CHRISTABEL CHEUNG

Dr. Christabel Cheung is an independent user experience (UX) research consultant and expert strategist on the development of accessible health care and health technology. She advises organizations on the implementation of patient-centered clinical practices that optimize engagement from underrepresented audiences. Her guidance integrates scientific rigor with evidence derived from the lived experiences of impacted populations to inform responsive health systems and relevant products for real-world settings.

In her concurrent role, Dr. Cheung serves as Associate Professor with tenure at the University of Maryland and Member of the University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center. She directs the Cheung Research Lab as its principal investigator, leading user-centered research focused on improving cancer care and survivorship—particularly among adolescents and young adults (AYA), defined as individuals diagnosed with cancer between the ages of 15 and 39. Her projects include collaborations with cross-functional scientists, engineers, and stakeholders with emphasis on underrepresented user audiences. Dr. Cheung currently serves as principal investigator or co-investigator in research collaborations supported by over $10 million of grant funding.

Awards & Recognition
Dr. Cheung's research has received numerous accolades, including Guiding Researchers and Advocates to Scientific Partnerships (GRASP) Advocate Choice Award at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, the world’s largest clinical cancer research conference with over 5,000 submissions of research and 40,000 attendees. At the University of Maryland, Dr. Cheung was honored with the 2025 Camara Jones Faculty Award for advancing social justice through research, teaching, and service. She is also the recipient of the 2024 JEDI Champion Award for advocacy on behalf of historically marginalized communities, as well as the Dean’s Teaching Award in recognition of outstanding graduate-level instruction.

Embodied Patient Scientist & Advocate
A two-time AYA cancer survivor and bone marrow transplant recipient, Dr. Cheung brings an embodied perspective to her scholarship and advocacy. She is the author of the Model of Embodied Research, an innovative qualitative methodology designed for application in both social & behavioral science and medical research (Cheung, 2024). A leading voice in health equity and justice, she is frequently sought to deliver keynote and plenary talks at major national and global conferences. Among her advocacy achievements, she was invited to provide expert testimony to the U.S. President’s Cancer Moonshot team on the structural challenges confronting underrepresented cancer patients and their health care providers. Her trailblazing blog, Jade Gangster, was recognized by the Global AYA Cancer Congress as one of the first platforms to address the issues of underrepresented young adult cancer survivors.

Institutional Partners
Dr. Cheung's work is further enriched by affiliations with esteemed research institutions, including AYA CARES at Michigan Medicine, the MELD Research Group for the Southern California Cancer Surveillance Program, the Emancipatory Sciences Lab at the University of California, San Francisco, the Center for Young Adult Cancer Survivorship Research, the STRONG AYA Core Outcomes Set Study at The Netherlands Cancer Institute, the Asian American Research Center on Health (ARCH), and the University of Hawaii Cancer Center where she serves as Collaborating Member.

A Career Dedicated to Equitable Health Solutions
Dr. Cheung's career reflects an enduring commitment to eliminating health disparities through community-based participatory research (CBPR), accessible design, and health justice praxis. Her work contributes to the development of sustainable solutions to persistent challenges in behavioral science and health care practice.

With more than two decades of professional experience, her career spans  12+ years of UX research and eight years of executive management and clinical social work practice in health and mental health care. Earlier in her career, she worked as a public relations account executive in enterprise technology and later founded a small business as a certified personal trainer.

She holds a Bachelor of Journalism (BJ) from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism; a Master of Social Welfare (MSW) from the University of California, Berkeley; and a PhD in Social Welfare from the University of California, Los Angeles.

SELECT PUBLICATIONS

ARTICLES IN PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS:

Waters, A. R., Wheeler, S. B., Fine, J., Cheung, C. K., Tan, K. R., Rosenstein, D. L., Roberson, M. L., & Kent, E. E. (2025). An intersectional analysis of behavioral financial hardship and healthcare utilization among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, plus cancer survivors. JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute. https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djae350

Cheung, C. K., Lee, H., Levin, N. J., Ross, V. A., Geng, Y. M., Thomas, B. N., & Roth, M. E. (2024). Provider preparedness to care for sexual and gender minority adolescent and young adult cancer patients: A scoping review. PEC Innovation, 5(15), 100343.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pecinn.2024.100343

Berkman, A. M.,† Choi, E.,† Cheung, C. K., Salsman, J. M., Peterson, S. K., Lu, Q., Livingston, J. A., Hildebrandt, M. A. T, Parsons, S. K., Roth, M. E., (2024). Socioeconomic status and chronic health conditions in Asian survivors of adolescent and young adult cancers. Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology, 13(2), 262-270. https://doi.org/10.1089/jayao.2023.0083

