CARESLAB
Cancer Community
Research | Engagement | Support
DIRECTOR
​Patricia I. Moreno, PhD
Dr. Moreno is a licensed clinical psychologist and an Assistant Professor of Public Health Sciences, Psychology, and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She is also Lead of Evidence-Based Survivorship and Supportive Care at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Moreno holds an honorary appointment as Ad Honorem Professor in the Department of Psychology at the Universidad de la Frontera in Temuco, Chile. She has received more than $8 million of grant funding as a Principal Investigator and has collaborated on more than $23 million of grant funding as a Co-Investigator. Dr. Moreno received a BA in Psychology and Spanish-Hispanic Studies from the University of Texas at Austin and an MA and PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) under the mentorship of Drs. Annette Stanton and Julienne Bower. During her graduate studies, Dr. Moreno was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) T32 training program, 'Integrated Training in Population, Behavioral, and Biomedical Sciences,' and completed an APA-accredited internship at the Duke University School of Medicine in Cancer Behavioral Symptom Management and Support. She subsequently completed a National Cancer Institute (NCI) T32 post-doctoral fellowship, 'Behavioral and Psychosocial Research Training in Cancer Prevention and Control' at Northwestern University. Prior to joining the University of Miami, Dr. Moreno was on faculty in the Department of Medical Social Sciences at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine between 2018 and 2021.
LAB MEMBERS
Magela Pons, MSPH
Clinical Research Coordinator
Magela Pons earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Miami, where she also completed her Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH). She is now preparing to apply for a PhD in Clinical Psychology. For the past four years, she has served as a Clinical Research Coordinator at the CARES Lab, managing and supporting multiple NIH- and foundation-funded studies. Her research experience spans projects on palliative care, quality-of-life outcomes in diverse cancer populations, immunotherapy survivorship, access to care among patients with hematologic malignancies, community health worker interventions, fertility preservation, and supportive care needs among pancreatic cancer patients. Earlier in her career, Magela combined community service and research, volunteering in underserved communities to support reconstruction efforts and education programs for adults with disabilities, and gaining research experience in pediatrics, oncology, and psychiatry. She contributed to studies on childhood obesity prevention, cancer treatment and prevention, biomarker development, and behavioral health assessment. Born in Cuba and raised in Spain, Magela is passionate about advancing psycho-oncology research, particularly in Hispanic/Latino populations. In her free time, she enjoys exploring new places in Miami, visiting museums, and spending time with her family and friends.
Nichelle Solomon graduated from Brooklyn College with a B.A. in Psychology. She joins the CARES Lab with over four years of experience coordinating oncology clinical trials, with expertise in protocol development, regulatory compliance, and biospecimen management. Prior to joining the team, she served as a Clinical Research Coordinator at the New York Proton Center, where she led multiple studies and played a key role in mentoring junior staff and enhancing patient accrual strategies. Her research background includes contributions to NIH- and NSF-funded studies at Baylor College of Medicine focused on respiratory biomechanics. She has presented at national conferences, most recently as lead author at the ASTRO Annual Meeting, where her work highlighted racial disparities in radiation oncology clinical trial enrollment. Nichelle is passionate about health equity and advancing access to clinical research for historically underrepresented communities.
Nichelle Solomon
Clinical Research Coordinator
Jessica Thomas, MA, LCSW
Research Project Coordinator
Jessica Thomas graduated from Georgetown University with a Bachelor of Arts in French and from the University of Chicago with a Master of Arts in Social Service Administration (equivalent to Master of Social Work). Prior to discovering the world of research, Jessica worked primarily with children and adolescents in community and school settings. She initially came to Northwestern University to work on a study involving a technology-based intervention for men with advanced prostate cancer. During this study, Jessica learned that she enjoys group work with older adults, and that the psychosocial aspects of living with cancer are often just as challenging as the physical aspects, if not more so. Jessica has also contributed to the adaptation and development of a similar intervention for gay and bisexual men and trans women living with both HIV and cancer, as well as other cancer-focused translational research work. Most recently, Jessica has started working with a neuroscience lab, using her clinical skills to administer cognitive function and memory screening tasks. Jessica has not yet worked with couples going through the diagnostic process for cancer, so the Couples Cope study will be an exciting learning opportunity for her. She also oversees the pilot randomized controlled trial with women living with metastatic breast cancer. When not at work, Jessica enjoys traveling, taking long walks, listening to music and podcasts, and spending time with her family (in particular, FaceTiming with her adorable nieces and nephews).
Robert Sommer is a fifth-year graduate student in the Counseling Psychology Doctoral Program at the University of Miami. He graduated in 2017 from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a minor in Jazz Performance. Following his undergraduate education, Bob worked for three years as a clinical research coordinator at Massachusetts General Hospital. Throughout this time, he oversaw multiple research studies within the Cancer Center and worked closely with researchers from the Division of Palliative Care and the Department of Psychiatry. Bob now works with Dr. Lydia Buki and Dr. Patricia Moreno, focusing on areas such as patient-clinician communication and health literacy within oncology, as well as the impact of existential issues on survivorship. At the moment, he is also currently working on his dissertation which is focused on prognostic uncertainty in the era of precision oncology. He is excited to work with Dr. Moreno, specifically regarding her work on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and focus on how meaning, purpose, and other existential issues may impact quality of life in cancer survivors. In his free time, Bob loves to play the drums, watch soccer, and try new restaurants in Miami.
