Patricia Pedreira Abreu, MS

Patricia Pedreira Abreu

Undergraduate School
Boston College

Graduate School
University of Miami

 

 

Interests & Career Goals

My research and clinical interests are centered around the field of psycho-oncology, with a particular focus on understanding how Hispanic culture influences how individuals cope and navigate cancer. My work focuses on improving the well-being and health outcomes of cancer patients and their loved ones through psychosocial and behavioral symptom management interventions. Additionally, I am interested in supporting interregional research collaborations and the development of psychosocial oncology in Latin America, as well as advocating for patient-centered care in oncology settings. In the future, I aspire to establish a clinical and research career dedicated to reducing cancer outcome disparities and improving quality of life for underserved populations.

Favorite Pastimes

I enjoy taking barre fitness or Pilates classes, hiking, traveling to new places, exploring new restaurants, making Spotify playlists, and spending time with my partner and family.

Why I Chose Duke

I was drawn to Duke’s Adult Health – Cancer Concentration for its outstanding opportunity to further develop expertise in psycho-oncology. Duke's philanthropically funded Cancer Patient Support Program offers valuable training opportunities through its flexibility in service provision without billing constraints and exposure to a diverse range of patient populations. The Cancer Concentration stood out to me due to its emphasis on creating an internship experience tailored to my clinical interests and goals, quality supervision, and variety of research opportunities in psycho-oncology. Additionally, I value the program’s emphasis on providing depth and breadth of training through year-long elective rotations, such as the Duke Fertility Center and Transplant/Medical Psychology Program.

Research Interests

My research examines the sociocultural, biobehavioral, and psychosocial mechanisms that contribute to health outcomes and disparities among marginalized groups, with a focus on Hispanic cancer survivors. Additionally, I am interested in the development of culturally sensitive, evidence-based psychosocial interventions for cancer survivors and their implementation within health systems, mHealth platforms, and the community.

Publications

  • Pedreira, P.B., Fleszar-Pavlović, S.E., Walsh, E.A., Noriega Esquives, B., Moreno, P.I., Perdomo, D., Heller, A.S., Antoni, M.H., & Penedo, F.J. (2024). Familism, family cohesion, and health-related quality of life in Hispanic prostate cancer survivors. Journal of Behavioral Medicine. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-024-00479-1
  • Walsh, E.A., Boland, C., Popok, P.J., Pedreira, P.B., Fox, R.S., Moreno, P.I., Yanez, B., & Penedo, F.J. (2023). Marital status and perceived stress in men with advanced prostate cancer: A randomized-controlled trial of cognitive behavioral stress management. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 167, 111198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2023.111198
  • Walsh, E.A., Pedreira, P.B., Moreno, P.I., Popok, P.J., Fox, R.S., Yanez, B., Antoni, M.H., & Penedo, F.J. (2023). Pain, cancer-related distress, and physical and functional well-being among men with advanced prostate cancer. Support Care Cancer, 31(1), 28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-022-07453-0
  • Pedreira, P.B., Mitchell, H., Ting, A., & Kim, Y. (2019). Sociocultural investigation of cancer caregiving. In A.J. Applebaum (Ed.), Cancer Caregivers (pp. 70-82). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Selected Poster Presentations

