Faculty

faculty photo
Bonnie A. McGregor
Research Assistant Professor
PhD  
University of Miami (Florida), 2000
Clinical Health Psychology
MS  
University of Miami (Florida), 1999
Clinical Health Psychology
BS  
Pacific Lutheran University, 1984
Biology

Department of Health Services Program Affiliations:
  -  Social and Behavioral Sciences Track, (MPH program)
  -  PhD program in Health Services

Bonnie A. McGregor is a licensed clinical psychologist and has experience with both psychological interventions and immune function assessment. Before becoming a clinical psychologist, she worked for 10 years conducting immune function assays as a senior research laboratory technician at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

Dr. McGregor is interested in how psychological factors affect health. In particular, she is interested in how psychological interventions with cancer patients and those at risk for cancer can affect not only distress and posttraumatic growth, but also nervous, endocrine, and immune system functioning. At the same time, Dr. McGregor is also studying psychological factors that contribute to distress among women at risk for breast and ovarian cancer.

Contact Information
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
1100 Fairview Ave. N. MP900
P.O. Box 19024
Seattle, WA 98109-1024
(voice)  206-667-7924     (fax)  206-667-7850
bmcgrego@fhcrc.org
Teaching Interests
Cancer Prevention
Research Interests
Effect of psychological interventions on distress, posttraumatic growth, nervous, endocrine, and immune system functioning among cancer patients and those at risk for cancer. Psychological factors contributing to distress among women at risk for breast and ovarian cancer.
Projects
Prophylactic Oophorectomy Surgery And Quality Of Life (POS A QOL)
The broad objective of this pilot project is to examine changes in risk perceptions, emotional functioning, and health-related quality of life before and after prophylactic oophorectomy (PO) among women at elevated risk for ovarian cancer.
Health SMART
Chronic stress can impair immune function, including immune response to vaccines. This has important implications for cancer control and prevention because tumor vaccines are emerging as tools for cancer treatment and prevention, and the cohort that would benefit from the vaccines is likely to be stressed. The Health SMART study will conduct a randomized, clinical trial to test the efficacy of a cognitive behavioral stress management group intervention on immune response to vaccine and distress among women at elevated risk for breast cancer.
Breast cancer risk, distress, and biased cognitive processing of cancer

The proposed study will measure and characterize the acute stress response associated with taking the cancer word Stroop task among women with and without a family history of breast cancer. The study will also test the effects of an existing 10-week CBSM intervention on distress and cancer Stroop task performance among the family history positive women.

Psychological stress, cortisol, and B lymphocyte decrements

The present longitudinal study will assess the effects of academic stress on salivary cortisol and B lymphocyte number among 40 comparison participants and 40 students over the course of their first year of graduate school which culminates with the qualifying examinations.

External Funding (sampling of current and past involvement)
Biobehavioral Cancer Prevention and Control Training Program
National Cancer Institute
PI:   Patrick           Dates:    07/2006 - 06/2011
The goal of this project is to develop a training program with a new core curriculum in biobehavioral research and interventions, health communications, and practice outcomes as applied to cancer prevention and control.


Selected Publications

Fann, J.R., Thomas-Rich, A.M., Katon, W.J., Cowley, D., Pepping, M., McGregor, B.A., Gralow, J. (2008) Major Depression after Breast Cancer: A review of Epidemiology and Treatment. General Hospital Psychiatry. 30(2):112-126.

Meeske, K., Smith, A., Alfano, C, McGregor, B.A., McTiernan, A., Baumgartner, K. B., Malone, K. E., Reeve, B.B., Ballard-Barbash, R., Bernstein, L (2007) Fatigue in Breast Cancer Survivors two to five years post diagnosis: a HEAL Study report. Quality of Life Research. 16(6):947-60

Beresford, S.A.A., Locke, E., Bishop, S., West, B., McGregor, B.A., Bruemmer, B., Duncan, G.E., Thompson, B (2007). Worksite study promoting activity and changes in eating (PACE): design and baseline results. Obesity. Nov;15 Suppl 1:4S-15S.

Bowen, D.J., Alfano, C.M., McGregor, B.A., Kuniyuki, A., Bernstein, L., Meeske, K., Baumgartner, K.B., Fetherolf, J., Reeve, B.B., Smith, A.W., Malone, K., Ganz, P., McTiernan, A., Ballard-Barbash, R. (2007) Possible explanations for quality of life levels in a cohort of breast cancer survivors. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. 106(1):85-95.

Alfano, C.M., McGregor, B.A., Kuniyuki, A., Reeve, B., Bowen, D.J., Smith, A. W., Baumgartner, K., Bernstein, L., Ballard-Barbash, R., Malone, K., Ganz, P., McTiernan, A. (2006). Psychometric evaluation of the Brief Cancer Impact Assessment among breast cancer survivors. Oncology, 70, 190-202.

Alfano, C. M., McGregor, B.A., Kuniyuki, A., Reeve, B., Bowen, D.J., Baumgartner, K., Bernstein, L., Ballard-Barbash, R., Malone, K., Ganz, P., McTiernan, A. (2006) Psychometric properties of a tool for measuring hormone-related symptoms in breast cancer survivors. Psycho-oncology, 15(11):985-1000.

McGregor, B.A., Bowen, D.J., Pauler, D., Andersen, M.R., Yasui, Y., McTiernan, A. (2004). Optimism, perceived risk of breast cancer, and cancer worry among a community-based sample of women. Health Psychology, 23(4): 339-344.

McGregor, B.A., Antoni, M.H., Boyers, A., Alferi, S., Blomberg, B., & Carver, C.S., (2004). Cognitive behavioral stress management increases benefit finding and immune function among women with early stage breast cancer. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 56:1-8.

Cruess, D.G., Antoni, M.H., Kumar, M., McGregor, B.A., Boyers, A.E., Alferi, S.M. Carver, C.S., Kilbourn, K.M. (2001). Effects of Stress Management on testosterone levels in women with early-stage breast cancer. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 8 (3):194-207.

McGregor, B.A., Carver, C.S., Antoni, M.H., Weiss, S., Yount, S., Ironson, G. (2001). Internalized homophobia and distress among lesbian women who have been treated for breast cancer. Psychology of Women Quarterly. 25(1):1-9.

Antoni, M.H., Lehman, J.M, Kilbourn, K.M., Boyers, A.E., Yount, S.E., Culver, J.L, Alferi, S.M., McGregor, B.A., Arean, P.L., Harris, S.D., Price, A.A., &Carver, C.S. (2001). Cognitive-behavioral stress management intervention enhances optimism and the sense of positive contribution among women under treatment for early-stage breast cancer. Health Psychology, 20(1):20-32.

Cruess, D.G., Antoni, M.H., McGregor, B.A., Kilbourn, K.M., Boyers, A.E., Alferi, S.M. Carver, C.S., Kumar, M. (2000). Cognitive -behavioral stress management reduces serum cortisol by enhancing positive contributions among women being treated for early stage breast cancer. Psychosomatic Medicine, 62(3):304-8.

Storek, J., Mendelman, P.M., Witherspoon, R.P., McGregor, B.A., & Storb, R. (1997). IgG response to pneumococcal polysaccharide-protein conjugate appears similar to response to polysaccharide in bone marrow transplant recipients and healthy adults. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 25(5):1253-1255.