Vision
A world in which individuals, families, and communities engage in healthy lifestyle behaviors to prevent cancer, improve treatment outcomes, extend life, and optimize health and well-being.
Mission
To support and catalyze research on the discovery, development, testing, and implementation of effective strategies to promote healthy lifestyle behaviors for cancer prevention and control. HBRB is within the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Behavioral Research Program (BRP), in the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS).
The branch aims to support research at multiple levels of analysis to improve cancer-related health behaviors and risk factors. Recognizing that a multilevel perspective is essential to fully understanding and improving cancer risk behaviors, the branch supports research that focuses on multiple behavioral influences – individually and in combination – at the biological, psychological, behavioral, social, environmental, sociocultural, and policy levels.
News and Highlights
Featured Funding Announcement
Improving Care and Outcomes for Cancer Survivors from Sexual and Gender Minority (SGM) Populations
PAR-23-292 (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
See More AnnouncementsScientific Priorities
The branch studies the following behavioral risk factors:
Behavior genetics, diet, physical activity and sedentary behavior, energy balance, obesity, sun safety and tanning, alcohol use, sleep and circadian dysfunction, adherence to cancer-related medical and behavioral regimens, and other emerging cancer risk behaviors.
HBRB synthesizes and disseminates findings, recommendations, and priorities of successful strategies in prevention and behavioral change interventions. The branch aims to:
- Plan, develop, and coordinate research on lifestyle behaviors and cancer prevention.
- Provide leadership in developing methodologies for improved empirical study of cancer-relevant behaviors and the psychosocial and built environment.
- Plan, develop and coordinate research focused on effective strategies to reach population sub-groups at greater risk for certain cancers.
- Develop, support, and evaluate the most effective clinical and community-based strategies.
- Solicit input and communicates regularly with the extramural community to refine methodology and evaluate effectiveness.
- Plan, administer, and evaluate demonstration project research, including diffusion and dissemination of successful strategies in prevention behavioral change interventions.
- Sponsor workshops, symposia and other collaborations that disseminate research findings.
- Plan and participate in training programs to advance behavioral health research.
- Synthesize and disseminate findings, recommendations, and priorities to target organizations and individuals.
Research Areas
Initiatives and Measures
HBRB Grant Portfolio and Funding Opportunities
Featured Grantees
Marc Adams
Early in my career I discovered the world outside of the skin was just as complex and interesting as the one inside of the skin. That moment led me down a path of discovery of the principles of behavior change in our macro- and micro-environments and how these mechanisms influence preventive behaviors for chronic disease, such as physical activity.”Marc Adams
Jessica Scott, Ph.D.
Through interdisciplinary collaborations, I learned the research I was conducting at NASA to monitor and prevent toxicities in astronauts was very applicable to cancer patients. This motivated me to explore whether the tools and techniques used by NASA to offset spaceflight-related toxicity could be applied to improve long-term health and quality of life in cancer patients impacted by therapy-related toxicities.”Jessica Scott, Ph.D.
Stacey Kenfield
A cancer diagnosis is a teachable moment when individuals are motivated to change behavior to reduce risk of adverse health outcomes. This has led me to focus my research on elucidating the role of lifestyle factors in relation to patient-reported outcomes (e.g., quality of life, treatment side effects) and clinical outcomes (e.g., recurrence, mortality) in adults with cancer to improve quality of life, cancer prognosis, and overall health.”Stacey Kenfield
Meet Our Staff
Our team of accomplished scientists and research associates, fellows, and administrators is dedicated to advancing behavioral science research in cancer prevention and control.
HBRB Staff