Image
Dr. Brad Zebrack's research and teaching interests are in the areas of health, psychosocial oncology, medical social work and health service delivery. His research on quality of life and cancer survivorship over the past 25 years has been supported by the National Cancer Institute (K07, R03, R01), the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), and HopeLab Inc. His current NCI-funded research involves the identification of functional genomic pathways through which social and psychological factors — including childhood trauma exposure, structural racism and social isolation — influence gene regulation and are associated with disparities in health outcomes for cancer patients and survivors.
Zebrack has clinical social work experience in both pediatric and adult oncology. He also has been involved in the development and evaluation of peer support programs for adolescent and young adult cancer survivors. In 2017, Zebrack was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship for study in Australia, where he collaborated with colleagues to develop and evaluate supportive care services for adolescents and young adults affected by cancer.
Zebrack is a member of the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences. He is a fellow to the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR), the American Psychosocial Oncology Society (APOS) and the Association for Oncology Social Work (AOSW).
Research Interests
Cancer support, social work oncology
Contact Information
Education
- 1999 PhD Social Work and SociologyUniversity of Michigan, Ann Arbor
- 1992 MSW Social WorkUniversity of California, Berkeley
- 1992 MPH Community Health EducationUniversity of California, Berkeley
- 1982 BA SociologyUniveristy of California, Los Angeles
News
September 16, 2021
Activities
Publications
Zebrack, B. (in press). Cancer survivorship: A framework for quality cancer care. Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Siembida, E. J., Fladeboe, K. M., Ip, E, Zebrack, B, Snyder, M., & Salsman, J. (in press). A developmental science approach to information age subgroups in adolescent and young adult cancer research. Journal of Adolescent Health.
Kadro, Z. O., Snyder, S, Benn, R, Fouladbakhsh, J. M., Greenlee, H, Harris, R. E., Henry, L, Klein, K. C., Mayhew, S, Spratke, L, Walker, E. M., Zebrack, B, & Zick, S. M. (in press). Impact of the integrative oncology scholars program on oncology providers' key knowledge of dietary supplements and antioxidants for providing evidence-based oncology care. Journal of Cancer Education.
Zebrack, B., Zhang, A., Ghazal, L. V., Francis-Levin, N., & Brandon, R. E. (in press). The essential nature of social work in cancer control. Cancer Control.
Capaldi, J., Shabanian, J., Finster, L., Wertheimer, J., Zebrack, B., & Shirazipour, C. (in press). Post-traumatic stress symptoms, post-traumatic stress disorder, and post-traumatic growth among cancer survivors: A systematic scoping review of interventions. Health Psychology Review.
Zebrack, B., Ellis, K., & Doherty, M. (in press). Beyond Distress Screening: The Future of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care. In Hedlund, Christ, Messner (Eds), Oncology and Palliative Social Work: Psychosocial Care for People Coping with Cancer (OPSW). Oxford University Press.
Honors and Awards
| Year | Description |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Best Systematic Review, How are interventions targeting Post-Traumatic Growth and PostTraumatic Stress in cancer survivors? Society of Behavioral Medicine, 44th Annual Meeting& Scientific Sessions, Phoenix, AZ, April 26–29, 2023 (PI: Capaldi). |
| 2022 | The American Psychosocial Oncology Society's Ruth McCorkle Excellence in Research Mentorship Award |
| 2019 | Association of Oncology Social Work Fellow |
| 2018 | Scholar, Training Institute for Dissemination and Implementation Research in Cancer (TIDIRC), National Cancer Institute, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, Implementation Science Team. |
| 2017 | Fulbright Senior Scholar (Australia), United States Department of State and Australian-American Fulbright Commission, 2017. |
| 2017 | Fellow, Society for Social Work Research (SSWR), 2017. |
| 2016 | Fullbright Scholarship |
| 2015 | Fellow, American Psychosocial Oncology Society |
| 2015 | University of Michigan Provost's 2015 Teaching Innovation Prize, Inter-Professional Education Team-Based Clinical Decision Making (SW 714), with Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry, and Pharmacy. |
| 2015 | Highlighted publication, Journal of Clinical Oncology, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). |
| 2014 | Selected Participant, National Cancer Institute/City of Hope National Medical Center, Implementing Comprehensive Biopsychosocial Screening training program (R25). |
| 2014 | Selected Participant, National Cancer Institute/City of Hope National Medical Center. Building, Implementing, and Evaluating Supportive Care Programs, (R25) |
| 2014 | Outstanding Education and Training Award, Excellence in Cancer Education and Leadership (ExCEL), American Psychosocial Oncology Society |
| 2013 | Best Research Poster, American Psychosocial Oncology Society annual meeting, Trajectories of Distress and Psychosocial Support Service Use among Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Patients |
| 2012 | Nominee, Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research (MICHR) Distinguished Clinical and Translational Research Mentor Award |
| 2010 | Member Commitment Award, LiveStrong Young Adult Alliance, Lance Armstrong Foundation |
| 2010 | Distinguished Practitioner, National Academies of Practice, Social Work Academy |
| 2008 | USC Mellon Award for Excellence in Mentoring, Departmental Nominee |
| 2006 | Early Investigator Award, Society for Social Work and Research, Departmental Nominee |
| 2005 | New Investigator Award, American Psychosocial Oncology Society (APOS) |
| 2004 | Best Scientific Poster Award, National Cancer Institute Office of Cancer Survivorship and American Cancer Society |
| 2003 | American Cancer Society Quality of Life Award, Association of Oncology Social Work (AOSW) |
| 2002 | 2002 Oncology Social Worker Research Award from the Oncology Social Work (6/10/2002) |
| 2001 | Chancellor’s Award for Postdoctoral Research, Departmental Nominee (UCLA School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics) |
| 2001 | Merle-Carson Lectures Award, Southwest Pediatrics Society |
| 2001 | Best Scientific Poster Award, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Issues in Adolescent and Young Adult Leukemias |
| 1995-1996 | Student Award, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation |
| 1989 | Cancer Communications Award, American Cancer Society, Alameda Unit, California |
| 1989 | Robert Murphy Memorial Fellowship, American Cancer Society, California Division |
| 1979 | Alpha Kappa Delta International Sociology Honor Society, UCLA |
Presentations
| Year | Description |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Educating Social Workers in Palliative and End-Of-Life Care in Oncology (ESPEC-O): APilot Evaluation, American Psychosocial Oncology Society annual meeting, Pittsburgh,PA, March, 2025 |
| 2025 | The feasibility and acceptability of the 8-week CARING intervention for caregivers ofpatients with brain tumors, Poster Presentation, Society of Behavioral Medicine annualmeeting, San Francisco, CA, March, 2025. |
| 2024 | Social genomic mechanisms explaining health disparities among adolescent and youngadult cancer survivors, Poster presentation, National Cancer Policy Forum / NationalAcademics of Science, Engineering, and Medicine workshop on Biological Effectors ofSocial Determinants of Health in Cancer, March, 2024. |
| 2024 | Frontiers in Adolescent and Young Adult Psycho-Oncology Research and Practice: AForward-Looking Approach in a Changing Landscape, 21st Annual Conference for theAmerican Psychosocial Oncology Society, March, 2024, Albuquerque, New Mexico. |
| 2024 | We Were Simply Fulfilling Our Calling”: A Qualitative Content Analysis of OncologySocial Workers’ Perceptions on the Impact of Covid. Poster Presentation. 21st AnnualConference for the American Psychosocial Oncology Society, March, 2024,Albuquerque, New Mexico. |