Current Trainees

Faiza Kalam is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the NCI-funded T32 Behavioral and Psychosocial Research Training Program in Cancer Prevention and Control in the Department of Preventative Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Her primary research interests include intermittent fasting with a special focus on weight management, obesity, metabolic disease risk, and cancer, specifically obesity-related cancers. She is currently working with Drs. Bonnie Spring (primary mentor) and Linda Van Horn (secondary mentor) on her project that focuses on the efficacy of using technology in fasting, weight management, and cancer prevention. Dr. Kalam completed a BS in Nutrition and Food Science at University of Kalamoon in Syria, an MS program at Jordan University of Science and Technology in Jordan, and a PhD in Human Nutrition at University of Illinois at Chicago.

Laura is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the NCI-funded T32 Behavioral and Psychosocial Research Training Program in Cancer Prevention and Control at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, where she holds an appointment in the Department of Medical Social Sciences. Before beginning her fellowship, she received a BS in Psychology (2016) and a PhD in Health Psychology (2021) from Tulane University. Broadly, Laura’s research applies theories and methods from psychology to improve patient-centered care in cancer. More specifically, she is interested in the roles of personality and individual differences in healthcare outcomes; measurement science; and the development of clinically feasible and effective personalized interventions for improving quality of life among adults with cancer. During her postdoctoral fellowship at Northwestern, Laura will work primarily with Drs. David Cella (primary mentor) and Sofia Garcia (secondary mentor) on projects related to patient-reported outcome assessments and their integration into routine clinical practice to facilitate supportive care planning, symptom management and shared decision-making.

Jean M. Reading is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the NCI-funded T32 Behavioral and Psychosocial Research Training Program in Cancer Prevention and Control in the Department of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Jean’s specific areas of interest include: 1) understanding modifiable risk factors that drive health outcomes related to the intersection between obesity and cancer and 2) designing, implementing, and evaluating digital lifestyle interventions using mixed method approaches. Jean is working with Bonnie Spring (primary mentor) on projects related to the dissemination and implementation of telehealth interventions that address obesity within the context of cancer. Jean received a BS and MA in Psychology from Penn State University. She completed a PhD in Social and Behavioral Sciences at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and an NCI-funded T32 predoctoral fellowship in Cancer Prevention and Control at Massey Cancer Center in 2022.

Alyssa Van Denburg, PhD is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the NCI-funded T32 Behavioral and Psychosocial Research Training Program in Cancer Prevention and Control in the Department of Medical Social Sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Van Denburg’s research is focused on developing and testing brief behavioral interventions for pain and related symptoms. Specifically, she is interested in interventions for patients with cancer and other chronic diseases that could be easily accessed and disseminated in medical settings. She is currently working with Christine Rini, PhD (primary mentor) and Betina Yanez, PhD (secondary mentor) on projects evaluating an internet-based pain coping skills training program for cancer survivors, an expressive writing intervention for stem cell transplant recipients, and a mindfulness-based e-health intervention for breast cancer survivors. Dr. Van Denburg earned her BA in Psychology from Kenyon College and MA in Clinical Psychology from Duke University. She completed her Pre-Doctoral Clinical Internship at Yale University School of Medicine in the Behavioral Medicine Service Track and earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Duke University in 2020.

Elizabeth Wilson, PhD is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the NCI-funded T32 Behavioral and Psychosocial Research Training Program in Cancer Prevention and Control in the Department of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Wilson’s research is focused on addressing health disparities in chronic disease through health behavior change. In addition, she is interested in how experiences of discrimination and race-based stress impact health behavior and, ultimately,  contribute to health disparities experienced by racial minorities. She is currently working with Kiarri Kershaw, PhD (primary mentor) and Bonnie Spring, PhD (secondary mentor). Dr. Wilson earned her BA in Psychology from Northwestern University and her MA and PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Missouri Kansas City. She completed her Pre-Doctoral Clinical Internship at the VA Boston Healthcare System in the Behavioral Medicine Track.