Medical Psychologist
Department of Psychosocial Oncology
Roswell Park Cancer Institute

Sandra L. Jensen, PhD, joined Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) in 2001 as a Medical Psychologist in the Department of Psychosocial Oncology where she serves as a psychological consultant to the Department of Medicine. Dr. Jensen provides comprehensive psychological, neuropsychological and personality assessment and treatment to patients with a wide range of cancer diagnoses and their families. She has developed a pre-Blood and Marrow Transplant evaluation and a BMT orientation and caregiver program, which was funded through a grant from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute Alliance.

Dr. Jensen earned her masters and doctoral degree at an American Psychological Association (APA) accredited Psychology Counseling Program at Iowa State University, Ames, IA in 2001. She also served as a representative to the Clinical Training Committee at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System.

Dr. Jensen’s research interests include social support factors affecting the solicitation and receipt of helping behavior; the contributions of fatigue and anxiety to depression among blood and marrow transplant patients; and cognitive change among transplant patients.

Dr. Jensen is a member of the American Psychological Association, APA Division of Clinical Gerontology, APA Division of Adult Development and Aging; APA Division of Health Psychology; and the American Psychosocial Oncology Society.

Dr. Jensen has authored or co-authored several journal articles and abstracts.

Selected Publications

• Jensen, S.L. (2005) “BMT Orientation and Caregiver Program.” Poster presentation at the first annual American Psychosocial Oncology Society, Phoenix, AZ, Jan 27-28, 2005.
• Hoffman, B. M., Kleiner, J. S., Donnelly, K. Z., Jensen, S. L., Donnelly, J. P., McCarthy, P. L., Zevon, M. A., & Burhart, J. A. (2004). Fatigue and anxiety contribute to depression among BMT patients.
• Cutrona, C.E., Jensen, S.L., & Gardner, K.A. (2003) Social support factors affecting the solicitation and receipt of helping behavior.
• Cutrona, C.E., Suhr, J.A., Krebs, K.K., and Jensen, S.L. (2004) The social support behavior code. In Couple Observational Coding Systems, P.K. Kerig and D.H. Baucom, eds. NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
• Jensen, S.L. (2001).Development and application of an observational coding system for the elicitation of social support behaviors. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Iowa State University, Ames.
• Jensen, S.L. (1998). Characteristics of stressful events that predict helping behavior. Unpublished master’s thesis, Iowa State University, Ames.