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Lauren Ghazal, PhD, FNP-BC

(Pronouns: she/her/hers)
  • Assistant Professor

Education

  • Postdoctoral Fellowship in Cancer Care Delivery Research, 2023. University of Michigan. Ann Arbor, MI
  • PhD in Nursing Research and Theory Development, 2021. New York University. New York, NY
  • Masters in Nursing, 2016. Regis College. Weston, MA
  • BSN in Nursing, 2015. Regis College. Weston, MA
  • BA in Economics, 2013. Boston College. Chestnut Hill, MA

Bio

Lauren Ghazal, PhD, FNP-BC, is an assistant professor and researcher at the University of Rochester School of Nursing. As a family nurse practitioner and cancer survivor, she brings a unique perspective to her research, which focuses on improving the health and quality of life of adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors. Her work also explores the financial toxicity of cancer care among AYAs, integrating her background in economics and health care. This passion stems from her personal experience with stage-two Hodgkin lymphoma, which she battled during her PhD studies. Ghazal is recognized for her innovative approach to research, and was chosen as a 2023 STAT Wunderkind, “next-generation scientific superstar,” in a national contest that singles out young, high achievers from top research institutions. Ghazal earned her bachelor's degree in economics from Boston College, and a bachelor's and master's degree in nursing from Regis College. She earned her PhD in nursing research and theory development from New York University in 2021. Following her PhD, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Cancer Care Delivery Research at the University of Michigan in 2023. At the University of Rochester, she is part of the Wilmot Cancer Institute’s Cancer Prevention and Control research group, contributing significantly to AYA cancer studies.


Awards

Conference Poster Award
American Psychosocial Oncology Society (APOS), 2026

Victoria Mock New Investigator Award
Oncology Nursing Society, 2026

Faculty Honors Award
University of Rochester, 2024

Advanced Practitioner Trailblazer Award
Healio, 2024

Fellow
New York Academy of Medicine, 2024

Wunderkind Award
STAT News, 2023

Mara Morgensen Flaherty Memorial Lectureship
Oncology Nursing Foundation, 2023

PhD Valedictorian
New York University, 2021

University-wide Outstanding Dissertation Award
New York University, 2021

Presentations

Survivor-informed recommendations to improve workplace support for young adult cancer survivors
American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Quality Care Symposium, 2025


Improving Quality of Life for LGBTQ+ Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Grand Rounds, 2025


Financial Toxicity of Cancer Care
University of Pittsburgh, 32nd Annual Interprofessional Healthcare Ethics Conference, Bridging Values and Experience: Difficult Discussions in Healthcare, 2025


Ethical dilemmas experienced by NCORP sites in managing drug shortages
American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Quality Care Symposium, 2025


Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivorship: A Nurse Researcher’s Perspective
Regis College, Distinguished Scholar Lecture, 2024


Keynote Speaker: Finding Your Why in Oncology
Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health, 27th Radiation Oncology Conference for Nurses, Physicians, Therapists and Dosimetrists, 2024


Innovation in Nursing Research
Wilmot Cancer Institute-Roswell Comprehensive Cancer Center Nursing Innovation Conference, 2024


Forward-thinking: Progress, Gaps, and Impact in Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivorship
National Cancer Institute, Office of Cancer Survivorship Director’s Series, 2024


Research engagement in underrepresented adolescent and young adult cancer survivors
Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group-American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ECOG-ACRIN) Cancer Research Group, 2024


Experiences of underrepresented adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors engaging in research-related activities
American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, 2024


Financial Toxicity in Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology
Eastern Nursing Research Society (ENRS) Annual Conference, 2024


Types of work young adults perform to adjust to a cancer diagnosis and treatment
American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, 2023


Sex, Drugs, and Rock'n'Roll - the Tough Topics in AYA Oncology
2023 American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology (ASPHO) Conference, 2023


One size does not fit all: Cancer survivorship in diverse populations
Oncology Nursing Society Congress, 2023


Impact of Financial Toxicity on Patient Outcomes” and “How Can Healthcare Professionals Get Involved
PharmacyTimes, Clinical Conversations with the Cancer Care Team: Striving for Equitable Access to Oral Anticancer Medications, 2023


Policy and Practice Strategies for Addressing the Oncology Nursing Workforce Shortage
Invited Keynote Session “Building Clinician Well-Being Through Team-Based Care Delivery” at the ASCO Quality Care Symposium, 2023


Keynote Speaker: Finding Your Why in Oncology Nursing
Oncology Nursing Society, ONS Bridge Premier Virtual Oncology Nursing Conference, 2023


Leveraging Secondary Qualitative Data among AYA Cancer Survivors
The 5th Global Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Congress, 2023


