Cynthia Ann Gerhardt, PhD
Academic Title: Professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Medicine
Research Program: Cancer Control
Columbus, Ohio 43205
About Me
More info forI am an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Ohio State and a member of the Cancer Control Program at the OSUCCC – James, where my research focuses on pediatric cancers and the roles of family.
In particular, I am interested in parent-child communication about childhood cancers, long-term adjustment by families with a pediatric brain tumor survivor and quality of life issues affected by pediatric cancer.
One of my recent studies emphasized the role of maternal post-traumatic stress symptoms, maternal communication and subsequent adolescent post-traumatic stress symptoms in the treatment of childhood cancer.
I have authored or co-authored dozens of articles in such well-respected scientific journals as Neuropsychology, Journal of Pediatric Psychology, Psycho-Oncology and Pediatric Blood & Cancer.
Research Interests
More info for- Neoplasms
- Anemia, Sickle Cell
- Brain Diseases
- Breast Neoplasms
- Anxiety
- Neurofibromatosis 1
- Depression
- Brain Neoplasms
- Brain Injuries
- Wounds and Injuries
Academic Office & Contact Information
More info forAcademic Office:
Children's Hospital - Educatio
700 Childrens Dr
Columbus, Ohio 43205Phone:
614-722-3017Publications
More info forOctober 17, 2024Enhancing medication adherence: A family-centered co-designed mHealth app for children undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplant.
Skeens MA, Kochashvili M, Benhayoun A, Ralph J, Bajwa R, Vannatta K, Gerhardt CA, Sezgin E
J Pediatr Nurs
October 4, 2024Factors associated with caregiver strain among mothers and fathers of children with advanced cancer.
Olsavsky AL, Sutherland-Foggio M, Stanek CJ, Hill KN, Himelhoch AC, Kenney AE, Humphrey L, Olshefski R, Skeens MA, Nahata L, Gerhardt CA
Palliat Support Care
October 4, 2024Initial Development of the Nurse Perception of Infant Condition (NPIC) Scale.
Fortney CA, Helsabeck NP, Thomsen K, Lin CJ, Baughcum AE, Gerhardt CA
Adv Neonatal Care
October 1, 2024Leadership Development and Its Association With Retention of Surgical Versus Nonsurgical Faculty at a Large Academic Health Center.
Way DP, Nahata L, Gerhardt C, Martin DR, Carrau RL, Satiani B
J Surg Res
May 7, 2024Pilot Testing Transcreated Spanish-Language Study Materials for Symptom Research With Infants and Parents in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Fortney CA, Garcia D, Gerhardt CA, Baughcum AE, Slaughter JL, Rodriguez EM
Adv Neonatal Care
April 21, 2024Impact of sociodemographic factors, stress, and communication on health-related quality of life in survivors of pediatric cancer.
Patterson V, Olsavsky A, Garcia D, Sutherland-Foggio M, Vannatta K, Prussien KV, Bemis H, Compas BE, Gerhardt CA
Pediatr Blood Cancer
March 21, 2024COVID-19 impact, resilience, and child quality of life: A dyadic analysis.
Olsavsky AL, Ralph J, Benhayoun A, Hill KN, Guttoo P, Akard TF, Gerhardt C, Skeens MA
J Fam Psychol
February 29, 2024The study of psychosocial outcomes of parents bereaved by pediatric illness: a scoping review of methodology and sample composition.
Fisher RS, Dattilo TM, DeLone AM, Basile NL, Kenney AE, Hill KN, Chang HF, Gerhardt CA, Mullins LL
J Pediatr Psychol
February 14, 2024Mixed-method examination of factors associated with adolescent decision-making and involvement in care in the context of advanced cancer.
Sutherland-Foggio M, Olsavsky AL, Skeens MA, Nahata L, Hill K, Schaefer M, Himelhoch A, Kenney AE, Humphrey L, Olshefski R, Gerhardt CA
Palliat Support Care
January 1, 2024Predictors of loneliness among middle childhood and adolescence during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Benhayoun A, Olsavsky A, Akard TF, Gerhardt C, Skeens MA
PLoS One
December 15, 2023Barriers to Care and Perceived Need for Mental Health Services Among Adolescent and Emerging Adult Survivors of Pediatric Brain Tumors.
