Assistant Professor, Departments of Medical Social Sciences (Primary) and Pediatrics (Secondary)
Bio
Dr. Alexandra (“Alex”) Psihogios is a licensed clinical psychologist, behavioral scientist, and Assistant Professor in the Departments of Medical Social Sciences and Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Her research focuses on equitably improving outcomes for adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer through innovative, scalable digital health interventions.
Dr. Psihogios leads research focused on helping young people successfully manage cancer treatment and survivorship by developing behavioral interventions that are engaging, accessible, and grounded in the ways AYAs naturally connect and communicate today. Her work leverages mobile health tools, social media, and partnerships with patient advocates and content creators to improve treatment adherence, self-management, and quality of life.
She is Principal Investigator of multiple grant-funded studies supported by the National Cancer Institute, American Cancer Society, Blood Cancer United, Teen Cancer America, and now, the Lynn Sage Breast Cancer Foundation. Through an NCI Merit Award (R37), she is leading the first multi-site trial of a social media-enabled intervention designed to support oral chemotherapy adherence among AYAs with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. With generous support from Lynn Sage, she is adapting a personalized app and social media messaging intervention to support young women taking adjuvant endocrine therapy.
Dr. Psihogios collaborates with researchers and clinicians across leading cancer centers nationwide to advance patient-centered, community-engaged approaches to cancer care delivery. In addition to her research, she is passionate about mentorship, interdisciplinary collaboration, and training the next generation of behavioral health scientists.
For many young women with breast cancer—or those at high risk of developing it—taking hormone therapy every day for several years can significantly reduce the risk of the cancer returning. However, side effects, busy lifestyles, and a lack of age-appropriate support make it difficult for many patients to stay on treatment consistently.
This study is testing whether a personalized smartphone app combined with peer-led social media support can help young women stick with their hormone therapy. By providing tailored guidance based on daily symptoms and sharing encouragement from other young women with similar experiences, the program is designed to make treatment feel more manageable, relevant, and less isolating.
This approach could offer a scalable new way to improve long-term treatment adherence, helping more young women receive the full benefit of hormone therapy while reducing their risk of breast cancer diagnosis or recurrence.
Alex Psihogios, PhD
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Current
Senior Investigator
Irina V. Balyasnikova, PhD
A Novel Tri-Specific T Cell Engager for the Treatment of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Brain Metastases
Current
Senior Investigator
Chuan He, PhD
Refolding and Reactivation of Mutant p53 in Breast Cancer Therapy
Current
Senior Investigator
Dezheng Huo, PhD
Using Artificial Intelligence to Integrate Imaging and Genetic Markers for Personalized Breast Cancer Risk Prediction
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