"Don’t Change Yourself for Other People": How Adolescents and Young Adults (AYAs) Living with Cancer Offer Advice to Other AYA Patients
National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, Cancer Policy and Advocacy Team (CPAT) Virtual Symposium and Hill Week Kickoff, 2022


"Both a life saver and totally shameful” – Young adult cancer survivors’ perceptions of medical crowdfunding
Eastern Nursing Research Society (ENRS) Annual Conference, 2022


How Does Work Work Among AYAs with Cancer?
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Nursing T32 in Developing and Testing of Theory-based Interventions for Preventing and Managing Chronic Illness (T32-NR-007091), 2022


Medical Debt for Cancer Survivors
National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, Cancer Policy Round Table, 2022


Publications

  • Karly M. Ingram, Janet A. Tooze, Sharon M. Castellino, Katherine A. McLean, John M. Salsman, Lauren V. Ghazal, Heather Miller, James Lloyd Wade, III, Robert J. Behrens, Joanne C. Sandberg, Carla Strom, Thomas A. Arcury, Glenn J. Lesser, Suzanne C. Danhauer (2026). Work Ability in Young Adult Survivors (WAYS WF-10217): Documenting Labor Force Participation, Occupation, and Educational Attainment Following Cancer Treatment. Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology. DOI: 10.1177/21565333261418478

  • Robles, J.M., Ji, L., Dressler, E.V., Nightingale, C.L., Kittel, C., Salsman, J.M., Ghazal, L.V., Murphy, K.M., Roth, M., Parsons, S.K. & Beauchemin, M.P. (2025). Financial Distress Screening and Financial Navigation Among Adolescents and Young Adults Within the National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program: Results of the 2022 Landscape Survey. JCO Oncology Practice. DOI: 10.1200/OP-25-00389

  • Quinn, G.P., Bayefsky, M., Cherven, B., Ghazal, L.V., Goldman, K.N., Levin, N.F., Nahata, L., Najari, B., Thakker, S., Greenberg, D.R., Halpern, J.A. & Vadaparampil, S.T. (2025). Update and new advances in fertility preservation and cancer. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. PMID: 40794467 DOI: 10.3322/caac.70029

  • Clark, V., Insalaco, M.E., Kamen, C.K., Ghazal, L.V. (2025). 100 Miles for QVOICES: An overview of the benefits and costs of crowdfunding as a funding mechanism for research (Preprint). JMIR Public Health and Surveillance. DOI: 10.2196/80079

  • Turner, C.A., Waters, A.R., Ghazal, L.V., Poquadeck, M., Killela, M., Cloyes, K.G., Rains, S.A., Kirchhoff, A.C/ & Warner, E.L. (2025). Differences in cancer-related crowdfunding between transgender or gender diverse and cisgender LGBTQ+ cancer campaigns: a mixed-methods analysis. Supportive Care in Cancer. DOI: 10.1007/s00520-025-09575-7

  • Ghazal, L.V., Mohile, S., Loh, K.P., Mustian, K., Sventek, G., Gada, U., Li, C.S., Culakova, E., Foust, M., Hopkins, J.O., Kehn, H., Kamen, C., Fox, E.R. & Hill, E.L. (2025). Impact of Drug Shortages on Cancer Care Delivery Within the National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program. JCO Oncology Practice. PMID: 40712114 DOI: 10.1200/OP-25-00057

  • Ghazal, L.V., Silberman, A., Solis, R., Williams, J.M,. Davis, A.M., Shanley, J.E., Martino, L., Benedict, C. & Thom, B. (2025). A Community-Led Approach to Addressing Health Disparities among Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors. Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology. PMID: 40607936 DOI: 10.1089/jayao.2025.0008

  • Ghazal, L.V., Doran, J., Bryant, M., Zebrack, B., & Liang, M.I. (2024). Evaluation of a Conference on Cancer-Related Financial and Legal Issues: A Potential Resource to Counter Financial Toxicity. Current Oncology. DOI: 10.3390/curroncol31050214

  • Ghazal, L.V., Johnston, H., Dodd, E., Ramachandra, Y., Giallourakis, N., Fulginiti, K., & Kamen, C. (2024). A Needs Assessment Approach for Adolescent and Young Adult Sexual and Gender Diverse Cancer Survivors. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21040424

  • Waters, A.R., Easterly, C.W., Turner, C., Ghazal, L., Tovar, I., Mulvaney, M., Poquadeck, M., Rains, S.A., Cloyes, K.G., Kirchhoff, A.C., Kent, E.E., & Warner, E.L. (2024). LGBTQ+ inequity in crowdfunding cancer costs: The influence of online reach and LGBTQ+ state policy. Cancer Medicine. DOI: 10.1002/cam4.6926