Fisher AP, Patronick J, Moscato EL, Gerhardt CA, Treble-Barna A, Radonovich K, Wade SL
J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol
November 27, 2023The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Quality of Life of Children With Cancer.
Skeens MA, Ralph JE, Olsavsky AL, Buff K, Shah N, Akard TF, Gerhardt CA
J Pediatr Hematol Oncol Nurs
November 27, 2023Cancer-related stress in childhood cancer survivorship: Prevalence and associations with perceptions of health risks and quality of life.
Himelhoch AC, Olsavsky AL, Darow EL, Lipak KG, Kenney AE, Fisher RS, Prussien KV, Vannatta KA, Compas BE, Gerhardt CA
Psychooncology
September 21, 2023Clinicians' perspectives on barriers and facilitators to sperm banking in adolescent males with cancer: a mixed-methods study.
Nahata L, Liles SM, Gerhardt CA, Housten AJ, Jalili D, O'Brien SH, Vadaparampil ST, Quinn GP
J Assist Reprod Genet
September 7, 2023Associations between parental depression, communication, and self-worth of siblings bereaved by cancer.
Garcia D, Olsavsky AL, Hill KN, Patterson V, Baughcum AE, Long KA, Barrera M, Gilmer MJ, Fairclough DL, Akard TF, Compas BE, Vannatta K, Gerhardt CA
J Fam Psychol
August 16, 2023Contraceptive methods and fertility testing in young adult survivors of childhood cancer.
Cherven B, Quast LF, Klosky JL, Gerhardt CA, Baust K, Calaminus G, Kaatsch P, Hagedoorn M, Tuinman MA, Lehmann V
J Assist Reprod Genet
August 10, 2023The experiences of families of children with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative exploration.
Sutherland-Foggio MS, Stanek CJ, Buff K, Nahata L, Foster-Akard T, Gerhardt CA, Skeens MA
Palliat Support Care
March 13, 2023Inclusion of Spanish-Speaking Families in NICU Symptom Research Using a Community Advisory Board.
Garcia D, Fortney CA, Gerhardt CA, Baughcum AE, Slaughter JL, Rodriguez EM
Adv Neonatal Care
March 10, 2023Addressing Barriers to Career Development Awards for Early Career Women in Pediatric Psychology.
Bates CR, Bakula DM, Egbert AH, Gerhardt CA, Davis AM, Psihogios AM
J Pediatr Psychol
January 1, 2023Improving medication adherence monitoring and clinical outcomes through mHealth: A randomized controlled trial protocol in pediatric stem cell transplant.
Ralph JE, Sezgin E, Stanek CJ, Landier W, Pai ALH, Gerhardt CA, Skeens MA
PLoS One
December 27, 2022Communication within families about advanced pediatric cancer: A qualitative study.
Stanek C, Garcia D, Olsavsky AL, Hill KN, Himelhoch AC, Kenney AE, Humphrey L, Olshefski R, Gerhardt CA, Nahata L
Palliat Support Care
November 1, 2022Psychosexual Development and Sexual Functioning in Young Adult Survivors of Childhood Cancer.
Lehmann V, Gerhardt CA, Baust K, Kaatsch P, Hagedoorn M, Tuinman MA
J Sex Med
October 29, 2022Preliminary Validation of the Psychosocial Assessment Tool in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Baughcum AE, Clark OE, Lassen S, Fortney CA, Rausch JA, Dunnells ZDO, Geller PA, Olsavsky A, Patterson CA, Gerhardt CA
J Pediatr Psychol
October 3, 2022Emotional Well-Being of Pediatric Brain Tumor Survivors and Comparison Peers: Perspectives From Children and Their Parents.
Brown KL, Fairclough D, Noll RB, Barrera M, Kupst MJ, Gartstein MA, Egan AM, Bates CR, Gerhardt CA, Vannatta K
J Pediatr Psychol
August 8, 2022Factors associated with mental health service use among families bereaved by pediatric cancer.
Hill KN, Olsavsky A, Barrera M, Gilmer MJ, Fairclough DL, Akard TF, Compas BE, Vannatta K, Gerhardt CA
Palliat Support Care
July 21, 2022An mHealth App to Promote Adherence to Immunosuppressant Medication and Track Symptoms in Children After Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Usability Study.
