Amanda M. Acevedo, PhD, is a Social and Behavioral Scientist Administrator/ Program Director in the Basic Biobehavioral and Psychological Sciences Branch (BBPSB) of the Behavior Research Program.
Dr. Acevedo cultivates a portfolio of grants related to social and psychophysiological influences on cancer control. Dr. Acevedo's program of research focuses on psychosocial factors (e.g., stress, emotion, and cultural norms and expectations regarding emotion expressions) that influence health behaviors, biomarkers, and/or physiological responses to stressors like pain.
Dr. Acevedo earned a PhD in Psychology and Social Behavior with a Health Psychology major and a Quantitative Methods minor from the University of California, Irvine. She is also a proud alumni of Alverno College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she received a bachelor of arts degree in psychology. Prior to joining NCI as a Program Director, Dr. Acevedo was a Cancer Research Training Award Post-doctoral Fellow at NCI.
Secondary Branch/Office Appointment: Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch (HCIRB)
Scientific Interests
- Psychophysiological influences on cancer control
- Emotions and facial expressions
- Stress and resilience
- Variation in experiences of pain
- Latino culture and health
Selected Publications and Presentations
- Cross MP, Acevedo AM, Hunter JF. A Critique of Automated Approaches to Code Facial Expressions: What Do Researchers Need to Know? Affect Sci 2023 Jul 10; 4(3):500-505.
- Acevedo AM, Herrera C, Shenhav S, Yim IS, Campos B. Measurement of a Latino cultural value: The Simpatía scale. Cultur Divers Ethnic Minor Psychol 2020 Oct; 26(4):419-425.
- Hunter JF, Acevedo AM, Gago-Masague S, Kain A, Yun C, Torno L, Jenkins BN, Fortier MA. A pilot study of the preliminary efficacy of Pain Buddy: A novel intervention for the management of children's cancer-related pain. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2020 Oct; 67(10):e28278.
- Acevedo AM, Leger KA, Jenkins BN, Pressman SD. Keep calm or get excited? Examining the effects of different types of positive affect on responses to acute pain.
J Posit Psychol 2020 Dec; 17(3):409-418.
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