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Danielle Tometich

Real-Life Assessment and Intervention in Behavioral Oncology Lab (RAINBO LAB)

The overall goal of the work in the RAINBO Lab is to improve the quality of life during and after cancer.

Cancer has touched the lives of nearly all of us – either directly or through a loved one’s diagnosis. Worldwide, cancer is a leading cause of death and disability. According to the WHO and Global Cancer Statistics from 2020, over 19 million cases of cancer are diagnosed each year, with over 400,000 cases in children.  Although the number of new cancer cases is staggering, new treatment approaches offer hope—death rates due to cancer are declining. In fact, 33% fewer people are dying from cancer now compared to 30 years ago. This is wonderful news, and yet, as more of the population joins the ranks of “cancer survivors” (people living after cancer treatment) or “thrivers/meta-vivors” (people living with advanced cancer), more work needs to be done to address the needs of those living with and beyond cancer.

The overall goal of the work in the RAINBO Lab is to improve the quality of life during and after cancer. Thus far, we have worked toward this goal by focusing on a few key areas that affect quality of life. One of those areas is cancer-related cognitive impairment (colloquially known as “chemobrain” or “chemofog”). Currently, cancer-related cognitive impairment has been difficult to measure and quantify using gold-standard neuropsychological testing, so for this first pillar of work, we use real-time and technology-assisted assessments to quantify ecologically valid variability in cognitive performance. Another area is understanding how health behaviors, which are potentially modifiable, affect cognitive functioning, fatigue, and mental health after cancer. This second pillar of work empowers those living with and after cancer with information about what they can change to enhance their well-being. Finally, we also study the side-effects and long-term effects of new treatments for advanced staged and metastatic cancers. This third pillar of work informs treatment decisions and symptom management to maximize quality of life during potentially short-term or uncertain prognoses.

Danielle Tometich

Danielle Tometich, PhD -- Principal Investigator

Dr. Tometich is an Assistant Professor in the USF College of Nursing. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Moffitt Cancer Center after completing her clinical internship at Yale University and graduating with her PhD from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Her research foci are: cancer-related cognitive impairment, health behavior change for symptom management, and patient-reported outcomes of novel cancer treatments. As a clinical psychologist by training, her guiding theoretical frameworks are biopsychosocial and socio-ecological. Her doctoral dissertation work, funded by an NRSA F31 award from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), focused on examining bidirectional associations between physical activity and executive cognitive function among older cancer survivors. While completing her postdoctoral fellowship at Moffitt Cancer Center on the NCI T32 in Behavioral Oncology, she conducted two pilot studies of patient-reported outcomes of immunotherapy for melanoma and renal cell carcinoma, and then received an NCI K99/R00 award to support her research examining cancer-related cognitive impairment in young adult cancer survivors. Outside of work she enjoys listening to audiobooks, sewing, and practicing aerial circus arts.

Autumn Mreczko

Autumn Mreczko -- Project Manager

Autumn is a project manager in the College of Nursing's Office of Research with 15 years of combined experience in project management and research support. She is committed to improving health resources, quality of life, and outcomes while advancing research initiatives that have a meaningful impact on healthcare systems.

Berrin McFadden

Berrin McFadden -- Research Support Specialist

Berrin McFadden is a skilled Research Support Specialist with extensive experience in facilitating and managing research projects. He specializes in utilizing software tools like MetricWire, Redcap, and BuildClinical to ensure seamless data management and analysis, while maintaining data accuracy. Berrin collaborates closely with a remote team of professionals to ensure that study procedures are completed on time and within budget. Passionate about problem-solving, he is committed to resolving any issues related to research studies within hours of being reported. Berrin also implements innovative participant engagement strategies that enhance study compliance and improve data collection efficiency. His expertise extends to managing clinical research data systems and protocols while working cross-functionally to streamline participant recruitment and retention efforts.

Christina Hersh

Christina Hersh -- Graduate Research Assistant

Christina is a PhD student in the College of Nursing, dedicated to advancing cardio-oncology care by investigating patient-reported outcomes among breast cancer survivors with cardiotoxicity. As a graduate research assistant in the RAINBO lab, she supports its mission to enhance quality of life during and after cancer.

Kenley Clark

Kenley Clark -- Graduate Research Assistant

As a PhD student in the College of Nursing, Kenley is committed to improving the lives of individuals in marginalized populations who face mental health challenges. His research interest in nutritional psychiatry focuses on diet and nutrition as a risk factor and treatment target for mental health.

Danielle Abukhalaf

Danielle Abukhalaf -- Graduate Research Assistant

Danielle is a PhD student in the College of Nursing. Her research examines the role of the gut microbiome, inflammation, and intestinal barrier dysfunction in adult septic patients with acute kidney injury. It aims to deepen our understanding of these interactions to inform future nursing interventions and improve patient outcomes.

Undergraduate Research Assistants

  • Valerie Vargas Ardila Valerie Vargas Ardila
    Valerie Vargas Ardila
    Valerie is a junior majoring in Biology with a minor in Public Health in the pre-med track with the goal of becoming a pediatrician.
  • Aishwarya Aggarwal Aishwarya Aggarwal
    Aishwarya Aggarwal
    Aishwarya, a senior in Biomedical Sciences with a Nutrition minor, aims to work in research before pursuing a PhD in molecular oncology.
  • Serene Abulhaija Serene Abulhaija
    Serene Abulhaija
    Serene is a pre-med honors student at USF, dual majoring in Biomedical Sciences and Psychology with the goal of becoming a psychiatrist.

