Principal Investigator- Barbara L. Andersen, Ph.D.  

Barbara L. Andersen, Distinguished University Professor, is in the Department of Psychology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (joint), at the Ohio State University (OSU) and member of the cancer prevention and control programs of the OSU Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC). She has led the health psychology concentration in clinical psychology at Ohio State since its inception (1991). In 2018, the program received the award for the Outstanding Training Program in Behavioral Medicine from the Society of Behavioral Medicine. Andersen currently teaches graduate core courses in health (Behavioral Medicine; Behavioral Medicine-Cancer) and Research Design and supervises clinical graduate student instructors of Abnormal Psychology. By 2020, she had mentored 12 faculty, 13 post docs, 23 PhDs, 12 MA students, and 16 undergraduate thesis students.

Andersen’s research has been guided by a theory of biobehavioral aspects of cancer (Biobehavioral Model of Cancer Stress and Disease Course, 1994) and her frameworks in sexuality (Sexual Self Schema, 1994) and cancer control implementation science (STEPS, 2016). She has authored three books and over 170 research articles with funding from the American Cancer Society, the DoD initiative in breast cancer, and the National Institutes of Health, including a NIH/NCI (K05) Research Career Award (Established Investigator Award in Cancer Prevention, Control, Behavioral, and Population Sciences (2004-2014). While at the University of Iowa (1980-1988) she received the Distinguished Faculty Award in Teaching (1985) and the Distinguished Scholar Award in Research (1988). Moving to Ohio State University (OSU) in 1989, she has received the Distinguished Scholar Award (2000), the Distinguished Lecturer Award (2003), was named as a Distinguished Professor of Psychology (2017), and in 2018 was named a Distinguished University Professor, the highest Ohio State award for a faculty member. For the OSU Comprehensive Cancer Center, she was the first Director of the Behavioral Measurement Shared Resource and the Livestrong Survivorship Center of Excellence (2008-2011). Other awards include the Senior Investigator Award for Outstanding Contributions in Health Psychology from the American Psychological Association (2003), the Minton Hero of Hope Medal of Honor from the ACS (Ohio, 2004), Fellow status in AAAS (2004), and Senior Investigator Award from the Society of Behavioral Medicine (Cancer SIG, 2015), and the Outstanding Education and Training Award from the American Psychosocial Oncology Society (2018). Her current leadership responsibilities in Division 38 (Society of Health Psychology) of APA are those of President elect (2020), President (2021), and Past President (2022).

Dr. Andersen’s current work focuses on biobehavioral aspects of advanced (Stage IV) lung cancer and testing interventions to reduce patients’ stress, depression and physical symptoms.

Curriculum Vitae