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Steven D. Manners Faculty Development Awards

Recipients  ·  Announcement

2015 Manners Awardees
Low  ·  Votruba-Drzal


“Technology-based assessment of stress during cancer treatment”

Carissa A. Low, PhD
Carissa Low, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine and Psychology, Biobehavioral Oncology Program
University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute

The proposed pilot study will use passive data collected by mobile devices (i.e., smartphones and wearable direct-to-consumer fitness trackers with built-in heart rate monitors) to predict ecological momentary assessment of psychological stress during cancer treatment. The goals of the proposed research are (1) to test the feasibility and acceptability of using smartphone and wearable wrist sensors to predict stress ratings during chemotherapy for colorectal cancer and (2) to develop preliminary machine learning models to predict patient-reported stress from passively sensed data. The proposed study represents the first effort to integrate passive smartphone and physiological sensor data to predict stress as well as an initial attempt to develop automated stress detection models in the context of active cancer treatment, a time of significant and fluctuating daily psychological stress. The pilot data collected from 25 patients over four weeks of chemotherapy will be critical to establish feasibility and proof-of-concept for this work. If feasibility and preliminary models are supported, these data will guide an external funding application to develop and test a real-time behavioral intervention to reduce stress during cancer treatment.


“An Integrative Mobile Platform for Assessment of Sleep Dysfunction and Physical Activity Level Following Sport/Recreation-related Concussion.”

Elizabeth Votgruba-Drzal, PhD
Elizabeth Votruba-Drzal
Assistant Professor of Medicine and Psychology, Biobehavioral Oncology Program
University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute

The proposed pilot study will use passive data collected by mobile devices (i.e., smartphones and wearable direct-to-consumer fitness trackers with built-in heart rate monitors) to predict ecological momentary assessment of psychological stress during cancer treatment. The goals of the proposed research are (1) to test the feasibility and acceptability of using smartphone and wearable wrist sensors to predict stress ratings during chemotherapy for colorectal cancer and (2) to develop preliminary machine learning models to predict patient-reported stress from passively sensed data. The proposed study represents the first effort to integrate passive smartphone and physiological sensor data to predict stress as well as an initial attempt to develop automated stress detection models in the context of active cancer treatment, a time of significant and fluctuating daily psychological stress. The pilot data collected from 25 patients over four weeks of chemotherapy will be critical to establish feasibility and proof-of-concept for this work. If feasibility and preliminary models are supported, these data will guide an external funding application to develop and test a real-time behavioral intervention to reduce stress during cancer treatment.

 


Manners Award

Award Overview

Each year, the University Center for Social and Urban Research (UCSUR) awards the Steven D. Manners Research Development Awards to promising research projects in the social, behavioral, and policy sciences on campus. These awards honor the memory of Steve Manners, a sociologist who began working at the Center in 1974 and served as its Assistant Director from 1989 until his death in September 2000. His research and service to the Center and the University community were dedicated to improving social conditions in the urban environment.

Steven MannersSteven D. Manners

We will make two awards of up to $20,000 each, contingent upon the quality of applications and availability of funds. The proposed research must align with UCSUR's mission of working collaboratively to conduct interdisciplinary research that improves communities and addresses social, economic, health, and policy issues most relevant to society. Full-time faculty, post docs, and research associates from all University of Pittsburgh campuses may apply.

Manners Award Summary List

University Center for Social & Urban Research
3343 Forbes Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

ucsur@pitt.edu   ·   412-624-5442