°µÍøTV

Melissa A Alderfer, PhD

Center Director/Principal °µÍøTV Scientist - DV Operations

Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware 1600 Rockland Road Wilmington, DE 19803

Biography

I am Associate Director of °µÍøTV for Population Health, Health Services and Community Health Sciences research and Center Director and Principal °µÍøTV Scientist at the Center for Healthcare Delivery Science at Nemours Children's Hospital of Delaware. I am also Professor of Pediatrics at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University and a licensed Clinical Psychologist with over 25 years of research experience. My research focuses on improving the health care experiences of families of children with chronic illness. I combine qualitative and quantitative methods in my community-engaged work to conceptualize family adjustment and develop and test multi-level interventions and models of care. I have received research funding for my work from various NIH institutes (NCI, NIDDK, NIGMS) and national foundations and am currently an MPI for the °µÍøTV Expanding Access to Child Health (REACH) Center of Biomedical °µÍøTV Excellence. I have authored over 150 manuscripts and chapters based on my work and have mentored many successful faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students from a range of disciplines (e.g., psychology, medicine, nursing) on research grants, early career awards, and training grants (e.g., K12s, F31).

Education

  • Ph.D. - The University of Utah, Department of Psychology, 2001

  • All in the Family Modeling Associations Between Caregiver, Patient, and Sibling Adjustment in Families of Children With Heart Disease; Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing; (2025).

  • Attending to Adolescents' Well-Being During Their Transition off Cancer Treatment: Perspectives from a Nationwide Crowdsourcing Study; Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology; (2025).

  • Ecological momentary assessment in adolescents with type 1 diabetes: A mixed-methods feasibility study; Diabetic Medicine; (2025).

  • Online Experiences, Internet-Fostered Connection, Resilience, and Adjustment Among Adolescent Siblings of Children With Cancer; Cancer Nursing; (2025).

  • Psychosocial Health and Chronic Health Conditions Among Bereaved Siblings: A Report From the Childhood Cancer Survivorship Study (CCSS); Pediatric Blood and Cancer; (2025).

  • Shared Priorities for Sibling Psychosocial Support in Pediatric Cancer Care: A Value-Weighting Study; Pediatric Blood and Cancer; (2025).

  • Transdisciplinary care intervention for young adults with type 1 diabetes transitioning to adult healthcare: Rationale and trial design; Contemporary Clinical Trials; (2025).

  • Development of a blueprint for sibling psychosocial services: A nationwide study; Pediatric Blood and Cancer; (2024).

  • Disease-modifying therapies for sickle cell disease: Decisional needs and supports among adolescents and young adults; Pediatric Blood and Cancer; (2024).

  • Patient, Family, Community, and Health Care System Predictors of Continuous Glucose Monitor Use; Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology; (2024).

  • The Psychosocial Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Families of Youth of Color: A Prospective Cohort Study; Journal of Pediatric Psychology; (2024).

  • Adaptation and pilot implementation of the Psychosocial Assessment Tool for Autism Spectrum Disorders (PAT-ASD); Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders; (2023).

  • Bringing Together a Transdisciplinary Team to Create and Advance a Shared Vision for °µÍøTV and Support for Siblings of Youth With Cancer; Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nursing; (2023).

  • Inconsistent, uncoordinated, and reactive: The current state of sibling psychosocial care; Pediatric Blood and Cancer; (2023).

  • Launching IDeA state early career clinician-scientists with mentored just-in-time grant-writing support; Journal of Clinical and Translational Science; (2023).

  • Parent and adolescent perspectives on a novel transdisciplinary model of health care delivery for type 1 diabetes.; Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology; (2023).

  • Persistent Disparities in Pediatric Health Care Engagement During the COVID-19 Pandemic; Public Health Reports; (2023).

  • Technology-Mediated Support Among Siblings of Children with Cancer; Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology; (2023).

  • Telehealth and Type 1 Diabetes Care During COVID-19: Perceptions From Youth of Color, Caregivers, and Health Care Providers; Diabetes Spectrum; (2023).

  • Trajectories of Traumatic Stress Symptoms among Siblings of Children with Cancer: The First Two Years Post-Diagnosis; Journal of Pediatric Psychology; (2023).

  • Validation of the Psychosocial Assessment Tool Sibling Module Follow-Up Version; Journal of Pediatric Psychology; (2023).

  • COVID-19 Exposure and Family Impact Scales for Adolescents and Young Adults; Journal of Pediatric Psychology; (2022).

  • Ethical Challenges in Qualitative Methods to Improve Pediatric Clinical Care: °µÍøTVer Perspectives; Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology; (2022).

  • Family-centered communication in pediatric sickle cell disease; Pediatric Blood and Cancer; (2022).

