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  • W.O.W. Research Lab

  • The Well-Being, Oncology, and Work (W.O.W.) research lab is headed by Dr. Raque and is comprised of doctoral and master's students, as well as recent graduates.  Research conducted by the lab includes the topics of work and health with a specific focus on well-being and cancer survivorship.  

    Dr. Raque's research lab is open to interested doctoral and master's level students. *Dr. Raque is currently accepting new students.*

    Past and current projects include the following:

    • "Activating Happiness" Project: lab partnership with Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers (RMCC) to design a four-week, 90-minute manualized, positive psychology and mindfulness-based group research intervention for cancer survivors and caregivers; interventions included psychoeducation and skill building for mindfulness, gratitude and forgiveness
      • Student lab members helped to develop the intervention, deliver training webinars to RMCC social workers, submit documentation for IRB-approval, coordinate participant enrollment, co-faciliate groups with an RMCC social worker, and assist in the data analysis process
    • "Work and Cancer" Project: lab partnership with the New York City-based advocacy organization Cancer and Careers exploring the impact of cancer on the work lives of cancer survivors
      • Student lab members helped to coordinate and run five focus groups with cancer survivors, assist in grounded theory qualitative data analysis, develop various qualitative models, and develop and validate an assessment scale to screen for work-related susceptibilities faced by cancer survivors 
    • Guided group discussion about individual experiences of cancer and caregiving
    • Work lives and career development of young breast cancer survivors
    • Examining a model of restoring well-being after a diagnosis of breast cancer
    • A self-compassion expressive writing intervention for college women to improve body image
    • Exploring the importance of meaningful work in the physical and mental well-being of cancer patients and survivors
    • Career path of counseling psychologists working in medical education
    • Meta-ethnography of social isolation and loneliness of cancer survivors
    • Career paths/development of psychologists working in the area of oncology

    The lab meets monthly as a big group, and then smaller meetings occur more frequently for specific projects. Lab members have the opportunity to participate on projects in which they are most interested, and are encouraged to be involved in presentation and manuscript preparation. Additionally, self-reflective topics such as how to best cultivate and foster cultural humility as clinicians, students, and researchers are also explored.

    Hiking in Golden Gate Canyon State Park | July 2019

    Ellen Joseph, Kait Ross, Julia Ratchford, Megan Solberg, Olivia Zech, Anna Hangge, Pippa Tucker, Dr. Raque (left to right)

    Lab dinner gathering | Spring 2018

    Anna Hangge, Megan Solberg, Britney Tibbits , Marisa Kostiuk, Brooke Lamphere, Ellen Joseph, Brittany Hayes, Sarina Ponte, Olivia Zech, Kait Ross (left to right)

     

    Spring 2016 End of Year Celebration

    Dr. Raque, Brooke Lamphere, Marisa Kostiuk, Maura Gissen, Megan Beranek, Ellen Joseph (left to right)

     

    The lab also aims to foster collaboration among members, with a dose of fun.  The inspiration for the lab name "W.O.W." grew, in part, out of Beck's song, "Wow."  

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyCkhPTU13w

    Hopefully, one day the lab can recreate their own music video...in the meantime, we will focus on research!

  • Posters & Presentations

  • Dr. Raque and Brooke Lamphere (Recipient of the 2019 CP PhD program research award)

     

    Megan Solberg & Dr. Raque

    APA 2018 | San Francisco, CA

     

    Dr. Amanda Kracen, Dr. Nicole Taylor, Dr. Raque, Ellen Joseph & Kait Ross

    APOS 2018 Symposium Presentation

    Kait Ross & Ellen Joseph

    APOS 2018 | Tuscan, Arizona

    Kait Ross, Megan Solberg, Ellen Joseph, Susan Ash-Lee (RMCC), and Jill Mitchell (RMCC)

    March 2018 | Activating Happiness Clinical Intervention Development Meeting

    Dr. Raque & Ellen Joseph

    APOS 2017 | Orlando, FL

    Ellen Joseph

    APA 2017 | Washington DC

    Brooke Lamphere

    APA 2016 | Denver, CO

    Julia Ratchford & Dr. Raque

    APA 2016 | Denver, CO

    Russell Anderson presenting his self-compassion research

    Association for Contextual Behavioral Science Conference, 2016 | Seattle, WA

     