Robert K. Sommer
Graduate Student
Ashley Hatch is a second year PhD student in Prevention Science and Community Health at the University of Miami. She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in biological sciences and a minor in public health and the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) with her MPH in Epidemiology. Before coming to UM, Ashley served as a study coordinator at MUSC where she focused on cancer research through various research roles and received a diversity supplement with the National Cancer Institute for a mentored position in cancer control where she worked as a research assistant on evaluating referrals to lung cancer screening in people with HIV. She currently serves as the President of the Beta Sigma chapter of the Delta Omega Honorary Public Health Society at UM. Ashley hopes to continue to expand her impact through clinical research and community outreach. She is very excited to join Dr. Moreno’s lab where she can work on research that combines her interests in cancer prevention and control, tailored interventions, and reducing cancer disparities in underrepresented populations. During her free time, Ashley likes trying new restaurants, exploring the beaches, and spending time with her dog.
Ashley Hatch
Graduate Student
Ashley Sanchez is a first year PhD student in Prevention Science and Community Health at the University of Miami. She graduated with honors from Marquette University where she studied Biological Sciences and Spanish with a minor in Latinx Studies. As a student, she found her love for the field of public health and the opportunity to pursue community engaged cancer research. To further her education, Ashley went on to complete her MPH in Health Behavior at Brown University. She has previously supported public health initiatives focusing on cancer prevention, survivorship, and community-based health education. Before coming to the University of Miami, Ashley was an intern at the National Cancer Institute where she examined the role of cultural values on cancer outcomes in addition to waterpipe (hookah) use in the US. She was also a fellow at the CDC supporting the advancement of scientific initiatives involving the intersection of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and other behavior and public health priorities. Ashley is eager to join Dr. Moreno’s lab to examine how psychosocial factors influence outcomes across the cancer continuum, with the goal of reducing health disparities among Hispanic/Latino and other marginalized populations. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, reading, and catching up on her shows.
Ashley Sanchez
Graduate Student
Jiye Lee, PhD, CPNP-AC, is a postdoctoral scholar in the NCI-funded T32 Training to Reduce Burden across the Cancer Control Continuum (TRACC) program at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She earned her PhD in Nursing Science from the University of Miami and holds a BSN and MSN in Pediatric Nursing from the University of Pennsylvania, where she became a board-certified pediatric acute care nurse practitioner. Jiye’s research interests span a diverse range of cancer topics, including the psychosocial outcomes and needs of pediatric and young adult cancer survivors, the impact of non-medical drivers of health (such as neighborhood environment), longitudinal mental and behavioral health outcomes in cancer patients, and oncofertility challenges. Her doctoral work, supported by an NIH-funded F31 predoctoral NRSA fellowship, investigated the effect of neighborhood environment on child externalizing behavior. She also contributed to research on objective language measurement in preschool children and a nurse-led transition of care model for NICU graduates. In her free time, Jiye enjoys spending time with her family and traveling.
Jiye Lee PhD, MSN, CPNP-AC
Postdoctoral Scholar
Hanna graduated from Wake Forest University in 2023 with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Sociology. During her undergraduate studies, she gained valuable experience as a research assistant in a lab focused on adolescent-parent relationships. Currently, she is a research associate at the University of Miami, where she contributes to NIH-funded studies interested in depression among people living with HIV. She is also an MPH student at UM with a concentration in Prevention Science and Community Health. After her MPH, Hanna aims to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in adolescent mental health. She is particularly interested in applying her public health background to address mental health disparities among marginalized youth.
Hanna Vasconcello
Graduate Student
Morgan Rivas Smith
Medical Student
Morgan Rivas Smith, B.S., is a student in the MD/MPH program at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, with research interests focused on psychosocial and behavioral factors influencing mental and neurological health outcomes. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Biology from Boston College and completed post-baccalaureate pre-medical training at Northeastern University. Morgan’s research experience spans basic, clinical, and translational settings. As an undergraduate researcher, he studied the neurobiology of feeding behavior, contributing to work on sex differences in neural activation and cue-specific learning. Prior to medical school, he spent four years at McLean Hospital working in psychiatry and internal medicine, where he also supported clinical research within the Psychiatric Neurotherapeutics Program, including studies examining cognitive and quality-of-life outcomes following electroconvulsive therapy. In addition to his CARES Lab work, Morgan is also a member of the University of Miami’s Media and Innovation Lab, where he contributes to research examining how behavioral interventions targeting sleep and physical activity may reduce risk for Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline. As a proud Cuban American, he is committed to advancing health equity and reducing disparities in mental and neurological health among Latino and Spanish-speaking populations.
ALUMNI
Sarah Worch, PhD, Assistant Professor at Lynn University
Heidy N. Medina, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor at the University of Miami
Aidan Scagel, MD, MPH, Resident Physician at San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium
Julia Meguro, MD, MPH, Resident Physician at the University of Illinois at Chicago