Skeens M, Sezgin E, Stevens J, Landier W, Pai A, Gerhardt C
JMIR Res Protoc
May 10, 2022Effects of a Web-Based Pediatric Oncology Legacy Intervention on the Coping of Children With Cancer.
Cho E, Dietrich MS, Friedman DL, Gilmer MJ, Gerhardt CA, Given BA, Hendricks-Ferguson VL, Hinds PS, Akard TF
Am J Hosp Palliat Care
April 5, 2022Factors affecting COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in parents of children with cancer.
Skeens MA, Hill K, Olsavsky A, Buff K, Stevens J, Akard TF, Shah N, Gerhardt CA
Pediatr Blood Cancer
March 18, 2022CNS-Directed Cancer Treatment and Child Adjustment: Moderating Effects of Maternal Parenting.
Winning AM, Howard Sharp K, Ferrante AC, Ralph J, Desjardins L, Friedman DL, Young-Saleme TK, Vannatta K, Compas BE, Gerhardt CA
J Pediatr Psychol
January 19, 2022Psychosocial functioning of caregivers of pediatric brain tumor survivors.
Bates CR, Fairclough D, Noll RB, Barrera ME, Kupst MJ, Egan AM, Gartstein MA, Ach EL, Gerhardt CA, Vannatta KA
Pediatr Blood Cancer
January 1, 2022Study protocol for fertility preservation discussions and decisions: A family-centered psychoeducational intervention for male adolescents and emerging adults newly diagnosed with cancer and their families.
Stanek C, Theroux CI, Olsavsky AL, Hill KN, Rausch JR, O'Brien SH, Quinn GP, Gerhardt CA, Nahata L
PLoS One
August 29, 2021The impact of CNS-directed treatment on quality of life in childhood cancer survivors.
Lipak KG, Rausch JR, Fisher RS, Prussien KV, Clark OE, Kenney AE, Himelhoch AC, Olshefski RS, Nahata L, Vannatta K, Compas BE, Gerhardt CA
Qual Life Res
August 1, 2021Parent-Adolescent Concordance Regarding Fertility Perspectives and Sperm Banking Attempts in Adolescent Males With Cancer.
Nahata L, Olsavsky A, Dattilo TM, Lipak KG, Whiteside S, Yeager ND, Audino A, Rausch J, Klosky JL, O'Brien SH, Quinn GP, Gerhardt CA
J Pediatr Psychol
July 10, 2021Impact of central nervous system-directed treatment on competence and adjustment among children in early cancer survivorship.
Winning AM, Moscato EL, Lehmann V, Keim MC, Rausch JR, Lipak KG, Himelhoch AC, Murphy LK, Prussien KV, Olshefski RS, Vannatta K, Compas BE, Gerhardt CA
Pediatr Blood Cancer
May 24, 2021Impact of COVID-19 on adolescent and emerging adult brain tumor survivors and their parents.
Fisher AP, Patronick J, Gerhardt CA, Radonovich K, Salloum R, Wade SL
Pediatr Blood Cancer
May 17, 2021Attitudes and Perceptions of Parenthood Among Young Adult Survivors of Childhood Cancer.
Himelhoch AC, Datillo TM, Tuinman MA, Gerhardt CA, Lehmann V
J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol
May 7, 2021Growing up after childhood cancer: maturity and life satisfaction in young adulthood.
Dattilo TM, Olshefski RS, Nahata L, Hansen-Moore JA, Gerhardt CA, Lehmann V
Support Care Cancer
May 1, 2021Effects of a Web-Based Pediatric Oncology Legacy Intervention on Parental Coping.
Foster Akard T, Dietrich MS, Friedman DL, Wray S, Gerhardt CA, Given B, Hendricks-Ferguson VL, Hinds PS, Cho E, Gilmer MJ
Oncol Nurs Forum
March 19, 2021Coping Trajectories and the Health-Related Quality of Life of Childhood Cancer Survivors.
Fisher RS, Sharp KMH, Prussien KV, Himelhoch AC, Murphy LK, Rodriguez EM, Young-Saleme TK, Vannatta K, Compas BE, Gerhardt CA
J Pediatr Psychol
March 1, 2021End of life communication among caregivers of children with cancer: A qualitative approach to understanding support desired by families.
