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Lori Weiner, Ph.D., DCSW, LCSW-C

Lori Wiener, Ph.D., DCSW, LCSW-C

  • Center for Cancer Research
  • National Cancer Institute
Pediatric Oncology Branch

RESEARCH SUMMARY

Lori Wiener, Ph.D. is an expert in psychosocial care for pediatric, adolescent, and young adult patients with critical illness. As a clinician and behavioral scientist, Dr. Wiener is interested in understanding the psychosocial experiences and needs of youth living with cancer or other serious illness. As co-director of the Behavioral Health Core and head of the Psychosocial Support and Research Program she has developed a robust clinical and research program that has focused on critical clinical issues such as parental coping, lone parenting, transnational parenting, sibling and sibling donor experiences, graph versus host disease, and end-of-life planning.  This work has led to the creation of innovative resources such as books, workbooks, therapeutic games and an advance care planning guide for children, adolescents, and young adults. Each of these resources are distributed worldwide and widely utilized in pediatric centers.

Dr. Wiener proudly led the team that developed the first evidence-based psychosocial standards of care for children with cancer and their family members helped develop the Pediatric Psycho-Oncology Professionals website, which was created to foster international collaborations in clinical care, research, and education in this field.

Areas of Expertise

Pediatric Psycho-oncology
Adolescent And Young Adult Psycho-oncology
Palliative And End-of-life Care
Psychosocial Tool Development
Quality Of Life Research

Information for Patients

Learn more about our clinical trials and the highly specialized care teams that lead them.

Publications

Selected Recent Publications

Checking IN: Development, acceptability, and feasibility of a pediatric electronic distress screener.

Wiener, Lori,Bedoya, Sima Z.,Gordon, Mallorie,Fry, Abigail,Casey, Robert,Steele, Amii,Ruble, Kathy,Ciampa, Devon,Pao.
Clin Pract Pediatr Psychol. 11/1: 94-107, 2023.
Full-Text Article
[ Journal Article ]

Voicing their choices: Advance care planning with adolescents and young adults with cancer and other serious conditions

Lori Wiener, Sima Bedoya, Haven Battles, Leonard Sender, Keri Zabokrtsky, Kristine A. Donovan, Lora M. A. Thompson, Barbara B. Lubrano di Ciccone, Margarita Bobonis Babilonia, Karen Fasciano, Paige Malinowski, Maureen Lyon, Jessica Thompkins, Corey Heath, Denise Velazquez, Karen Long-Traynor, Abigail Fry and Maryland Pao.
Palliative & Supportive Care. 1-9, 2021.
Full-Text Article
[ Journal Article ]

Advances in Pediatric Psychooncology

Wiener, L., Devine, K.A., Thompson, A.L.
Current Opinion in Pediatrics . 32: 41-47, 2020. [ Journal Article ]

Standards for Psychosocial Care for Children With Cancer and Their Families: An Introduction to the Special Issue

Wiener L, Kazak AE, Noll RB, Patenaude AF, Kupst MJ.
Pediatr Blood Cancer. [Epub ahead of print - Sep. 23], 2015. [ Journal Article ]

Psychosocial Care for Children Receiving Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell Therapy.

Steineck, A., Wiener, L., Mack, J., Shah, N., Summers, C., Rosenberg, A.
Pediatric Blood and Cancer. 67: 2020. [ Journal Article ]

Job Vacancies

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Team

Headshot of Rachael Hunter
Postbaccalaureate Fellow (CRTA)
Rachael Hunter
Clinical Fellow
Brian Pennarola, M.D.
Clinical Research Coordinator
Brigit Rweikizato

Covers

Pediatric Psychosocial Oncology: Quick Reference Book

Pediatric Psychosocial Oncology: A Quick Reference on the Psychosocial Dimensions of Cancer Symptom Management

