IPOPC NEWSLETTER

News and updates in research, education, and community engagement in psychosocial oncology and palliative care.

FALL 2026

Welcome from Co-Founder Dr. Lynn Behar

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

As we begin the 2026–2027 academic year, I am delighted to welcome you to the Fall 2026 edition of the Center for Interdisciplinary Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care Research and Practice newsletter.

This is truly an exciting time for the Center - and an opportunity to reflect with pride on all that our community has accomplished. Our growing productivity reflects the energy and dedication of our faculty, students, collaborators, and community partners. Together, we continue to advance interdisciplinary research, strengthen education and mentorship, and translate knowledge into compassionate psychosocial oncology and palliative care practice.

Our internal IPOPC team recently gathered for its annual retreat, creating valuable space to review our progress, strengthen our shared vision, and establish priorities for the year ahead. We also had the pleasure of welcoming the newest cohort of Carol LaMare Scholars during a two-day retreat filled with learning, connection, and thoughtful conversation. In addition, we are delighted to welcome our Behar Pre-Doctoral Fellow, Vincent Luong, to the Center. You will learn more about Vincent and the latest Carol LaMare cohort in this newsletter.

As we enter the new academic year, I am filled with excitement about the opportunities ahead. The Center’s strength comes from the people who contribute their knowledge, creativity, and commitment to our shared mission. I look forward to seeing how our collaborations continue to grow and how the work of our community will improve care and quality of life for patients, families, and caregivers.

Thank you for being part of the Center’s journey. Here’s to another fabulous and productive year ahead!

Warmly,

Lynn Behar, PhD, FAOSW

Co-Founder & Chair of the External Advisory Board

Center for Interdisciplinary Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care Research and Practice

Our 2026 - 2027 Cohort of Carol LaMare Scholars

Every September, we are most excited to welcome the Center's latest cohort of Carol LaMare Scholars. This year, 12 brilliant MSW students join the CL community to advance their training in supporting individuals impacted by cancer and life-limiting illness. Our sincere congratulations to these 12 scholars on this important academic achievement.

Meet the 12 Carol LaMare Scholars HERE

Behar Pre-Doctoral Fellow

Vincent Luong, LICSW, is joining the University of Washington School of Social Work's PhD in Social Welfare Program this September.

The Center for IPOPC Research and Practice is excited to welcome Vincent as its Behar Endowed Pre-Doctoral Fellow to advance clinical science for individuals impacted by cancer and life-limiting conditions.

To Learn More about Vincent

Carol LaMare Scholars Annual Retreat

What started with mostly 12 strangers from different walks of life quickly became something much more meaningful. Over the course of the Carol LaMare Student Scholars Retreat, generously hosted by Dr. Lynn Behar, MSW, students with a shared passion for end-of-life care, oncology, hospice, palliative care, and supporting individuals living with life-limiting illnesses came together to learn from one another, share their stories, and explore the values that brought them to this work. Through heartfelt conversations, reflection, laughter, and vulnerability, deep relationships were formed, and a strong sense of community emerged. By the end of the weekend, these scholars were no longer just classmates or colleagues, but a compassionate and supportive network of future social workers committed to providing thoughtful, patient, and family-centered care during life's most challenging moments.

Also Click Here

The Biller Family Foundation Story in USA Today

We are excited to collaborate with Sheri Biller, the co-founder of the Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation, to raise awareness, hope, and support during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Childhood cancer affects the whole family, bringing emotional, physical, and practical challenges that extend beyond treatment. Supportive cancer care addresses these needs alongside medical care, helping children and their loved ones navigate each stage with support tailored to their lives. Together, we advocate for making that support an essential part of every family’s cancer care.

Read the Full Story HERE

Selected Achievement for Celebration

Anao Zhang, Director of the Center for IPOPC Research and Practice, joins the Board of Directors as a board liaison at the American Psychosocial Oncology Society (APOS). In Dr. Zhang's capacity as the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Psycho-Oncology, Anao coordinates with the board on key insights, developments, and collaborations to strengthen scientific rigor and knowledge dissemination through the field's top journal.

Vincent Luong publishes his first peer-reviewed journal article entitled "A clinical case study of cognitive behavior therapy for young adult cancer survivors' psychological distress: Utilizing the generic cognitive model" in Clinical Case Studies. Co-authors of the paper include Anao Zhang and Meiyan Chen from The University of Texas at Austin

Center for IPOPC Research and Practice Publications

• Zhang, A., Chen, M., Weaver, A., Francis-Levin, N., Walters, C., Rappapport, A., & Himle, J. (2026). Qualitative insights into a digital CBT program for AYAs with cancer: Participant perceptions of factors impacting feasibility and engagement. Journal of Psychosocial Oncology. https://doi.org/10.1080/07347332.2026.2669385
• Wang, K., Zhang, A., & Wu, B. (2026). Advance directive completion among older Southeast Asian Americans: The case of Vietnamese and Filipino populations. Journal of Aging & Social Policy. https://doi.org/10.1080/08959420.2026.2729025
• Cheung, C., Gupta, N., Lee, H., Griffith, W., Betz, G., … Zhang, A., & Roth, M. (2026). Beyond the hospital: understanding psychosocial support uptake for adolescents and young adults with cancer in community-based and nonprofit programs. Cancer Control. https://doi.org/10.1177/10732748261450729

Announcement to Carol LaMare Alumni

To all Carol LaMare Scholar Alumni:

We will be in touch soon to invite you to participate in a mixed-methods study looking at the lasting and sustainable impact of the Carol LaMare Program. We want to learn more about the important professional work you have been involved with in your communities since graduating (fully recognizing that other personal factors will have impacted those goals as well). Specifically, we want to look back at how the CL program met your initial goals, boosted your early employment, and impacted your path since achieving licensure. We also want to explore how the CL Network may have helped with other clinical, leadership, teaching, or research opportunities and better understand how your ongoing journey may align with future initiatives and collaborations at the Center for IPOPC Research and Practice.

Vincent Luong, an incoming PhD student at the UW School of Social Work, will work with us to design the survey and analyze the responses. Vincent has served as a field instructor for Carol LaMare students for several years, bringing valuable experience with the program to this work.

Anao Zhang (Project PI), Vincent Luong (Research Assistant), and J'May Rivara (Consultant)

Carol LaMare Alumni Corner

It has been 20 years since we had our first Carol LaMare Scholar in 2006. We're proud to share the professional paths of our earliest alums who graduated from 2005 through 2011. Read the fall entry of the Carol LaMare Corner HERE

Founder's Vision

"The center envisions a world where people with cancer and those at the end of life receive the care they want from compassionate, competent, and family-centered practitioners."

-- Lynn Behar, PhD, FAOSW

Land Acknowledgement Statement

The University of Washington acknowledges the Coast Salish peoples of this land, the land which touches the shared waters of all tribes and bands within the Suquamish, Tulalip, and Muckleshoot nations.

Connect with us

Email: ipopc@uw.edu

IPOPC website: https://socialwork.uw.edu/research/research-innovation-centers/integrative-oncology-palliative-care/

Carol LaMare website:

https://socialwork.uw.edu/academics/traineeships/carol-lamare-scholars-program/