Dr. DeJonckheere is an adolescent health researcher whose research focuses on psychosocial influences on health and well-being, particularly among adolescents with type 1 or 2 diabetes. Her Incubator project will examine the relationships between depression and psychosocial stress, disordered eating and insulin restriction/non-compliance, and glycemic control for adolescents with type 1 diabetes. This project aims to generate evidence that would support the need for universal screening of disordered eating behaviors in pediatric endocrinology clinics, as well as the development of educational resources to prevent disordered eating in this population.
The Data & Design Core welcomed its second cohort, comprised of three researchers from across the University of Michigan. These researchers proposed impactful research projects that have the potential to advance our understanding of depression and related illnesses.
Meet the 2023-24 cohort
Dr. Zhang is a health and mental health intervention researcher with a primary research interest in psycho-oncology and cancer survivorship among adolescents and young adults. His Incubator project will use the Health and Retirement Study to examine the mental health trajectories of adult survivors of cancer who received their diagnoses in adolescence or young adulthood (AYA). This project seeks to better understand the long-term mental health impacts of a cancer diagnosis in AYA throughout the life course.
Read Dr. Zhang's published paper: Mental Health Trajectories Among US Survivors of Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer as They Age, JAMA Network Open, May 19, 2025
Dr. Tsao is a medical oncologist specializing in the treatment of advanced prostate cancer at the Ann Arbor Veterans Affairs Hospital. Her Incubator project will use Michigan Medicine clinical data to examine the impact of androgen receptor signaling inhibitors (ARSI’s) on depression and anxiety in men with prostate cancer. As the number of men taking ARSI’s for early-stage prostate cancer is expected to increase, this project seeks to contribute evidence of the potential effects on depression and anxiety so that patients can make informed treatment decisions.