Dr. Belcher’s research focuses on understanding and improving health outcomes among patients with cancer, particularly among patients with high cost and advanced cancers and among socioeconomically disadvantaged and historically excluded populations. Her research and training have been supported in part by the American Cancer Society (DSCN-17-077-01-SCN), the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Future of Nursing Scholars program, the Nightingale Awards of Pennsylvania, the Center for Nursing Excellence in Palliative Care (NEPC-2018-01) at Emory University, the Alpha Epsilon chapter of Sigma, the National Institute of Nursing Research and intramural awards at the University of Pittsburgh. She is the recipient of Loan Repayment Awards from the National Cancer Institute (L30CA263713). Her early research identified predictors of poor health outcomes among adults with multiple primary cancers and relationships between financial hardship and quality of life among patients with advanced and high symptom burden cancers. She has also collaborated on cancer family caregiver studies. Her career development award (K23NR019296) identified dynamic patterns of adherence to oral anticancer medications that differed by race and ethnicity as well as system-level barriers to medication adherence. Her current study (R01CA292925) integrates health equity theory and medication adherence principles to characterize distinct phases of medication adherence among patients with hematological malignancies and to identify multi-level predictors and outcomes over time.
Dr. Belcher received her BSN from The Ohio State University. She completed an oncology nursing internship at Duke University Medical Center. She earned her PhD at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing with a focus in cancer survivorship. Her postdoctoral fellowship was in biobehavioral oncology at Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. She earned a graduate Health Equity Certificate from the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health.
- Cancer treatment adherence
- Health equity, financial hardship, and social determinants of health
- Cancer and cancer therapy outcomes
- Cancer survivorship
- Symptom science
Dr. Belcher teaches Health Promotion and Disease Prevention among Culturally Diverse Populations; the Cancer Survivorship doctoral seminar; and Intro to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. An Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN®) with experience in nursing management and expertise in cancer care across the disease trajectory, she was previously a clinical instructor in foundational, acute care, and community health nursing courses. She guest lectures on career development, mentorship, and numerous aspects of oncology nursing and has mentored nursing and interdisciplinary students across levels of training.
Dr. Belcher’s service spans from local to international. Dr. Belcher is an active member of the Oncology Nursing Society and was the nurse lead on a national panel to develop the 2022 ONS Guidelines to Support Patient Adherence to Oral Anticancer Medications and also served on the team of individuals selected for iterative ONS Research Priority, 2024-2027, development. Her service work with the International Society for Medication Adherence (ESPACOMP) includes two task forces evaluating patient reported measures of medication adherence and developing recommendations to improve the design and definition of complex medication adherence interventions. Her ongoing task force work within the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) includes examination of the influence of socioeconomic position on outcomes and care experiences of cancer survivors. She has reviewed grants for the NIH, the CDC, and international funding mechanisms. She is a member of the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Biobehavioral Cancer Control Program, core faculty in the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine’s Palliative Research Center (secondary appointment), and a faculty affiliate of the Center for Pharmaceutical Policy and Prescribing in the School of Medicine and the Center for Health Equity in the School of Public Health. Within the School of Nursing, Dr. Belcher serves as past-chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee and as a member of the Progression and Graduation Committee for PhD Council. She has provided numerous community-based presentations on oncology topics and scientific careers to oncology nurses and to school-age children in local public schools.