  • Perdomo, D., Pedreira, P., Silvera, C., Krause, M., Antoni, M.H., & Penedo, F.J. (2024, March 6-8). Participant characteristics and recruitment barriers in culturally adapted cognitive behavioral stress management RCT for Hispanic prostate cancer survivors [Poster presentation]. American Psychosocial Oncology Society Annual Conference, Albuquerque, NM.
  • Lopes, M., Walsh, E.A., Antoni, M.H., Pedreira, P., Traeger, L., Perdomo, D.M., Yanez, B., & Penedo, F.J. (2024, March 13-16). Machismo, social support, and perceived stress in Hispanic prostate cancer survivors [Poster presentation]. Society of Behavioral Medicine Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Walsh, E.A., Pedreira, P., Lopes, M., Antoni, M.H., Perdomo, D.M., Traeger, L., Yanez, B., & Penedo, F. (2024, March 6-8). Predictors and dose-response effects of engagement with cognitive behavioral stress management for Hispanic men with prostate cancer [Poster presentation]. American Psychosocial Oncology Society Annual Conference, Albuquerque, NM.
  • Lopes, M., Walsh, E.A., Antoni, M.H., Pedreira, P., Traeger, L., Perdomo, D.M., Yanez, B., & Penedo, F.J. (2024, March 20-23). Social disruption, perceived efficacy of patient-physician interactions, and health anxiety in Hispanic prostate cancer survivors [Poster presentation]. American Psychosomatic Society Annual Meeting, Brighton, United Kingdom.
  • Marchetti, D., Leite, R.O., Pedreira, P., Walsh, E., Wallace, D.M., & Wohlgemuth, W. (2023, March 8-11). Investigating coronasomnia in a sample of diverse Veterans [Poster presentation]. American Psychosomatic Society Annual Meeting, San Juan, PR.
  • Walsh, E.A., Leite, R. O., Pedreira, P.B., Wallace, D., Marchetti, D., & Wohlgemuth, W. (2023, March 8-11). The apnea hypopnea index versus hypoxic load: Elucidating the effects of comorbid sleep apnea and insomnia on functioning [Poster presentation]. American Psychosomatic Society Annual Meeting, San Juan, PR.
  • Leite, R.O., Pedreira, P.B., Walsh, E.A., Wallace, D., & Wohlgemuth, W.K. (2023, March 8-11). The associations among morningness-eveningness, insomnia, and depressive symptoms in U.S. Veterans [Poster presentation]. American Psychosomatic Society Annual Meeting, San Juan, PR.
  • Silvera, C.A., Pedreira, P.B., Perdomo, D., Heller, A.S., Antoni, M.H., & Penedo, F.J. (2023, April 26-29). Machismo and fatalism moderate the associations between pain interference and anxiety and depression in Hispanic prostate cancer patients [Poster presentation]. Society of Behavioral Medicine Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions, Phoenix, AZ.
  • Quintana, C., Mitchell, H., Tsai, T.C., Cruz, E., Tee, T., Pedreira, P.B., & Kim, Y. (2022, April 6-9). Effects of posttraumatic stress symptoms on cancer preventive behaviors among caregivers of patients with colorectal cancer [Poster presentation]. Society of Behavioral Medicine Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions, Baltimore, MD.
  • Tsai, T.C., Hurwitz, B., Ting, A., Pedreira, P., Carver, C., & Kim, Y. (2021, April 23-16) Effects of benefit finding and impulsivity on experimentally induced stress physiology among cancer patients and caregivers [Research spotlight]. Society of Behavioral Medicine Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions. https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kaab020
  • Ting, A., Zeitzer, J.M., Hahn, K., Pedreira, P.B., & Kim, Y. (2020, April 1-4). Role of adult attachment and intimacy in sleep in colorectal cancer patients and spousal caregivers [Poster presentation]. Society of Behavioral Medicine Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions, San Francisco, CA. (Conference canceled)
  • Madigan, E., Ting, A., Pedreira, P., Castanos, V., Leon, M., Wohlgemuth, W., & Kim, Y. (2020, March 11-14). Role of cancer stress and daytime health behaviors in sleep among spousal caregivers of colorectal cancer patients [Poster presentation]. American Psychosomatic Society Annual Meeting, Long Beach, CA. (Conference canceled)
  • Lee, G.G., Ting, A., Mitchell, H., Pedreira, P.B., Hahn, K., Mendez, A., Carver, C.S., & Kim, Y. (2019, April 2). The effects of benefit finding on circulatory biomarkers in colorectal cancer patients [Poster presentation]. Undergraduate Research, Creativity, and Innovation Forum, Coral Gables, FL.
  • Pedreira, P.B., Ting, A., Mitchell, H., & Kim, Y. (2019, March 9-12). Stressed body, stressed mind: Longitudinal investigation of telomere length associated with cancer-related stress among family caregivers of adult patients [Poster presentation]. American Psychosomatic Society Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC.
  • Pedreira, P., Mitchell, H., Ting, A., May, M., & Kim, Y. (2018, March 7-10). Influence of patients’ cancer-related stress perception and familism on salivary alpha-amylase [Poster presentation]. American Psychosomatic Society Annual Meeting, Louisville, KY.
  • Pedreira, P., Mitchell, H., Ting, A., & Kim, Y. (2017, October 20-21). Effects of patients’ cancer-related stress perception and familism on neuroendocrine functioning [Poster presentation]. American Psychosomatic Society Mid-Year Meeting, Berkeley, CA.

Research Talks

  • Pedreira, P.B., Fleszar-Pavlović, S.E., Griffin, M.A., Silvera, C.A., & Penedo, F.J. (2024, March 20-23). Psychosocial interventions to improve quality of life in Hispanic/Latino cancer survivors: A meta-analysis [Paper presentation]. American Psychosomatic Society Annual Meeting, Brighton, United Kingdom.
  • Pedreira, P.B., Moreno, P.I., Perdomo, D., Heller, A.S., Antoni, M.H., & Penedo, F.J. (2023, April 26-29). Family cohesion moderates the association between familism and disease-specific quality of life in Hispanic prostate cancer survivors [Paper presentation]. Society of Behavioral Medicine Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions, Phoenix, AZ.
  • Pedreira, P.B., Walsh, E.A., Leite, R.O., Wallace, D., & Wohlgemuth, W.K. (2023, March 8-11). Comorbid insomnia and sleep apnea influence social functioning: Variation by PTSD diagnosis [Paper presentation]. American Psychosomatic Society Annual Meeting, San Juan, PR.