  • The RAINBO Lab welcomes new student volunteers, Kenley Clark, Danielle Abukhalaf, Aishwarya Aggarwal, and Serene Abulhaija!

    Thank you to our former lab members – Maria Eduarda Souza Ribas, Anasimone Nagib, and Jemima Morgan for your dedication to our work. 

  • CRCI REALITY: We have an open study of cancer-related cognitive impairment using real-time assessments in young adult cancer survivors. In this study, we ask individuals 18-30 years old who were diagnosed with cancer age 13-30 to complete surveys and brain games on their cell phone several times per day for up to 10 days. We will also ask them to complete two online surveys, and a computer-based cognitive assessment.

    Click here to participate in the CRCI Reality Study

    GUTSY CRCI: We have an optional add-on to the CRCI REALITY study for participants who are interested in helping us learn more about the potential connection between cognitive functioning and the gut microbiome.

  • Tometich DB, Hersh C, Maconi ML, Fulton HJ, Martinez Tyson D, Zambrano K, Hasan S, Welniak T, Rodriguez Y, Bryant C, Gudenkauf LM, Li X, Reed DR, Oswald LB, Galligan A, Small BJ, Jim HSL. "It Was a Downward Spiral": A Qualitative Study of Young Adult Cancer Survivors' Experiences with Cognitive and Mental Health. Cancers (Basel). 2024 Nov 13;16(22). doi: 10.3390/cancers16223819. PubMed PMID: 39594774; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC11592372.

    Tometich DB, Geiss C, Maconi ML, Chavez M, Hoogland AI, Li X, Nieves-Lopez A, Rodriguez Y, Bryant C, Brohl AS, Eroglu Z, Markowitz J, Tarhini AA, Hwu P, Khushalani NI, Jim HSL. Patient reported outcomes and patient experiences of immune checkpoint modulators for advanced or recurrent melanoma: a mixed methods study. Support Care Cancer. 2024 May 6;32(6):330. doi: 10.1007/s00520-024-08538-8. PubMed PMID: 38709312; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC11249036.

    Tometich DB, Welniak T, Gudenkauf L, Maconi ML, Fulton HJ, Martinez Tyson D, Zambrano K, Hasan S, Rodriguez Y, Bryant C, Li X, Reed DR, Oswald LB, Galligan A, Small BJ, Jim HSL. "I couldn't connect the wires in my brain." Young adult cancer survivors' experience with cognitive functioning. Psychooncology. 2024 Mar;33(3):e6309. doi: 10.1002/pon.6309. PubMed PMID: 38420860; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC11249037.

    Tometich DB, Hoogland AI, Small BJ, Janelsins MC, Bryant C, Rodriguez Y, Gonzalez BD, Li X, Bulls HW, James BW, Arboleda B, Colon-Echevarria C, Townsend MK, Tworoger SS, Rodriguez P, Oswald LB, Bower JE, Apte SM, Wenham RM, Chon HS, Shahzad MM, Jim HSL. Relationships among Inflammatory Biomarkers and Objectively Assessed Physical Activity and Sleep during and after Chemotherapy for Gynecologic Malignancies. Cancers (Basel). 2023 Jul 30;15(15). doi: 10.3390/cancers15153882. PubMed PMID: 37568698; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10416903.

    Tometich DB, Mosher CE, Cyders M, McDonald BC, Saykin AJ, Small BJ, Zhai W, Zhou X, Jim HSL, Jacobsen P, Ahles TA, Root JC, Graham D, Patel SK, Mandelblatt J. An Examination of the Longitudinal Relationship Between Cognitive Function and Physical Activity Among Older Breast Cancer Survivors in the Thinking and Living With Cancer Study. Ann Behav Med. 2023 Apr 5;57(3):237-248. doi: 10.1093/abm/kaac048. PubMed PMID: 36356044; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10074030.

    Tometich DB, Hyland KA, Soliman H, Jim HSL, Oswald L. Living with Metastatic Cancer: A Roadmap for Future Research. Cancers (Basel). 2020 Dec 8;12(12). doi: 10.3390/cancers12123684. Review. PubMed PMID: 33302472; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7763639.

    Tometich DB, Small BJ, Carroll JE, Zhai W, Luta G, Zhou X, Kobayashi LC, Ahles T, Saykin AJ, Clapp JD, Jim HSL, Jacobsen PB, Hurria A, Graham D, McDonald BC, Denduluri N, Extermann M, Isaacs C, Dilawari A, Root J, Rini C, Mandelblatt JS. Pretreatment Psychoneurological Symptoms and Their Association With Longitudinal Cognitive Function and Quality of Life in Older Breast Cancer Survivors. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2019 Mar;57(3):596-606. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2018.11.015. Epub 2018 Nov 23. PubMed PMID: 30472317; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6382533.

    Tometich DB, Mosher CE, Hirsh AT, Rand KL, Johns SA, Matthias MS, Outcalt SD, Schneider BP, Mina L, Storniolo AMV, Newton EV, Miller KD. Metastatic breast cancer patients' expectations and priorities for symptom improvement. Support Care Cancer. 2018 Nov;26(11):3781-3788. doi: 10.1007/s00520-018-4244-8. Epub 2018 May 7. PubMed PMID: 29736866; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6221997.

    For a full list of Dr. Tometich’s publications, visit https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/danielle.tometich.1/bibliography/public/

  • Dr. Tometich can be reached at dbtometich@usf.edu

    • Not currently accepting applications for a full-time research coordinator.

    • Not currently accepting applications for graduate student research assistants.

    • Availability for undergraduate student research assistants starting in Spring 2026. Please inquire in October-November 2025.