Choi, E.,† Berkman, A. M.,† Cheung, C. K., Salsman, J. M., Peterson, S. K., Anderson, M. S., Lu, Q., Livingston, J. A., Hildebrandt, M. A. T, Parsons, S. K., Roth, M. E., (2024). Psychological distress and mental health care utilization among lesbian, gay, and bisexual survivors of adolescent and young adult cancer. Supportive Care in Cancer, 32(9), 585. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-024-08778-8

Cheung, C. K., Miller, K. A., Thomas, B. N., Lee, H., Goings, T. C., Brandon, R. E., Katerere-Virima, T., Helbling, L. E., Simmons, C. D., Ross, V. A., Causadias, J. M., Roth, M. E., Berthaud, F. M., Jones, L. P., Betz, G. D., Carter, J., Davies, S., Gilman, M., Lewis, M. A., Lopes, G., & Tucker-Seeley, R. D. (2024). BIPOC experiences of (anti-)racist patient engagement in adolescent & young adult oncology research and advocacy: An e-Delphi study. Future Oncology, 20(9), 547-561. https://doi.org/10.2217/fon-2023-0771

Choi, E.,† Berkman, A. M.,† Battle, A., Betts, A. C., Salsman, J. M., Milam, J., Andersen, C. R., Miller, K. A., Peterson, S. K., Lu, Q., Cheung, C. K., Livingston, J. A., Hildebrandt, M. A. T., Parsons, S. K., Freyer, D., & Roth, M. E. (2024). Psychological distress and mental health care utilization among Black survivors of adolescent and young adult cancer. Cancer, 130(17), 3011-3022. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.35348

Berkman, A. M.,† Choi, E.,† Salsman, J. M., Cheung, C. K., Peterson, S. K., Lu, Q., Livingston, J. A., Hildebrandt, M. A. T, Parsons, S. K., Roth, M. E. (2024). Excess risk of chronic health conditions in Hispanic survivors of adolescent and young adult cancers. Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 18(3), 907-916. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-023-01342-z

Berkman, A. M.,† Choi, E.,† Cheung, C. K., Salsman, J. M., Peterson, S. K., Anderson, M. S., Lu, Q., Livingston, J. A., Hildebrandt, M. A. T, Parsons, S. K., Roth, M. E., (2024). Risk of chronic health conditions in lesbian, gay, and bisexual survivors of adolescent and young adult cancers. Cancer, 130(4) 553-562. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.35015

Husson, O., Janssen, S. H .M., Reeve, B. R., Sodergren, S., Cheung, C. K., McCabe, M. G., Salsman, J. M., van der Graaf, W., & Darlington, A. S. (2024). Protocol for the development of a core outcome set (COS) for adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer. BMC Cancer, 24(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-023-11716-2

Marchese, V., Brockmeyer, A., McCarthy, E., Saeed G. M., Gorman, E. F., Cheung, C. K., & Felter, C. (2024). Psychosocial barriers and physical activity in children with neuromotor impairments: A scoping review. Physical Therapy Reviews, 29(1-3), 30-46. https://doi.org/10.1080/10833196.2024.2362043

Cheung, C.K., Jones, L. P., Lee, H., Bridges, J. N., Tucker-Seeley, R., Vyfhuis, M. A. L., Gianelle, M., Thomas, B. N., Betz, G. D., Waldo, L., Hirsch, A. S., & Ntiri, S. O. (2023). Anticipatory guidance: Developing a patient navigation pathway to reduce the financial toxicity of cancer. Medical Research Archives, 11(10). https://doi.org/10.18103/mra.v11i10.4582

Berkman, A. M.,† Choi, E.,† Cheung, C. K., Salsman, J. M., Peterson, S. K., Lu, Q., Livingston, J. A., Hildebrandt, M. A. T, Parsons, S. K., Roth, M. E., (2023). Excess risk of chronic health conditions in Black adolescent and young adult cancer survivors. Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-023-01433-x

Choi, E.,† Berkman, A. M.,† Cheung, C. K., Betts, A. C., Salsman, J. M., Andersen, C. R., Ochoa-Dominguez, C., Miller, K. A., Milam, J., Shah, A., Peterson, S. K., Lu, Q., Livingston, J. A., Hildebrandt, M.A.T, Parsons, S.K., Freyer, D., & Roth, M.E. (2023). Psychological distress and mental health care utilization among Hispanic/Latino survivors of adolescent and young adult cancer. Psycho-Oncology, 32(12), 1918-1929. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.6248

