Directory Entry For: Elizabeth Cash

Biography

I serve as Vice Chair for Resaerch where I direct research strategies within Otolaryngology to advance a departmental environment that supports resident scholarship and multidisciplinary investigation across the continuum of otolaryngology, audiology and speech-language pathology. I consult broadly with clinicians across multiple medical specialties to integrate behavioral and biological perspectives into patient care and research design. My service to the institution includes leadership roles such as chairing the School of Medicine Research Committee and contributing to scientific oversight through the Brown Cancer Center Scientific Review Committee. I prioritize rigorous methodology, translational impact, and the development of research capacity across the department.

Research Interests

My research program examines how psychological processes influence biological functioning and clinical outcomes in head and neck cancer. I lead one of the few sustained psychoneuroendocrine efforts in this population with a focus on circadian rhythms, diurnal cortisol dynamics, and their relevance for survival and treatment response through outcomes research aimed at improving patient selection and prediction of therapy benefit. This work draws on more than a decade of experience with ambulatory rest–activity monitoring and cortisol slope methodologies and includes extensive study of how these biological rhythms intersect with depression and other patient reported symptoms. I also serve as a founding member of the National Consortium for Behavioral Medicine in Head and Neck Cancer, which advances clinical and research initiatives that address psychosocial care across the cancer trajectory.

Degrees and Certifications

Publications

All Scholarly and Creative Works