Director: Sharla Wells-Di Gregorio, PhD
Dr. Sharla Wells-Di Gregorio is an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine in the Division of Palliative Medicine at The Ohio State University. She completed her doctoral degree in clinical psychology and a fellowship in biobehavioral oncology and advanced statistical methods Her academic work focuses on developing and implementing interventions to improve communication and quality of life for patients and families facing advanced cancer.
Dr. Wells-Di Gregorio has led the OSU Psychosocial Oncology Research Lab for over a decade and founded the only U.S. postdoctoral fellowship integrating clinical care, teaching, and research in psychosocial oncology. As Director of Supportive Care Services at the James Cancer Hospital, she grew the psychosocial oncology program from 30 to over 120 monthly referrals. She also served as Director of Professional Education (2017–2022) and President (2023–2024) of the American Psychosocial Oncology Society.
Her research centers on evidence-based, non-pharmacologic symptom interventions. She developed Finding Our Center Under Stress (FOCUS), a brief CBT-ACT intervention targeting insomnia, anxiety, fatigue, and depression in advanced cancer patients. FOCUS has demonstrated strong clinical and biological outcomes and has been adapted into a mobile health app. With recent NCI funding, her team is now conducting a large-scale trial to address symptom disparities among rural and Appalachian patients.
Education and Training
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Postdoctoral Fellowship, Biobehavioral Oncology and Behavioral Medicine, Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
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Postdoctoral Fellowship, Psycho-diagnostic and Neuropsychological Assessment, UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute, Los Angeles, California
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Medical Psychology Internship, Specialization in Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute, Los Angeles, California (APA Approved)
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Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, Health Psychology Specialization, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois (APA Approved)
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B.A., Summa Cum Laude with Honors in Psychology, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio
Project Coordinator: Sarah Baltimore
Sarah graduated from the Ohio State University with a B.S. in Psychology with Research Distinction. She has over three years of experience studying cognitive behavioral therapy for depression through the Ohio State Depression Laboratory. Additionally, she has clinical and research experience working with oncology study participants at the Wexner Medical Center. Sarah is currently coordinating the FOCUS (Finding Our Center Under Stress) study.
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Primary Research Assistant: Madison Voinovich
Madison graduated from the Ohio State University with a B.A. in Psychology and minors in Human Nutrition and Substance Misuse & Addiction with honors research distinction. She has over three years of experience with evidence-based interventions, including mindfulness programming. Madison is also the board president of Leaders of Today Central Ohio, a nonprofit focused on youth-driven community impact and leadership. In Fall 2025, Madison will begin her PhD in Clinical Psychology at West Virginia University as an Arlen G. and Louise Stone Swiger Fellowship recipient.