  • Health-related and cancer risk concerns among siblings of childhood cancer survivors: a report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS); Journal of Cancer Survivorship; (2022).

  • Initial validation of a new psychosocial screener for siblings of youth with cancer: The Psychosocial Assessment Tool Sibling Modules; Psycho-Oncology; (2022).

  • Parental post-traumatic stress, overprotective parenting, and emotional and behavioural problems for children with critical congenital heart disease; Cardiology in the Young; (2022).

  • Psychosocial care providers' perspectives: Barriers to implementing services for siblings of children with cancer; Pediatric Blood and Cancer; (2022).

  • The Social Networks and Social Support of Siblings of Children with Cancer; Children; (2022).

  • Validation of the COVID-19 Exposure and Family Impact Scales; Journal of Pediatric Psychology; (2022).

  • COVID-19 Exposure and Family Impact Scales: Factor Structure and Initial Psychometrics; Journal of Pediatric Psychology; (2021).

  • Creating a Pathway for Psychosocial Support in Siblings of Youth with a Chronic Illness: Findings from an International Summit; Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBP; (2021).

  • Editorial: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Reporting Race and Ethnicity in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology; Journal of Pediatric Psychology; (2021).

  • Method Matters: Comparing Cancer-Related Adjustment of Siblings to Norms and Well-matched Peers; Journal of Pediatric Psychology; (2021).

  • Online patient portal use by caregivers in pediatric oncology: Are we widening sociodemographic disparities?; Pediatric Blood and Cancer; (2021).

  • Psychologists in pediatric palliative care: Clinical care models within the United States.; Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology; (2021).

  • Social support and siblings of children with cancer: A scoping review; Psycho-Oncology; (2021).

  • Survey °µÍøTV With Families in the Context of Pediatric Chronic Health Conditions: Key Considerations and Future Directions; Journal of Family Nursing; (2021).

  • Topical Review: Crowdsourcing as a Novel Approach to Qualitative °µÍøTV; Journal of pediatric psychology; (2021).

  • Transdisciplinary Care for Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes: Development of a Provider Cross-Discipline Training Curriculum; Diabetes Spectrum; (2021).

  • Bereavement Accommodations in the Classroom: Experiences and Opinions of School Staff; Journal of School Health; (2020).

  • Change Across Time in Cancer-Related Traumatic Stress Symptoms of Siblings of Children with Cancer: A Preliminary Investigation; Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings; (2020).

  • Family Consequences of Potentially Traumatic Pediatric Medical Events: Implications for Trauma-Informed Care; Journal of Family Psychology; (2020).

  • Pediatric resident knowledge, experience, comfort, and perceived competency in providing sibling psychosocial support; International journal of medical education; (2020).

  • Child and Parent Access to Transplant Information and Involvement in Treatment Decision Making; Western Journal of Nursing °µÍøTV; (2019).

  • Improving support to siblings of children with cancer through a community-academic partnership; Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology; (2019).

  • Integrating play in trauma-informed care: Multidisciplinary pediatric healthcare provider perspectives; Psychological Services; (2019).

  • Introduction to the special issue: Trauma-informed care for children and families; Psychological Services; (2019).

  • Are on-line patient portals meeting test result preferences of caregivers of children with cancer? A qualitative exploration; Pediatric Blood and Cancer; (2018).

  • Development of a psychosocial risk screener for siblings of children with cancer: Incorporating the perspectives of parents; Journal of Pediatric Psychology; (2018).

  • Let's Work Together: Collaborative °µÍøTV Is Needed to Overcome Difficulty Enrolling Families for Bereaved Sibling °µÍøTV; Journal of Pain and Symptom Management; (2018).

  • Parent–child communication surrounding genetic testing for Li–Fraumeni syndrome: Living under the cloud of cancer; Pediatric Blood and Cancer; (2018).

  • Problem-solving skills, parent–adolescent communication, dyadic functioning, and distress among adolescents with cancer; Pediatric Blood and Cancer; (2018).

  • Psychosocial functioning and risk factors among siblings of children with cancer: An updated systematic review; Psycho-Oncology; (2018).

  • The Influence of Adolescence on Parents' Perspectives of Testing and Discussing Inherited Cancer Predisposition; Journal of Genetic Counseling; (2018).

  • Caregiver distress and patient health-related quality of life: psychosocial screening during pediatric cancer treatment; Psycho-Oncology; (2017).

  • Commentary: Family processes and outcomes: °µÍøTV advances and future directions; Journal of Pediatric Psychology; (2017).

  • Couple functioning after pediatric cancer diagnosis: a systematic review; Psycho-Oncology; (2017).

  • Family strategies to support siblings of pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients; Pediatrics; (2017).