Cheung, C. K., Lee, H., Levin, N. J., Ross, V. A., Geng, Y. M., Thomas, B. N., & Roth, M. E. (2023). Disparities in cancer care among sexual and gender minority adolescent and young adult patients: A scoping review. Cancer Medicine, 12(13), 14674-14693. https://doi.org/10.1002/cam4.6090

Cheung, C. K., Nishimoto, P. W., Katerere-Virima, T., Helbling, L. E., Thomas, B. N., & Tucker-Seeley, R. (2022). Capturing the financial hardship of cancer in military adolescent and young adult patients: A conceptual framework. Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, 40(4), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/07347332.2021.1937771

Ghazal, L. V., Cole, S., Salsman, J. M., Wagner, L., Duan, F., Gareen, I., Lux, L., Parsons, S. K., Cheung, C.K., Loeb, D. M., Prasad, P., 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, 6, e2100462. https://doi.org/10.1200/PO.21.00462

Husson, O., Reeve, B. R., Darlington, A. S., Cheung, C. K., Sodergren, S., van der Graaf, W., & Salsman, J. M. (2022). The next step for global adolescent and young adult oncology: Development of a core patient-centered outcome set. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 114(4), 496-502. https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djab217

Masuda, C., Aggarwal, L., Bray, M. L., Cheung, C. K., Kim, B. J., Aida Wen, A., Okamoto, L., Uechi, M., Lee, Y. J. & Kamal Masaki,K. (2022). Preventive care and outcomes of interprofessional Medicare annual wellness visits for older patients.” International Journal of Environmental Research Public Health, 19(24), 16752. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416752

Cheung, C. K., Norlander, M. G., Vest, A. N., Thomas, B. N. & Zebrack, B. J. (2022). A thin line between helpful and harmful Internet usage: Embodied research on Internet experiences among adolescent and young adult cancer patients. Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology, 11(5), 478-485. https://doi.org/10.1089/jayao.2021.0113

Cheung, C. K., Tucker-Seeley, R., Davies, S., Gilman, M., Miller, K. A., Lopes, G., Betz, G. D., Katerere-Virima, T., Helbling, L. E., Thomas, B. N., & Lewis, M. A. (2021). A call to action: Antiracist patient engagement in adolescent and young adult oncology research and advocacy. Future Oncology, 17(28), 3743–3756. https://doi.org/10.2217/fon-2020-1213

Cheung, C. K. & Simmons, C. D. (2021). Centering black swans: Embodied research in adolescent and young adult oncology. Oppositional Conversations, (5). http://www.oppositionalconversations.org/issue-v-contestations/2021/5/5/centering-black-swans-embodied-research-in-adolescent-and-young-adult-oncology

Unger, J. M., Moseley, A. B., Cheung, C. K., Osarogiagbon, R. U., Symington, B., Ramsey, S. D., & Hershman, D. L. (2021). Persistent disparity: Socioeconomic deprivation and cancer outcomes in patients treated in clinical trials. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 39(12), 1339-1348. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.20.02602

Salsman, J. M., Danhauer, S. C., Moore, J. B., Ip, E. H., McLouth, L. E., Nightingale, C. L., Cheung, C. K., Bingen, K. M., Tucker‐Seeley, R. D., Little‐Greene, D., Howard, D. S., & Reeve, B. B. (2021). Systematic review of financial burden assessment in cancer: Evaluation of measures and utility among adolescents and young adults and caregivers. Cancer, 127(11), 1739-1748. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.33559

BOOK CHAPTERS:

Cheung, C.K. (2024). Embodied research methods: The empiricism of lived experiences to advance health equity. In N. Rezaei (Ed.) Cancer Research: An Interdisciplinary Approach (2nd ed.). Switzerland: Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/16833_2024_432

Cheung, C.K. & Wiener, L. (2022). Adolescents and young adults living with serious illness. In T. Altilio, S. Otis-Green & J. Cagle (Eds.) Oxford Textbook of Palliative Social Work (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/med/9780197537855.001.0001

Cheung, C.K., Santacroce, S. J., Zebrack, B.J. (2021). Adolescent and young adult patients. In W. Breitbart (Ed.) Psycho-oncology (4th ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/med/9780190097653.003.0089

^†Contributed equally as co-first authors

Bibliography at the National Library of Medicine here.