Anne M. Reb, Ph.D., N.P.

I am interested in advancing cancer research in the areas of symptom management and cancer survivorship. At the City of Hope, I plan to participate in collaborative multidisciplinary research projects to improve quality of life and symptom management. There is a growing need for innovative models of care that are evidence-based and associated with improved patient outcomes. My recent role as a researcher and nurse practitioner for a feasibility study of a nurse-led GYN-Oncology survivorship program in a military treatment facility has helped me to understand the unique concerns of women during the transition period from active treatment. This experience has provided insight regarding the challenges and resources needed to deliver high quality care in a timely and cost-effective manner.

There is a growing interest in research on integrative approaches to manage symptoms and treat cancer, especially in the climate of escalating health care costs and toxicities associated with cancer treatments. My research interests are related to the physiology of the stress response and the effects of mind-body interventions on symptoms and immune markers. The stress of a cancer diagnosis and treatment persists into the post-treatment period and can exacerbate common symptoms such as anxiety, sleep disturbances, and somatic complaints. Evidence supports that psychosocial interventions such as meditation can improve response to stress and psychological adaptation, which have been linked to improved physiologic profiles. However, less is known about whether these interventions can influence tumor activity and pathways involved in tumor progression.

At the City of Hope, my goal is to continue to build on my previous work on a feasibility study of mantram repetition (meditation) in women with advanced ovarian cancer to explore effects on symptoms and immune markers.