  • Sinko, L., Ghazal, L.V., Alex Fauer, A., & Wheldon, C.W. (2023). It takes more than rainbows: Supporting sexual and gender minority patients with trauma-informed cancer care. ACS Journals, Cancer. DOI: 10.1002/cncr.35120

  • Francis-Levin, N., Ghazal, L.V., Francis-Levin, J., Zebrack, B., Chen, M., & Zhang, A. (2023). Exploring the Relationship between Self-Rated Health and Unmet Cancer Needs among Sexual and Gender Minority Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer. Current Oncology. PMID: 37887571 PMCID: PMC10605547 DOI: 10.3390/curroncol30100671

  • Waters, A.R., Turner,C., Easterly, C.W., Tovar, I., Mulvaney, M., Poquadeck, M., Johnston, H., Ghazal, L.V., Rains, S.A., Cloyes K.G., Kirchhoff, A.C., & Warner. E.L. (2023). Exploring Online Crowdfunding for Cancer-Related Costs Among LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Plus) Cancer Survivors: Integration of Community-Engaged and Technology-Based.Methodologies. JMIR Cancer. PMID: 37902829 PMCID: PMC10644187 DOI: 10.2196/51605

  • Ghazal, L.V., Wentzell, K., & Blanchette, J.E. (2023). Mobilizing Research to Understand the Impact of Financial Toxicity Among Adolescents and Young Adults Diagnosed With Chronic Diseases. Journal of Adolescent Health. DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2023.05.020

  • Nessle, C.N., Ghazal, L.V., Choi S.W., & Fetters, M.D. (2023). Joint Display of Integrated Data Collection for Mixed Methods Research: An Illustration From a Pediatric Oncology Quality Improvement Study. Annals of Family Medicine. DOI: 10.1370/afm.2985

  • Smith, J.M., Annis, A.M., Courtwright, S.E., Ghazal, L.V., Girouard, S., Jones, D., Ma, C., McGee, B.T., Nikpour, J., Riman, K.A., Root, M.C., Smith, J.G., Thompson, R.A., Turi, E., Cary, M. et al., & Kurtzman, E.T. (2023). Nurses Leading the Way: Insights From the 2023 AcademyHealth Interdisciplinary Research Group on Nursing Issues Annual Meeting. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 14 (2), 57-62. DOI: 10.1016/S2155-8256(23)00093-5

  • Chino, F., Baez, A., Elkins, I.B., Aviki, E.M., Lauren V. Ghazal, L.V., & Thom, B. (2023). The Patient Experience of Prior Authorization for Cancer Care. JAMA Network Open. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.38182

  • Ghazal, L.V., Abrahamse, P. Ward, K.C., Morris, A.M., Hawley, S.T., & Veenstra, C.M. (2023). Financial Toxicity and Its Association With Health-Related Quality of Life Among Partners of Colorectal Cancer Survivors. JAMA Network Open. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.5897

  • Ghazal, L. V., Wason, S. E., Gentry, B., & Santacroce, S.J. (2023). “Both a life saver and totally shameful”: young adult cancer survivors’ perceptions of medical crowdfunding. Journal of Cancer Survivorship. PMID: 35169983 PMCID: PMC9378759 DOI: 10.1007/s11764-022-01188-x

  • Ghazal, L.V., Merriman, J.D., Santacroce, S.J., Fletcher, J., Wright, F., & Dickson, V. V. (2023). Profiles of Work and Quality of Life among Young Adult Cancer Survivors. Western Journal of Nursing Research. PMID: 36529990 DOI: 10.1177/01939459221120742

  • Ghazal, L.V., Merriman, J.D., Santacroce, S.J., Fletcher, J., Wright, F., & Dickson, V. V. (2022). Exploration of Relationships Between Symptoms, Work Characteristics, and Quality of Life in Young Adult Hematologic Cancer Survivors. Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology. PMID: 34882016 PMCID: PMC9639603 DOI: 10.1089/jayao.2021.0135

  • Kurtzman, E.T., Ghazal, L.V. , Girouard, S., Ma, C., Martin, B., McGee, B.T., Pogue, C.A., Riman, K.A., Root, M.C., Schlak, A.E., Smith, J.M., Stolldorf, D.P., Townley, J.N., Turi, E., & Germack, H.L. (2022). Nursing Workforce Challenges in the Postpandemic World. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 13 (2), 49-60. PMID: 35880143 PMCID: PMC9299514 DOI: 10.1016/S2155-8256(22)00061-8

