IPOPC Research Portfolio

A List of Selected Publications from IPOPC Can be Accessed HERE

Dr. Anao Zhang leads the field's top journal as Editor-in-Chief of Psycho-Oncology

Harnessing the Power of Machine Learning for Psychosocial Oncology

This project represents a separate but complementary line of work focused on improving how psychological distress is detected and monitored among adolescents and young adults with cancer. Because routine distress screening can be burdensome for patients and difficult to sustain in busy oncology settings, this study evaluates the feasibility and acceptability of an AI-enabled, speech-based mobile app that monitors depression and anxiety through brief monthly voice assessments. The protocol enrolls AYAs with cancer over a six-month period and combines quantitative acceptability measures with qualitative feedback from patients and oncologists, laying the groundwork for future trials of mobile, low-burden, developmentally appropriate distress monitoring in cancer care.

Read more HERE

Tech-Assisted Engaging Mental Health Treatment

Our center’s work advances accessible, developmentally responsive psychosocial care for adolescents and young adults facing cancer. In an early pilot trial, our team evaluated Mind Your Total Health (MYTH), a coach-assisted, technology-based cognitive behavioral therapy program designed to make depression treatment more engaging, flexible, and relevant for young cancer survivors. The study showed strong feasibility and promising reductions in depression and anxiety. Building on this foundation, our current NCI-funded R34 project is tailoring and preparing this intervention for adolescents and young adults with hematologic malignancies, with the goal of developing scalable supportive care that meets young people where they are emotionally, medically, and digitally.

Read more HERE

Palliative Care Standards for Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer

Adolescent and young adult cancer patients (AYA) are an age-defined cohort (15-39 years old), with approximately 90,000 newly diagnosed AYA cancer cases in 2021. Critical barriers prevent the delivery of effective and equitable palliative care to AYAs with cancer, and a multifaceted and systematic approach is urgently needed. Dr. Zhang’s project aims to develop and implement a patient-centered framework for integrating palliative care into an AYA Oncology Program in an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center, focusing on health equity and inclusivity. The project will contain two project phases: a Delphi phase involving a panel of national experts in palliative care and AYA oncology to develop an integration framework; and an implementation phase to integrate palliative care into the AYA Oncology Program at the University of Michigan Health (UMH) using the developed framework.