University at Buffalo · PsychologyAshare Oncology Lab
Rebecca Ashare · Buffalo, New York
Research Focus
Rebecca Ashare's research lab focuses on understanding the effects of cannabis use among cancer patients who are undergoing immunotherapy. The lab investigates how cannabis can help alleviate symptoms like pain and anxiety, as well as any potential harms it may cause to immune function and disease progression. Their research seeks to fill gaps in knowledge about the long-term impacts of cannabis during cancer treatment and aims to improve patient care and safety.
cannabisimmunotherapycancerpain managementimmune functionpatient outcomeslongitudinal studypsychologyimmune checkpoint inhibitors
Research Aims
4AIM 01Assess the benefits of cannabis use for pain, anxiety, and quality of life in cancer patients.
AIM 02Evaluate the harms of cannabis use including cognitive impacts and fatigue over time.
AIM 03Investigate the relationship between neighborhood disadvantage and the impact of cannabis use on patient outcomes.
AIM 04Explore the association between cannabis use and disease progression in patients prior to starting immunotherapy.
Skills the Lab Values
ecological momentary assessmentpatient reported outcomesclinical data extractionlongitudinal studiessurvey designdata analysisimmunological marker assessmenthealth equity researchmultisite study coordination
Output against the department
Publications142bottom 48% of dept.154th of 296
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations2.8kbottom 27% of dept.216th of 296
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.