Keith M. Bellizzi

Professor

---

I am currently accepting graduate students for 2025.  Please email me to learn more about potential opportunities.

Follow me on Twitter @bellizzikeith

Research Overview

Dr. Keith Bellizzi is a Professor of Gerontology in Human Development and Family Sciences. Trained in gerontology, behavioral medicine, and public health, he has spent the last two decades studying resilience, cancer survivorship, healthy aging, and behavioral change. Prior to joining UConn, he was a Program Officer and Health Scientist in the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and graduate of the preeminent Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program at the NCI.

His current research focuses on 1) mechanisms and outcomes of resilience trajectories in adults with cancer, 2) examining social determinants of accelerated aging in older adults with cancer, and 3) adaptation and adjustment to chronic illness. Dr. Bellizzi is Editor of the Cancer and Aging Handbook and Senior Associate Editor of Translational Behavioral Medicine.  His research has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health and non-profit organizations and has been featured in U.S. News and World Report, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Australian Financial Review, Psychology Today, and many other media outlets.   

Research Interests

• Healthy aging
• Stress, coping, and resilience in adults
• Cancer survivorship across the lifespan
• Social determinants of health and accelerated aging
• Emotion regulation
• Health behaviors and quality of life among adults with chronic illness
• Family adjustment to chronic illness

Educational Background

Postdoctoral fellow, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health

Ph.D., Human Development and Family Studies, University of Connecticut
M.P.H., Epidemiology, George Washington University
M.A., Psychology, Central Connecticut State University
B.S., Business, Quinnipiac University