  • Lauren V.G., Cole, S., Salsman, J.M., Lynne Wagner, L., Duan, F., Gareen, I., Lux, L., Parsons, S.K., Cheung, C., Loeb, D.M., Prasad, P., Shira Dinner, S., & Zebrack, B. (2022). Social Genomics as a Framework for Understanding Health Disparities Among Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors: A Commentary. JCO Precision Oncology. PMID: 35772048 PMCID: PMC9259142 DOI: 10.1200/PO.21.00462

  • Witkoski-Stimpfel,A., Ghazal, L., Goldsamt, L.A., & Vaughan-Dickson, V. (2022). Individual and Work Factors Associated with Psychosocial Health of Registered Nurses During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Mixed Methods Study. JOEM. DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000002495

  • Hughes, T.L., Jackman, K., Dorsen, C., Arslanian-Engoren, C., Ghazal, L., Christenberry-Deceased, T., Coleman, C.L., Mackin, M. Moore, S.E., Mukerjee, R., Sherman, Smith. S., Walker, R. (2022). How can the nursing profession help reduce sexual and gender minority related health disparities: Recommendations from the National Nursing LGBTQ Health Summit. Nursing Outlook. PMID: 35430056 PMCID: PMC9393898 DOI: 10.1016/j.outlook.2022.02.005

  • Ghazal, L.V., Petrovsky, D.V., & Carpenter, J.S. (2022). Leadership corner: FAANs and the National Cancer Advisory Board. Nursing Outlook. PMID: 35164935 PMCID: PMC9382877 DOI: 10.1016/j.outlook.2021.12.005

  • Ghazal, L.V., Santacroce, S.J., Merriman, J.D., & Dickson, V.V. (2022). "Now Everybody Is Thinking about Things Like That." Young Adult Cancer Survivors Reimagining Work during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Nursing Research, 71 (2), 153-157. PMID: 34818265 DOI: 10.1097/NNR.0000000000000567

  • Witkoski-Stimpfel,A., Ghazal, L., Goldsamt, L.A., Zhanay, J., & Vaughan-Dickson, V. (2022). Original Research: Losing the Art and Failing the Science of Nursing: The Experiences of Nurses Working During the COVID-19 Pandemic. American Journal of Nursing. DOI: 10.1097/01.NAJ.0000827324.34143.7a

  • Ghazal, L. ., Santacroce, S.J., Merriman, J.D., & Dickson, V.V. (2022). “Now Everybody Is Thinking About Things Like That.” Young Adult Cancer Survivors Reimagining Work During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Nursing Research. PMID: 34818265 DOI: 10.1097/NNR.0000000000000567

  • Ghazal, L.V., Gormley, M., Merriman, J.D., & Santacroce, S.J. (2021). Financial Toxicity in Adolescents and Young Adults With Cancer: A Concept Analysis. Cancer Nursing. PMID: 34694089 PMCID: PMC11972056 DOI: 10.1097/NCC.0000000000000972

  • Ghazal, L.V., Merriman, J., Santacroce, S.J., & Dickson, V.V. (2021). Survivors’ Dilemma: Young Adult Cancer Survivors’ Perspectives of Work-Related Goals. Workplace Health & Safety. PMID: 34039084 PMCID: PMC8599614 DOI: 10.1177/21650799211012675

  • Germack, H. Cary, M., Gilmartin, H., Girouard, S., Jones, T.M., Martin, B.J., Norful, A.A., Anusiewicz, C.V., Estrada, L.V., P., Gerchow, L., Ghazal, L.V., et al.. Stolldorf, D.P. (2021). Leading Policy and Practice Change During Unprecedented Times: The Nursing Health Services Research Response. Journal of Nursing Regulation. PMID: 34513205 PMCID: PMC8425338 DOI: 10.1016/s2155-8256(21)00057-0

  • Gormley, M., Ghazal, L., Fu, M.R., Van Cleave, J.H., Knobf, T., & Hammer, M. (2020). An Integrative Review on Factors Contributing to Fear of Cancer Recurrence Among Young Adult Breast Cancer Survivors. Cancer Nursing. PMID: 32657897 DOI: 10.1097/NCC.0000000000000858

  • Ghazal, L.V., Ma, C., Djukic, M., & Squires, A. (2020). Transition-to-U.S. Practice Experiences of Internationally Educated Nurses: An Integrative Review. Western Journal of Nursing Research. PMID: 31271112 DOI: 10.1177/0193945919860855

  • Ma, C., Ghazal, L., Chou, S., Ea, E., & Squires, A. (2020). Unit utilization of internationally educated nurses and collaboration in u.S. hospitals. Nursing Economics, 38 (1), 33-40.

Projects
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