Published Date

The 2nd Edition of the handbook, Pediatric Psycho-Oncology: A Quick Reference on the Psychosocial Dimensions of Cancer Symptom Management, by Oxford Press, 2015 fills an important niche, as it provides practical hands-on information on many aspects of psychological and psychiatric aspects of pediatric oncology care.  It is organized with sections addressing specific clinical questions ranging from talking with children and adolescents to educational planning, from pain management to palliative care and from psychiatric emergencies to medications for anxiety and depression in cancer patients.  Written by 62 pediatric medical and psychosocial oncology experts from over 30 Institutions, the Quick Reference book is targeted towards pediatric oncology medical and nursing staff, but we anticipate that it will be a valuable teaching tool for psychosocial staff as well.  We hope that hematology-oncology fellows and other multidisciplinary trainees will find this book useful in their care of children with cancer.

Citation

Lori S. Wiener, Maryland Pao, Anne E. Kazak, Mary Jo Kupst, Andrea Farkas Patenaude and Robert J. Arceci (Eds). Quick Reference for Pediatric Oncology Clinicians: The Psychiatric and Psychological Dimensions of Cancer Symptom Management, 2nd Edition. Oxford University Press, 2015.

Pediatric Psychosocial Standards of Care

Standards for the Psychosocial Care of Children With Cancer and Their Families: An Introduction to the Special Issue

Published Date

Pediatric oncology psychosocial professionals collaborated with an interdisciplinary group of experts and stakeholders and developed evidence-based standards for pediatric psychosocial care. Given the breadth of research evidence and traditions of clinical care, 15

standards were derived. Each standard is based on a systematic review of relevant literature and used the AGREE II process to evaluate the quality of the evidence. This article describes the methods used to develop the standards and introduces the 15 articles

included in this special issue. Established standards help ensure that all children with cancer and their families receive essential psychosocial care

Citation

Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015;62:S419–S424

Pediatric Psychosocial Oncology Textbook

Pediatric Psychosocial Oncology: Textbook for Multidisciplinary Care

Published Date

This textbook walks clinicians through the psychosocial issues and challenges faced by children and adolescents with cancer and their families. Through a developmental lens, the text provides guidance and resources that will enable clinicians to understand the physical and emotional impact of the disease from diagnosis onwards, to work with families in distress, and to diagnose and treat a range of behavioral, psychological, and psychiatric issues. The book also addresses the burgeoning fields of social media, complementary therapies, palliative care, and survivorship. Among the variety of useful resources supplied are assessment tools, websites, and additional reading materials.

Citation

A.N. Abrams, A.C. Muriel, L. Wiener (Eds.) Pediatric Psychosocial Oncology: Textbook for Multidisciplinary Care.  New York, NY, Springer International Publishing, 2016, 409 pp

Cover image of the children's book, The Gift of Gerbert's Feathers, by Meaghann Weaver, MD, MPH, FAAP, and Lori Wiener, PhD, DCSW. Illustrated by Mikki Butterley

The Gift of Gerbert's Feathers

The children's book, The Gift of Gerbert's Feathers, is a story about a young gosling, Gerbert, experiencing serious illness. Gerbert knows that someday, he won't be able to keep up with his family and friends. Gerbert prepares for his final migration and shows his family and friends that he will always be with them.

Citation

Meaghann Weaver, MD, MPH, FAAP, and Lori Wiener, PhD, DCSW. Illustrated by Mikki Butterley

Special Issue: Psychosocial Considerations for Children and Adolescents Living with a Rare Disease Cover, shows a woman with her son.

Special Issue: Psychosocial Considerations for Children and Adolescents Living with a Rare Disease

Published Date

This Special Issue of the journal Children constitutes an opportune moment to reflect on the psychosocial needs of children living with rare diseases and of their families. As medical advances, treatments, and developments have enabled many of these children to survive infancy and to live into adulthood, progress brings with it concerns and opportunities to enhance the psychosocial quality of life of children living with rare diseases, and of their families. The 13 papers within the Special Issue reflects the current state of psychosocial research, including ideas about future research and practice.

Citation

Children 20229(7), 1099; https://doi.org/10.3390/children9071099