    Julia Ratchford & Doris Zhang

    APA 2016 | Denver, CO

    Master's Students at APA 2016 | Denver, CO

     

  • Meet W.O.W. Lab Members

  • Ellen Joseph
    Ellen Joseph

    Ellen is a doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology program at the University of Denver. Ellen received her BA from Gettysburg College in 2011 where she majored in psychology and minored in elementary education. She received her MA in counseling psychology from the University of Denver in 2017. Ellen’s research interests include the impact of positive psychology interventions on women's health issues and cancer survivorship, and the career development process for cancer survivors. She is interested in pursuing a career in integrated care, where she can support clients with the intersectionality between physical and mental health. Ellen is currently assisting with a research project examining the impact of a positive psychology and mindfulness workshop intervention on the mental and physical health of cancer survivors. In her free time, Ellen enjoys hiking, running, doing yoga, cooking, playing with her dog, and spending time with family and friends. She is happy to talk to prospective students about DU, the Counseling Psychology program, and the WOW lab - feel free to contact her at ellencjoseph@gmail.com

  • Brooke Lamphere
    Brooke Lamphere

    Brooke is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Counseling Psychology. Her research interests include psychosocial aspects of chronic illness and disability, specifically issues related to body image, identity, and well-being. Her dissertation research will evaluate the fit of a sociocultural model of body image in a sample of elite women athletes with disabilities, and is being conducted in partnership with the Untied States Olympic and Paralympic Committee. Brooke’s other research interests include positive and health psychology, cultural responsiveness in sport and counseling psychology, the integration of mental health and performance enhancement services, and the efficacy of mindfulness- and acceptance-based interventions. She has worked on several projects with Dr. Raque-Bogdan including projects focused on self-compassion, body image, and expressive writing in college women, a meta-ethnography exploring survivor loneliness in cancer survivors, a qualitative exploration of self-compassion expressive writing, and the evaluation of a model of restorative well-being in cancer survivors. In her free time, Brooke enjoys playing sports, yoga, hiking, reading, watching the Denver Broncos, and spending time with her puppy, family, and friends.

  • Julia Ratchford
    Julia Ratchford

    Julia is a doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology program at the University of Denver. She received her BA in Educational Studies from Belmont Abbey College and her MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Denver. In the WOW lab, Julia has collaborated on health- and career-focused projects including counseling psychologists’ experiences working in medical education and the impact of cancer on work. Through her doctoral training, Julia has obtained experience working in integrated health care settings, including family medicine, inpatient psychiatry, and a VA hospital. As a result of her clinical training, Julia has developed a passion for collaborative team-based care with specific research interests in patient-provider interactions within medical settings. In her free time, Julia loves riding her dirt bike, backpacking, listening to live music, and cooking. She appreciates the value of networking and utilizing resources so feel free to reach out to her for more information at julia.ratchford@du.edu.

  • Chrissy Motzny
    Chrissy Motzny

    Chrissy is a PhD student in the Counseling Psychology program. She earned her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Health Education from Humboldt State University in California. Prior to attending DU, she worked on interdisciplinary teams in a rural healthcare setting to reduce hospital admission for patients with chronic illnesses. Her research interests include primary care/behavioral health integration, inter-professional collaboration and team-based care, and preventions and interventions to improve health outcomes of patients with (comorbid) chronic health conditions. Her particular focus is on medically underserved populations with the overall goal of reducing health disparities. She is currently assisting with research to examine mental and physical well-being in caregivers of lung cancer survivors, as well as a qualitative comparison study using an expressive writing intervention with college women. In her self-care time, she enjoys cross-fit, running, playing softball, snowboarding, and dancing.

  • Russell Anderson
    Russell Anderson

    Russell earned a Masters in Applied Psychology from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and is currently a PhD student in the University of Denver’s Counseling Psychology program. He has worked with many clinical populations, including incarcerated individuals, at-risk adolescents, and college students. His research interests include positive psychology constructs, like self-compassion, psychological flexibility, and multicultural orientation. Through his dissertation project, he examined the utility of a self-compassion intervention as a buffer against the negative effects of social exclusion. When he's not face-deep in research articles, you can find him hanging out in the mountains (camping, hiking,skiing), playing music with friends, or listening to live music at a local venue.

