John P. Garofalo
Associate Professor
Ph.D. University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 1997
Contact Information:
Email: jgarofalo@vancouver.wsu.edu
Office: Vancouver (Regional Campus)
Phone: (360) 546-9717
Classes Taught:
- Psych 105: Introduction to Psychology
- Psych 312: Experimental Methods in Psychology
- Psych 333: Abnormal Psychology
- Psych 372: Biological Bases of Behavior
- Psych 440: Introduction to Clinical/Community Psychology
- Psych : Theory and Techniques of Counseling
- Psych : Health Psychology
Research Interests:
I am developing a program of research that emphasizes the role of psychological factors in medical and psychosocial outcomes, particularly in oncology populations. Much of my research focuses on the identification of psychosocial predictors of medical outcomes relevant to cancer patients (e.g., pain, fatigue, and nausea). While the inclusion of a psychosocial component in the pretreatment assessment of a medical procedure is well-established for other health conditions, it is a relatively new concept for cancer. The goal is to identify patient characteristics that are reliable and valid indicators or contra indicators for cancer regimens. Early identification of such factors will facilitate treatment planning, resulting in improved mental and physical well-being, while reducing the costs associated with the management of side effects. In addition, I am also interested in identifying short- and long-term psychiatric and neurocognitive effects of cancer therapies. Ultimately, these data would serve as the bases for the development of psychosocial interventions designed to positively impact health and quality of life, and would require evaluation of their efficacy.
Selected Publications:
Garofalo JP & Baum A (2003). Psychological Impact of Prophylactic Interventions in Oncology. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 16 (2), 207-213.
Garofalo JP & Baum A (2001). Neurocognitive sequelae of cancer therapies. Current Opinions in Psychiatry, 14, 575-583.
Garofalo JP (2000). Psychological Adjustment in Medical Populations. Current Opinions in Psychiatry, 13 (6), 647-653.
Baum A, Garofalo JP, & Yali A (1999). Socioeconomic status and chronic stress: Does stress account for SES effects on health? Annals of the New York Academy of Science, 1-13.
Baum A & Garofalo JP (1999). Genetic disorders. Encyclopedia of Psychology. Washington D.C.: American Psychological Association, Oxford University Press.
