Jennifer Ford

Jennifer Ford

Professor
Research
Clinical Psychology, Health Psychology
Lab Website
Hunter Psycho-Oncology Lab
Google Scholar
Profile

Dr. Ford's research is focused on psychosocial adjustment, coping and health behaviors with pediatric, adolescent and young adult cancer survivors.

See Contact Details

Educational Background

  • PhD in Clinical Psychology, Kent State University

Areas of Research

My primary research interest focus is to improve quality of life and quality of care outcomes for pediatric, adolescent, and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors.  My work focuses on psychosocial and behavioral aspects of pediatric, adolescent and young adult cancer survivorship, which include studies of health behaviors, survivorship clinic attendance, psychosocial development and adaptation, psychosexual functioning, psychosocial adjustment and coping with chronic illness, risk based surveillance, as well as the development and testing of evidence-based and distance-delivered behavioral interventions.

My projects are based on theories of health behavior change and are designed to reduce the burden of cancer late effects and to improve the lives of pediatric and AYA cancer survivors.

Current projects include:

  1. NIH-funded intervention study focused on promoting breast cancer screening in women who survived childhood cancer
  2. Parents of children with retinoblastoma: Adjustment, stress and psychosocial outcomes
  3. Identity development and psychosocial adaptation of adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors
  4. Distance-delivered interventions and mobile health
  5. Family-building after cancer among young adult survivors
  6. Stress and coping processes

Student Opportunities

Undergraduate and master's students interested in gaining research experience and/or developing a topic for a thesis should visit Hunter's Psycho-Oncology Lab for more information. Those interested in pursuing a PhD in Psychology at The CUNY Graduate Center should visit the individual program website for Health Psychology and Clinical Science.

Representative Publications

For a full and up-to-date list, please visit my Google Scholar Profile

  • McDonnell, GA, Shuk, E, Ford, JS. A qualitative study of adolescent and young adult cancer survivors' perceptions of family and peer support. Manuscript in press. Journal of Health Psychology.
  • Friedman, DN, Chou, JF, Francis, JH, Sklar, CA, Li, Y, McCabe, M, Robison, LL, Kleinerman, RA, Oeffinger, KC, Abramson, DH, Dunkel, IJ, Ford, JS. Vision-targeted health-related quality of life in adult survivors of retinoblastoma. Manuscript in press. JAMA Ophthalmology.
  • McDonnell, GA, Pope, AW, Schuler, TA, Ford, JS. The relationship between worry and posttraumatic growth in AYA cancer survivors.  Psycho-Oncology. 2018; 1-10. DOI: 10.1002/pon 4785.
  • Barnett M, McDonnell G, DeRosa A, Schuler T, Philip E, Peterson L, Touza K, Hjanwar S, Atkinson TM, Ford JS. Psychosocial outcomes and interventions among cancer survivors diagnosed during adolescence and young adulthood (AYA):  A systematic review. Journal of Cancer Survivorship. 2016; 10(5):814-831. PMCID: PMC5001943.
  • Benedict C, Shuk EM, Ford JS. Fertility issues in adolescent and young adult cancer survivors. Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology. Journal of Adolescent Young Adult Oncology. 2016; 5(1):48-57. PMCID: PMC4779291.
  • McDonnell G, Salley C, Barnett M, DeTosa A, Hourani A, Werk R, Hoekstra AB, Ford JS. Anxiety among adolescent survivors of pediatric cancer. Journal of Adolescent Health. 2017; 61 (4), 409-423. doi: 10.10.1016/j.jadohealth.2017.04.004. PMCID: PMC5665366
  • Ford JS, Chou JF, Sklar CA, Oeffinger KC, Novetsky Friedman D, McCabe M, Robison LL, Kleinerman, RA Li Y, Marr BP, Abramson DH, Dunkel IJ. Psychosocial outcomes in adult survivors of retinoblastoma. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2015; 33(31):3608-3614. PMCID: PMC4622100.
  • Barnett ME, Shuk, EM, Conway FP, Ford JS. Cancer-related disclosure among adolescent and young adult cancer survivors: A qualitative study.  Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology. 2014; 3(3):123-129. PMCID: PMC4171114.
  • Ford JS, Kawashima T, Whitton J, Leisenring W, Laverdiere C, Stovall M, Zeltzer L, Robison LL, Sklar CA. Psychosexual functioning among adult female survivors of childhood cancer: A report from the childhood cancer survivor study. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2014; 32(28):3126-3136. PMCID: PMC4171357.
  • Ford JS, Puleo E, Sprunck-Harrild K, de Moor JS, Emmons KM. Perceptions of risk among childhood and young adult cancer survivors who smoke. Supportive Care in Cancer. 2014; 22(8):2207-2217. PMID: 24659242.
  • Ford JS, Chou JF, Sklar CA. Attendance at a Survivorship Clinic: Impact on Knowledge and Adjustment. Journal of Cancer Survivorship. 2013; 7(4):535-543. PMID: 23793467.
  • Smith SM, Ford JS, Rakowski W, Moskowitz CS, Diller LR, Hudson MM, Mertens AC, Stanton AL, Henderson TO, Leisenring WM, Robison LL, Oeffinger KC. Inconsistent Mammography Perceptions and Practices Among women at Risk of Breast Cancer Following a Pediatric Malignancy: A Report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. Cancer Causes & Control. 2010; 21(10):1585-1595. PMCID: PMC2941535.
  • Nathan PC, Ford JS, Henderson TO, Hudson MM, Emmons KM, Casillas JN, Lown, EA, Ness KK, Oeffinger KC. Health behaviors, medical care, and interventions to promote healthy living in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study cohort. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2009; 27(14):2363-2373. PMCID: PMC2738646.
  • Oeffinger KC, Ford JS, Moskowitz CS, Diller LR, Hudson MM, Chou JF, Smith SM, Mertens AC, Henderson TO, Friedman DL, Leisenring WM, Robison LL. Breast cancer surveillance practices among women previously treated with chest radiation for a childhood cancer. Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). 2009; 301(4):404-414. PMCID: PMC2676434.

Contact Details

Jennifer Ford

Psychology
68th Street North 733
(212) 396-6690
Jennifer.ford@hunter.cuny.edu