  • Dissertation | Russell Anderson

  • Megan Solberg
    Megan Solberg

    Megan is a doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology program at the University of Denver, and a Research Assistant in Dr. Raque-Bogdan’s WOW Lab. She received her BA in Anthropology and Environmental Studies from New York University in 2011. From 2012-2017, Megan worked in various health administration roles within the Division of Hematologic Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, where her research interests were activated in health psychology, psycho-oncology, well-being, and expressive writing interventions. She is currently assisting with research projects examining the impact of cancer on work/career, and the impact of a positive psychology and mindfulness workshop intervention on the mental and physical health of cancer survivors. In her free time, Megan enjoys reading fiction, traveling, cooking and exploring Denver with her husband and pup. She is open to any questions about the CP program and/or working in the WOW lab and is best reached by email: megan.solberg@du.edu.

  • Olivia Zech
    Olivia Zech

    Olivia is a student in the Counseling Psychology Doctoral Program at the University of Denver. She is interested in the associations between biopsychosocial factors and physical and mental health outcomes among cancer survivors, especially for women navigating breast and ovarian malignancies. Within this scope, she is in pursuit of facilitating targeted interventions to improve coping with chronic illness stressors, and to enhance quality of life through patient-centered care. Long-term, she seeks to primarily focus on investigating the experiences of women with inherited risk for breast and ovarian cancer through genetic predispositions. Prior to pursuing her doctoral education, Olivia trained in classical ballet and received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Creative Writing from the University of Washington, and held professional roles in the writing and medical fields. She also earned her Master of Arts degree in Counseling Psychology at the University of Denver prior to transitioning into the PhD program. Beyond her research work, Olivia enjoys travel, yoga, hiking, and spending time with friends and family. Olivia welcomes any prospective University of Denver students to contact her at olivia.zech@du.edu for more information regarding working in the W.O.W. lab with Dr. Raque-Bogdan and colleagues.

  • Anna Hangge
    Anna Hangge

    Anna is a doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology program. She earned her BA in Psychology & Family Studies and her MA in Counseling & Student Personnel Psychology in Minnesota before moving to Denver for the CP program. In the WOW lab, she previously worked on a project involving the experience of women in academic medicine and is interested in further expanding her experience with health psychology research. Her other interests include sexual assault prevention and intervention, group dynamics, working with college students, and working with children. She has clinical experience with college students and at Children's Hospital Colorado. Outside of school and work, Anna enjoys cooking and baking, trying out coffee shops, and playing soccer. She is open to questions regarding the CP program and working in the WOW lab and can be reached at anna.hangge@du.edu.

  • Kait Ross
    Kait Ross

    Kait is a doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology program at the University of Denver. She received her BA from Kenyon College, where she majored in psychology and completed a law & society concentration. She received a master’s degree in counselor education/school counseling from Lehman College. Before starting her doctoral degree, Kait worked in legal recruiting, law school career counseling, high school counseling, and mental health administration. Kait’s research interests include positive psychology, career development, cancer survivorship, and the impact of health conditions on relationship functioning. More specifically, her dissertation will explore how breast cancer impacts the relationship functioning of same sex female couples. During doctoral training, Kait has gained clinical experience at a university health and counseling center, an integrated care family medicine clinic, and a group practice. Kait loves hiking, trying new restaurants, meeting new people, practicing meditation, and living in Denver! She would be happy to speak with prospective students and can be reached at kaitlin.ross@du.edu.

  • Pippa Tucker
    Pippa Tucker

    Pippa is a doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program at the University of Denver. Pippa received her BA from the University of Southern California in 2017 where she majored in psychology. Pippa’s research interests include cancer survivorship and the impact of positive psychology on the cancer community. Pippa is pursuing a career in psychosocial oncology, supporting both cancer patients and their caregivers from diagnosis through survivorship or end of life care. Pippa is currently working on the Activating Happiness study within the lab. In her free time, Pippa enjoys spending time with family and friends, salsa dancing, and exploring the best ice cream shops in the greater Denver area. 

This portfolio last updated: 16-Sep-2022 4:21 PM