The Enbridge Research Chair in Psychosocial Oncology: Dr. Linda Carlson

Currently, Dr. Carlson is an associate professor in the Department of Oncology in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Calgary, and an adjunct associated professor in the Department of Psychology. She also holds an Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research Health Scholar Award.  Dr. Carlson works out of the Department of Psychosocial Resources of the Tom Baker Cancer Centre as a clinical psychologist and a researcher.

As the Enbridge Research Chair in Psychosocial Oncology, Dr. Carlson has the goal of creating a dynamic centre of excellence in targeted areas of research relating to the psychosocial impacts of cancer diagnosis and treatment, and the development and investigation of innovative interventions for cancer patients, survivors, families, and the community.

The area of behavioral medicine within an oncology context includes the study of a spectrum of behavioral issues related to the cancer experience ranging from pre-diagnosis, to active treatment, and on to survivorship issues. Dr. Carlson's multidisciplinary research program is focused on three broadly defined areas: screening for cancer-related distress, integrative oncology interventions (including complementary medicine approaches), and survivorship. The three research streams have the potential to address a broad range of problems often encountered by cancer patients including: high rates of distress found throughout the disease spectrum, scientific investigation of popular mind-body interventions, and the comprehensive list of concerns common to cancer survivors. Through her extensive research projects, Dr. Carlson hopes to facilitate cancer survivors' progression through the cancer continuum.  

Dr. Carlson's mandate as Enbridge Research Chair in Psychosocial Oncology is to:

• 1) Conduct high-quality nationally funded multidisciplinary research in psychosocial oncology as detailed in the three research streams;
• 2) Target research areas that currently are understudied by virtue of their complexity and/or multidisciplinary nature, but that have potential to affect a large population and;
• 3) Attract top-level students and postdoctoral fellows to the program.

 

More about Dr. Carlson