Kenney AE, Bedoya SZ, Gerhardt CA, Young-Saleme T, Wiener L
Palliat Support Care
February 25, 2021Family communication about fertility preservation in adolescent males newly diagnosed with cancer.
Olsavsky AL, Theroux CI, Dattilo TM, Klosky JL, O'Brien SH, Quinn GP, Gerhardt CA, Nahata L
Pediatr Blood Cancer
February 10, 2021Impact of a novel family-centered values clarification tool on adolescent sperm banking attempts at the time of a new cancer diagnosis.
Nahata L, Dattilo TM, Olsavsky AL, Lipak KG, Whiteside S, Yeager ND, Audino A, Klosky JL, Rausch J, Saraf A, O'Brien SH, Quinn GP, Gerhardt CA
J Assist Reprod Genet
January 1, 2021Improved Parent-Child Communication following a RCT Evaluating a Legacy Intervention for Children with Advanced Cancer.
Akard TF, Dietrich MS, Friedman DL, Gerhardt CA, Given B, Hendricks-Ferguson V, Hinds PS, Ridner SH, Beckmann N, Gilmer MJ
Prog Palliat Care
December 15, 2020Longitudinal understanding of prognosis among adolescents with cancer.
Fisher RS, Kenney AE, Fults MZ, Manring S, Rodriguez EM, Desjardins L, Rausch JR, Young-Saleme T, Ranalli MA, Vannatta K, Compas BE, Gerhardt CA
Pediatr Blood Cancer
November 23, 2020Mother-Child Communication about Possible Cancer Recurrence During Childhood Cancer Survivorship.
Murphy LK, Heathcote LC, Prussien KV, Rodriguez EM, Hewitt JA, Schwartz LE, Ferrante AC, Gerhardt CA, Vannatta K, Compas BE
Psychooncology
November 23, 2020A quest for meaning: A qualitative exploration among children with advanced cancer and their parents.
Schaefer MR, Kenney AE, Himelhoch AC, Howard Sharp KM, Humphrey L, Olshefski R, Young-Saleme T, Gerhardt CA
Psychooncology
September 30, 2020Randomized Clinical Trial of a Legacy Intervention for Quality of Life in Children with Advanced Cancer.
Akard TF, Dietrich MS, Friedman DL, Wray S, Gerhardt CA, Hendricks-Ferguson V, Hinds PS, Rhoten B, Gilmer MJ
J Palliat Med
September 15, 2020Coping and Social Adjustment in Pediatric Oncology: From Diagnosis to 12 Months.
Desjardins L, Rodriguez E, Dunn M, Bemis H, Murphy L, Manring S, Winning A, Vannatta K, Gerhardt CA, Compas BE
J Pediatr Psychol
September 12, 2020Concerns of Parents with Children Receiving Home-Based Pediatric Palliative Care.
Tutelman PR, Lipak KG, Adewumi A, Fults MZ, Humphrey LM, Gerhardt CA
J Pain Symptom Manage
July 17, 2020Toward a better understanding: An exploration of provider perceptions in pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplant adherence.
Skeens MA, Gerhardt CA, Bajwa R, Akard TF
Pediatr Transplant
July 9, 2020Supportive care and osteopathic medicine in pediatric oncology: perspectives of current oncology clinicians, caregivers, and patients.
Belsky JA, Stanek J, Skeens MA, Gerhardt CA, Rose MJ
Support Care Cancer
April 22, 2020"We Can Always Adopt": Perspectives of Adolescent and Young Adult Males with Cancer and Their Family on Alternatives to Biological Parenthood.
Morgan TL, Young BP, Lipak KG, Lehmann V, Klosky J, Quinn GP, Gerhardt CA, Nahata L
J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol
April 1, 2020The Influence of Parent Distress and Parenting on Bereaved Siblings' Externalizing Problems.
Howard Sharp KM, Meadows EA, Keim MC, Winning AM, Barrera M, Gilmer MJ, Akard TF, Compas BE, Fairclough DL, Davies B, Hogan N, Vannatta K, Gerhardt CA
J Child Fam Stud