Selected Publications: Google Scholar 

• Bellizzi K, Fritzson E, Ligus K, Park C. (2024). Social support buffers the effect of social deprivation on comorbidity burden in adults with cancer. Annals of Behavioral Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kaae035.
• Bellizzi K, Park C, Wun Lee J, Harel O, Sanft T, Fritzson E, Salafia C, Ligus K, Gnall K, Magin Z. (2024). Physical health and function trajectories in adults with cancer: Psychosocial predictors of class membership. Journal of Cancer Survivorship. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-024-01540-3.
• Fritzson, E., Bellizzi, K. M., Zhang, N., & Park, C. L. (2024). Effects of resilience and emotion regulation on perceptions of positive and negative life changes in cancer survivors: A longitudinal study. Annals of Behavioral Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kaae003
• Dugan A, Decker R, Austin H, Namazi S, Shaw W, Bellizzi K, Blank T, Cherniack M, Tannenbaum S, Swede H, Hundal J, Cavallari J. (2024). Work-health conflict among breast cancer survivors: Associations with cancer self-management, quality of life, and anticipated turnover. Occupational Health Science. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41542-024-00172-4.
• Bellizzi K, Ligus K, Fritzson E, Salafia C, Sanft T, & Park C (2023). Disruption in Cancer Care Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and Patient Satisfaction with Telemedicine. Supportive Care in Cancer.
• Bellizzi K. (2023) “You got mail” Receiving bad news through a patient portal (Viewpoint). JAMA Oncology.
• Donohue E, Halgunseth L, Mauldin L, Donorfio L, Bellizzi K. (2023). Parent-Child Grief Interactions: A Qualitative Analysis and Conceptual Framework of the Lived Experiences of Young Widowed Parents. (2023). OMEGA – Journal of Death and Dying.
• Dugan, A. G., Decker, R. E., Austin, H.L., Namazi, S., Cavallari, J.M., Bellizzi, K. M., Blank, T. O., Shaw, W.S., Swede, H., Cherniack, M.G., & Tannenbaum, S.H.  Qualitative Assessment of Perceived Organizational Support for Employed Breast Cancer Survivors. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Submitted January 9, 2023.
• Nekhlyudov L, Bellizzi K, Galligan A, King-Kallimanis B, Mayer D, Miaskowski C, Salz T, McCarty C, Cox L, Hill C, Hendershot T, Maiese D, Hamilton C. (2023). The Phen X Toolkit: Standard measurement resources for cancer outcomes and survivorship research. JNCI, Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2023, 1-4 doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djad01
• Gershfeld-Litvin A, Halaby S, Bellizzi K. (2022). Attitudes toward Breast Cancer among Women and Men: The Case of the Druze Minority in Israel.  Journal of Health Psychology, 1-11
• Dibble K, Donorfio L, Britner P, Bellizzi K. (2022). Perceptions and care recommendations from previvors: Qualitative analysis of female BRCA1/2 mutation carriers’ experience with genetic testing and counseling. Gynecologic Oncology Reports, 41, 2342
• Dibble K, Donorfio, L, Britner P, Bellizzi K. (2022). Stress, anxiety, and health-related quality of life in BRCA1/2-positive women with and without cancer: A comparison of four U.S. female samples. Gynecologic Oncology Reports, 42, 2352
• Bellizzi KM, Delamater AM, & Miller SM. (2022) It will take a village! The role of behavioral medicine in managing the COVID-19 pandemic. Introduction to the Virtual Issue in Translational Behavioral Medicine. https://academic.oup.com/tbm/pages/behavioral-medicine-in-the-covid-19-pandemic
• Miller SM, Diefenbach MA, Jacobsen PB, Stefanek ME, Bowen DJ, Bellizzi KM, & Tercyak KP. (2021) Cancer prevention and control: an overview of a decade of progress and the decade ahead. Translational Behavioral Medicine, 11; 1965-1966.
• Baskin M, & Bellizzi K (Editor).  Introduction to the Virtual Issue: Health Equity in Behavioral Medicine (2021). Translational Behavioral Medicine. https://academic.oup.com/tbm/pages/health-equity-in-behavioral-medicine
• Ligus K, Fritzson E, Hennessy E, Abachuk R, & Bellizzi K. (2021). Disruptions in the management and care of university students with pre-existing mental health conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Translational Behavioral Medicine 2021 Apr 7;11(3):802-807. doi: 10.1093/tbm/ibab020
• Park, C. L., Fritzson, E., Gnall, K. E., Salafia, C., Ligus, K., Sinnott, S., & Bellizzi, K. M. (2021). Resilience across the Transition to Cancer Survivorship. Research in human development, 18(3), 197–    211. https://doi.org/10.1080/15427609.2021.1960771
• Dibble K, Maksut J, Siembida E, Bellizzi KM. A literature review to HPV vaccination barriers among AYA males (in press). Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology.
• Siembida E, Kent E, Bellizzi KM, Wilder Smith A (2019). Healthcare providers’ discussions of physical activity with older survivors of cancer: Potential missed opportunities for health promotion. Journal of Geriatric Oncology, May 20., 18, Epub ahead of print)