  • Introduction to special issue: Improving clinical practices in pediatric psychology through qualitative research.; Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology; (2017).

  • Measuring medication adherence in pediatric cancer: An approach to validation; Journal of Pediatric Psychology; (2017).

  • Psychosocial screening for siblings of children with cancer: Barriers and preferences.; Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology; (2017).

  • Should Genetic Testing be Offered for Children? The Perspectives of Adolescents and Emerging Adults in Families with Li-Fraumeni Syndrome; Journal of Genetic Counseling; (2017).

  • Systematic review: Associations between family functioning and child adjustment after pediatric cancer diagnosis: A meta-analysis; Journal of Pediatric Psychology; (2017).

  • A qualitative analysis of the impact of childhood cancer on the lives of siblings at school, in extracurricular activities, and with friends; Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology; (2016).

  • Family rituals, financial burden, and mothers' adjustment in ediatric cancer; Journal of Family Psychology; (2016).

  • Socioeconomic status (SES) and childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML) mortality risk: Analysis of SEER data; Cancer Epidemiology; (2016).

  • Systematic Review: A Reevaluation and Update of the Integrative (Trajectory) Model of Pediatric Medical Traumatic Stress; Journal of Pediatric Psychology; (2016).

  • Tobacco Use Among Siblings of Childhood Cancer Survivors: A Report From the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study; Pediatric Blood and Cancer; (2016).

  • Using qualitative research methods to improve clinical care in pediatric psychology; Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology; (2016).

  • Coping and coping assistance among children with sickle cell disease and their parents; Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology; (2015).

  • Electronic monitoring of medication adherence in early maintenance phase treatment for pediatric leukemia and lymphoma: Identifying patterns of nonadherence; Journal of Pediatric Psychology; (2015).

  • Major lessons learned from a nationally-based community-academic partnership: Addressing sibling adjustment to childhood cancer; Families, Systems and Health; (2015).

  • Parent decision-making around the genetic testing of children for germline TP53 mutations; Cancer; (2015).

  • Supporting Siblings as a Standard of Care in Pediatric Oncology; Pediatric Blood and Cancer; (2015).

  • The social functioning of siblings of children with cancer: A multi-informant investigation; Journal of Pediatric Psychology; (2015).

  • A mixed methods assessment of coping with pediatric cancer; Journal of Psychosocial Oncology; (2014).

  • Adjustment in parents of children undergoing stem cell transplantation; Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation; (2014).

  • Systematic review: Family resilience after pediatric cancer diagnosis; Journal of Pediatric Psychology; (2014).

  • The cellie coping kit for sickle cell disease: Initial acceptability and feasibility; Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology; (2014).

  • Themes reported by families as important when proceeding with pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation; Pediatric Blood and Cancer; (2014).

  • Unmet needs of siblings of pediatric stem cell transplant recipients; Pediatrics; (2014).

  • Cancer-related traumatic stress reactions in siblings of children with cancer; Families, Systems and Health; (2013).

  • Cumulative family risk predicts sibling adjustment to childhood cancer; Cancer; (2013).

  • The role of contextual threat in predicting self-reported distress among siblings of children with cancer; Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings; (2013).

  • Acceptability and feasibility of family use of the Cellie Cancer Coping Kit; Supportive Care in Cancer; (2012).

  • Cancer prevention and screening practices of siblings of childhood cancer survivors: A report from the childhood cancer survivor study; Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention; (2012).

  • Neuropsychological Sequelae of Childhood Cancer; Pediatric Psycho Oncology Psychosocial Aspects and Clinical Interventions Second Edition; (2012).

  • Resilience in children undergoing stem cell transplantation: Results of a complementary intervention trial; Pediatrics; (2012).

  • Screening for psychosocial risk in pediatric cancer; Pediatric Blood and Cancer; (2012).

  • Shared decision-making in pediatric allogeneic blood and marrow transplantation: What if there is no decision to make?; Oncologist; (2012).

  • Coping with pediatric cancer: Strategies employed by children and their parents to manage cancer-related stressors during treatment; Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing; (2011).

  • Determining readiness for predoctoral internship training: The process of developing a screening measure; Journal of Clinical Psychology; (2011).

  • Introduction to special issue: Advancing the science of family assessment in pediatric psychology; Journal of Pediatric Psychology; (2011).

  • Psychological outcomes of siblings of cancer survivors: A report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study; Psycho-Oncology; (2011).

  • Psychometric properties of the FACES-IV in a pediatric oncology population; Journal of Pediatric Psychology; (2011).

  • Screening for psychosocial risk at pediatric cancer diagnosis: The psychosocial assessment tool; Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology; (2011).

