Lisa A. Pualani Sánchez-Johnsen, Ph.D.

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Cancer Research Center of Hawaii

Lisa A. Pualani Sánchez-Johnsen, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor (Researcher), Prevention and Control Program, Cancer Research Center of Hawaii
Ph.D (Clinical Psychology, Health Psychology Specialization), Finch University of Health Sciences/The Chicago Medical School;
M.S. (Clinical Psychology), Finch University of Health Sciences/The Chicago Medical School
lsanchez@crch.hawaii.edu

Publication list via PubMed
Dr. Sánchez-Johnsen’s research focuses on the development of culturally proficient cancer risk reduction assessments and interventions for diverse ethnic groups. Dr. Sánchez-Johnsen’s specific interests are in the areas of obesity, dietary intake, eating pathology/body image, physical activity, and smoking cessation in Latinos, Filipinos, and other ethnic minority groups. Additional research interests focus on understanding aberrant eating and weight control behaviors in ethnic minorities, such as eating disorders, body image discrepancy, weight-control smoking, and unhealthy dietary behaviors.
Dr. Sánchez-Johnsen is the current recipient of a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-National Cancer Institute K01 Career Development Award and an NIH-National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Contract. She is also the past recipient of a NIH-Individual Predoctoral National Research Service Award, NIH-Postdoctoral and Predoctoral Minority Supplement Awards, and numerous awards and fellowships from the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, the Hawai’i Community Foundation, and other organizations for her work in ethnic minority health promotion and disease prevention.
As Principal Investigator of a five-year NCI-K01 Career Development Award, Dr. Sánchez-Johnsen's research focuses on the development and implementation of a culturally proficient physical activity, dietary, and body image intervention for overweight Latino non-smokers and smokers. Additional studies include the development of breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer studies that address obesity, dietary intake, eating pathology, and smoking cessation in Latinos, Filipinos, and Native Hawaiians. Dr. Sánchez-Johnsen’s publications and national presentations focus on how researchers, educators, and clinicians can develop culturally proficient interventions for underserved and ethnic minority populations.
Dr. Sánchez-Johnsen’s professional activities include serving as the Editor-in-Chief of the official publication of the National Latina/o Psychological Association; an Executive Board Member of the National Latina/o Psychological Association; Editorial Board Member of the Journal of Youth and Adolescence; the Past Chair of the Ethnic Minority and Multicultural Health Group of the Society for Behavioral Medicine (SBM); and an elected member of the Board of Directors for the Midwest Association of Latino Psychology.

Selected Publications
Sánchez-Johnsen L, Spring B, Sommerfeld B, Fitzgibbon M. Weight concerns and smoking in Black and White female smokers. Addict Behav (In Press).
Fitzgibbon ML, Stolley MR, Schiffer L, Sánchez-Johnsen LA, Wells AM, Dyer A. A combined breast health/weight loss intervention for Black women. Prev Med 40:373-83, 2005.
Sánchez-Johnsen L, Cuéllar I. Culturally competent assessment and evaluation of culturally diverse clients. In: Cross-Cultural Psychology, Negy CG, ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon Publishers.
Sánchez-Johnsen LA, Fitzgibbon ML, Martinovich Z, Stolley MR, Dyer AR, Van Horn L. Ethnic differences in correlates of obesity between Latin-American and Black women. Obes Res 12:652-60, 2004.
Fitzgibbon M, Sánchez-Johnsen L. Reduction of health risk in ethnic minority populations. In: Clinical Handbook of Health Psychology, Camic P and Knight S, eds. Seattle, WA: Hogrefe & Huber Publishers, p 343-56, 2004.
Sánchez-Johnsen LA, Dymek M, Alverdy J, le Grange D. Binge eating and eating-related cognitions and behaviors in ethnically diverse obese women. Obes Res 11:1002-9, 2003.

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