JD, Miaskowski C. Various types of stress and greater use of disengagement coping are associated with worse sleep disturbance in oncology patients undergoing chemotherapy. Stress Health. 2023 Jun 02.  View on PubMed
  10. Raizen DM, Mullington J, Anaclet C, Clarke G, Critchley H, Dantzer R, Davis R, Drew KL, Fessel J, Fuller PM, Gibson EM, Harrington M, Lipkin WI, Klerman EB, Klimas N, Komaroff AL, Koroshetz W, Krupp L, Kuppuswamy A, Lasselin J, Lewis LD, Magistretti PJ, Matos HY, Miaskowski C, Miller AH, Nath A, Nedergaard M, Opp MR, Ritchie MD, Rogulja D, Rolls A, Salamone JD, Saper C, Whittemore V, Wylie G, Younger J, Zee PC, Heller HC. Beyond the Symptom: The Biology of Fatigue. Sleep. 2023 May 24.  View on PubMed
  11. Pozzar RA, Hammer MJ, Paul SM, Cooper BA, Conley YP, Chen LM, Levine JD, Miaskowski C. Associations Between Distinct State Anxiety Profiles, Exposure to Stressful Life Events, Resilience, and Coping in Patients with Gynecologic Cancers Receiving Chemotherapy. Semin Oncol Nurs. 2023 May 08; 151431.  View on PubMed
  12. Papachristou N, Kotronoulas G, Dikaios N, Allison SJ, Eleftherochorinou H, Rai T, Kunz H, Barnaghi P, Miaskowski C, Bamidis PD. Digital Transformation of Cancer Care in the Era of Big Data, Artificial Intelligence and Data-Driven Interventions: Navigating the Field. Semin Oncol Nurs. 2023 Jun; 39(3):151433.  View on PubMed
  13. Sheng Y, Carpenter JS, Paul SM, Conley YP, Levine JD, Miaskowski C. Patients with palpitations experience a higher symptom burden prior to breast cancer surgery. Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2023 May 01; 65:102341.  View on PubMed
  14. Oppegaard KR, Mayo SJ, Armstrong TS, Kober KM, Anguera JA, Wright F, Levine JD, Conley YP, Paul S, Cooper B, Miaskowski C. An Evaluation of the Multifactorial Model of Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment. Nurs Res. 2023 Jul-Aug 01; 72(4):272-280.  View on PubMed
  15. Shin J, Kober KM, Yates P, Wong ML, Miaskowski C. Multifactorial Model of Dyspnea in Patients With Cancer. Oncol Nurs Forum. 2023 04 21; 50(3):397-415.  View on PubMed
  16. Harris CS, Pozzar RA, Conley Y, Eicher M, Hammer MJ, Kober KM, Miaskowski C, Colomer-Lahiguera S. Big Data in Oncology Nursing Research: State of the Science. Semin Oncol Nurs. 2023 Jun; 39(3):151428.  View on PubMed
  17. Wright F, Cooper BA, Paul SM, Hammer MJ, Conley YP, Levine JD, Miaskowski C, Kober KM. Distinct Profiles of Morning and Evening Fatigue Co-Occurrence in Patients During Chemotherapy. Nurs Res. 2023 Jul-Aug 01; 72(4):259-271.  View on PubMed
  18. Kober KM, Roy R, Conley Y, Dhruva A, Hammer MJ, Levine J, Olshen A, Miaskowski C. Prediction of morning fatigue severity in outpatients receiving chemotherapy: less may still be more. Support Care Cancer. 2023 Apr 11; 31(5):253.  View on PubMed
  19. Nekhlyudov L, Bellizzi K, Galligan A, King-Kallimanis B, Mayer DK, Miaskowski C, Salz T, McCarty C, Cox L, Hill C, Hendershot TP, Maiese DR, Hamilton CM. The PhenX Toolkit: standard measurement resources for cancer outcomes and survivorship research. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2023 04 11; 115(4):473-476.  View on PubMed
  20. Cooke A, Castellanos S, Enriquez C, Olsen P, Miaskowski C, Kushel M, Knight KR. Telehealth for management of chronic non-cancer pain and opioid use disorder in safety net primary care. BMC Health Serv Res. 2023 Apr 01; 23(1):325.  View on PubMed

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