• Siembida E, Moss K, Kadan-Lottick N, Bellizzi KM. (2018). The doctor-patient relationship in adolescent oncology: An exploratory factor analysis of a fourteen item self-report measure. Journal of Adolescent Health, 63, 4, 509-512.
• Siembida E, Kadan-Lottick N, Moss K, Bellizzi KM (2018) Adolescents cancer patients’ perceived quality of cancer care: The roles of patient engagement and supporting independence. Patient Education and Counseling, 101 (9): 1683-1689
• Bellizzi KM (2017). We’re not ready for the ‘silver tsunami’ of older adults living with cancer. Op-Ed. The Conversation, July 4^th, 2017. https://theconversation.com/were-not-ready-for-the-silver-tsunami-of-older-adults-living-with-cancer-72242
• Schmidt S, Blank T, Bellizzi KM, Park C. (2017). Posttraumatic Growth Reported by Emerging Adults: a Multigroup Analysis of the Roles of Attachment, Support, and Coping, Current Psychology, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-017-9670-0
• DeRouen MC, Smith AW, Tao L, Bellizzi KM, Lynch CF, Parsons HM, Kent EE, Keegan THM (2015). Cancer-related information needs and cancer’s impact on control over life influence health-related quality of life among adolescents and young adults with cancer. Psycho-Oncology.
• Rowland JH & Bellizzi KM (2014). Cancer survivorship issues: Life after treatment and implications for an aging population. Journal of Clinical Oncology.
• Forsythe LP, Alfano CM, Kent EE, Weaver KE, Bellizzi KM, Arora NK, Aziz NM, Keel G, Rowland JH (2014). Social support, self-efficacy for decision making, and follow up care use in long-term cancer survivors. Psycho-oncology, 23, 788-796.
• Smith AW, Parsons HM, Kent EE, Bellizzi KM, Zebrack BJ, Keel G, Lynch CF, Rubenstein MB, Keegan THM, and the AYA HOPE Study Collaborative Group (2013). Unmet support service needs and health-related quality of life among adolescents and young adults with cancer. Frontiers in Pediatric Oncology, 3, 1-11.
• Bellizzi KM, Wilder Smith A, Schmidt S, Keegan T, Zebrack B, Lynch C, Deapen D, Shnorhavorian M, Tompkins B, Simon M. (2012). Positive and negative psychosocial impact of being diagnosed with cancer as an adolescent or young adult. Cancer, 118, 5155-5162.
• Bellizzi KM, Breslau, E., Burness, A., & Waldron, W. (2011) Prevalence and correlates of cancer screening in older racially diverse adults: Still screening after all these years. Archives of Internal Medicine, 171, 1-7.
• Bellizzi, KM, & Blank TO. (2011). Post-traumatic stress and post-traumatic growth in cancer survivors. In J.L. Lester & P. Schmitt (Eds.), Cancer Rehabilitation and Survivorship: Transdisciplinary Approaches to Personalized Care, Pittsburg, PA: Oncology Nursing Society
• Beckjord E, Arora NK, Bellizzi KM & Rowland JH. (2011). Sexual function in survivors of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL).Oncology Nursing Society, 38, E351-E359.
• Weaver KE, Rowland JH, Bellizzi KM & Aziz NM. (2010) Forgoing medical care because of cost: Assessing disparities in health care access among cancer survivors living in the United States. Cancer, 116, 3493-3504.
• Bellizzi KM, Smith AW, Reeve BB, Alfano C, Bernstein L, Meeske K, Baumgartner KB, Ballard-Barbash R. (2010). Posttraumatic growth and health-related quality of life in a racially diverse cohort of breast cancer survivors. Journal of Health Psychology, 15, 615−626.
• Bellizzi KM, Rowland JH, Aziz N, Hamilton A, & Arora N. Physical activity and quality of life in adult non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivors. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2009: 27 (6), 960-966.
• Bellizzi KM, Mustian KM, Palesh OG, Diefenbach M. Cancer survivorship and aging: Moving the science forward. Cancer 2008: 113 (12), 3530-3539.
• Bellizzi KM, Miller SM, Bowen DJ, Mustian KM, & Resnick B. Aging in the context of cancer prevention and control: Perspectives from behavioral medicine. Cancer 2008: 113 (12) 3479-3483.
• Bellizzi KM, Latini DM, & Cowan, JE, Duchane J, Carroll PR and the CaPSURE Investigators. Fear of recurrence, symptom burden and quality of life in men with prostate cancer. Urology  2008: 72 (6), 1269-73.
• Clauser S, Arora N, Bellizzi K, Haffer C, Topor M, Hayes R. Disparities in HRQOL of cancer survivors and non-cancer managed care enrollees. Health Care Financing Review 2008: 29 (4), 23-40.
• Blank TO & Bellizzi KM. A gerontological perspective on cancer and aging. Cancer 2008:112 (11) 2569-2576.
• Rowland JH & Bellizzi KM. Cancer Survivors and Survivorship Research: A Reflection on Today’s Successes and Tomorrow’s Challenges. Hematology/Oncology Clinics of North America 2008: 22 (2), 181-200.
• Aziz NM & Bellizzi KM. Older survivors and cancer care.Journal of the National Cancer Institute 2008: 100 (1), 4-5.
• Bellizzi KM & Rowland JH. Comorbidity, cancer-related symptoms and the health of elderly cancer survivors. Aging Health2007:3 (5), 625-635.
• Bellizzi KM, Rowland JH, & Jeffery DD. Current health behaviors of cancer survivors: Examining opportunities for cancer control intervention. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2005: 23 (34), 8884-8893.