  • Complementary therapies for children undergoing stem cell transplantation: Report of a multisite trial; Cancer; (2010).

  • Family Psychology in the Context of Pediatric Medical Conditions; Wiley Blackwell Handbook of Family Psychology; (2010).

  • Psychosocial adjustment of siblings of children with cancer: A systematic review; Psycho-Oncology; (2010).

  • Supporting Siblings of Children with Cancer: A Need for Family-School Partnerships; School Mental Health; (2010).

  • Brief report: Problem solving and maternal distress at the time of a childs diagnosis of cancer in two-parent versus lone-parent households; Journal of Pediatric Psychology; (2009).

  • Conducting a randomized clinical trial of an psychological intervention for parents/caregivers of children with cancer shortly after diagnosis; Journal of Pediatric Psychology; (2009).

  • Family Functioning and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Adolescent Survivors of Childhood Cancer; Journal of Family Psychology; (2009).

  • Family psychosocial risk, distress, and service utilization in pediatric cancer: Predictive validity of the psychosocial assessment tool; Cancer; (2009).

  • Parental depression and family environment predict distress in children before stem cell transplantation; Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics; (2009).

  • Acute stress in parents of children newly diagnosed with cancer; Pediatric Blood and Cancer; (2008).

  • Evidence-based assessment in pediatric psychology: Family measures; Journal of Pediatric Psychology; (2008).

  • Interventions to improve neuropsychological functioning in childhood cancer survivors; Developmental Disabilities °µÍøTV Reviews; (2008).

  • The ethical justification for minor sibling bone marrow donation: A case study; Oncologist; (2008).

  • The Psychosocial Assessment Tool (PAT2.0): Psychometric properties of a screener for psychosocial distress in families of children newly diagnosed with cancer; Journal of Pediatric Psychology; (2008).

  • Evidence-based assessment, intervention and psychosocial care in pediatric oncology: A blueprint for comprehensive services across treatment; Journal of Pediatric Psychology; (2007).

  • An integrative model of pediatric medical traumatic stress; Journal of Pediatric Psychology; (2006).

  • Consensus statements: The Family Management Style Framework and its use with families of children with cancer; Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing; (2006).

  • Identifying and addressing the needs of siblings of children with cancer; Pediatric Blood and Cancer; (2006).

  • Identifying patterns of managing chronic conditions: Family management styles; Handbook of Families and Health Interdisciplinary Perspectives; (2006).

  • In reply [2]; Journal of Clinical Oncology; (2006).

  • Posttraumatic growth in adolescent survivors of cancer and their mothers and fathers; Journal of Pediatric Psychology; (2006).

  • Use of family management styles in family intervention research; Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing; (2006).

  • Feasibility and preliminary outcomes from a pilot study of a brief psychological intervention for families of children newly diagnosed with cancer; Journal of Pediatric Psychology; (2005).

  • Patterns of posttraumatic stress symptoms in parents of childhood cancer survivors; Journal of Family Psychology; (2005).

  • Posttraumatic stress symptoms during treatment in parents of children with cancer; Journal of Clinical Oncology; (2005).

  • Cancer-related parental beliefs: The Family Illness Beliefs Inventory (FIBI); Journal of Pediatric Psychology; (2004).

  • Parental decision-making in congenital heart disease; Cardiology in the Young; (2004).

  • Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms (PTSS) in families of adolescent childhood cancer survivors; Journal of Pediatric Psychology; (2004).

  • Treatment of posttraumatic stress symptoms in adolescent survivors of childhood cancer and their families: A randomized clinical trial; Journal of Family Psychology; (2004).

  • Brief report: Does posttraumatic stress apply to siblings of childhood cancer survivors?; Journal of Pediatric Psychology; (2003).

  • Identifying psychosocial risk indicative of subsequent resource use in families of newly diagnosed pediatric oncology patients; Journal of Clinical Oncology; (2003).

  • Predictors of the peer acceptance of children with diabetes: Social behavior and disease severity; Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings; (2002).

  • Posttraumatic stress in survivors of childhood cancer and mothers: Development and validation of the impact of traumatic stressors interview schedule (ITSIS); Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings; (2001).

  • Social behaviour and illness information interact to influence the peer acceptance of children with chronic illness; British Journal of Health Psychology; (2001).

  • The Psychosocial assessment tool (PAT)©: Pilot data on a brief screening instrument for identifying high risk families in pediatric oncology; Families, Systems and Health; (2001).

  • Behavioral Self-Regulation in Adolescents With Type I Diabetes: Negative Affectivity and Blood Glucose Symptom Perception; Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology; (1994).

  • Young Adolescent Cancer Survivors and Their Parents: Adjustment, Learning Problems, and Gender; Journal of Family Psychology; (1994).