ENABLE Lab member Brittney Greene’s abstract entitled: “Examining Behavioral Economic Strategies to Improve Recruitment and Retention Rates across Four Randomized Controlled Trials” will be recognized as a Meritorious Abstract at the upcoming meeting for the Society of Behavioral Medicine in April 2023!
A recent publication from the ENABLE lab sheds light on how critical drivers of health disparities (such as race, gender, and income) are associated with where patients with cancer obtain cannabis, what forms they use, and what may influence their purchase decisions. As rates of cannabis use rise in patients with cancer, identifying opportunities to reduce health disparities will be essential.
Ashare, R., Turay, E., Worster, B., Wetherill, R., Bidwell, L., Doucette, A., & Meghani, S. (in press). Social Determinants of Health Associated with How Cannabis is Obtained and Used in Patients with Cancer Receiving Care a Cancer Treatment Center in Pennsylvania. Cannabis.
ENABLE Lab member Esther Turay was awarded a SUNY/OMH Mental Health Scholarship which supports students in mental health fields. This is a prestigious and well-deserved honor. Check out her feature in UBNow:
https://www.buffalo.edu/ubnow/stories/2023/04/mental-health-scholarships.html
Learn more about the program here:
The ENABLE lab is excited to welcome four new Research Assistants this Fall! Go to the Our Team page to learn more!
Ashlan Hubbard
Ashlan is a senior at UB majoring in Psychology and minoring in Neuroscience. She plans to go to graduate school to pursue a degree in clinical psychology.
Geetha Janga
Geetha is a senior at UB majoring in Biological Sciences and minoring in Business Management. She plans to go to medical school.
Tina Nguyuen
Tina is a senior at UB majoring in Biological Sciences. She plans to go to medical school to study Family Medicine.
Ben Redfield
Ben is a senior at UB majoring in psychology. He plans to go to graduate school to pursue a degree in clinical psychology.
A recent commentary published in ASCO Daily News by Dr. Ashare, Director of the ENABLE lab, and colleagues at Thomas Jefferson University and the University of Pennsylvania highlights the importance and need for more research around how patients with cancer are using cannabis to manage cancer- or treatment-related symptoms.
Although more research is needed, oncology providers can better address their patients’ needs by understanding the basics of pharmacology, dosing, indication, and regulation.
The article states even though many patients use cannabis for symptom management, evidence around its use is still evolving. The diversity and number of products available also increases the complexity of understanding how cannabis is being used and its effectiveness.
The UB Enhancing Research in Behavioral Health (ENABLE) lab, directed by Dr. Rebecca Ashare, is committed to advancing research and intervention methods aimed at improving overall quality of life for people with medical and psychiatric conditions. We do this by helping people improve health behaviors and by addressing health disparities through innovative science and community engaged approaches.
We are also devoted to education and training the next generation of scientists.
Take a look around and feel free to reach out with any questions!