SMU Department of Psychology

FACULTY

LECTURERS

ADJUNCT FACULTY

GRADUATE STUDENTS

STAFF

Georita Marie Frierson
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Ph.D., Ohio State University, 2003

TEL 214.768.4638
EMAIL frierson (add @smu.edu to all email addresses)
OFFICE 306E Hyer Hall
CURRICULUM VITAE click to view
LAB WEB SITE click to view

RESEARCH SUMMARY

My primary research interests address cancer prevention, education, and survivorship topics that focus on the following: 1) the role of physical activity on incidence and recurrence rates, 2) quality of life, 3) mental health, and 4) body image.

Common themes in my physical activity research, among various populations, are the development and implementation of research interventions for individuals who are initially sedentary but are prescribed a “dose” of physical activity to become more physically active to improve overall health, disease status, and/or to meet the public health guidelines for physical activity. From my psychosocial oncology research, I have expanded my research interests to examine health disparities regarding prevention and treatment of chronic diseases among medically underserved women and men (e.g., African Americans, Latino/a/Hispanics, lower SES, geographic location).

From 2006-2009, I was a collaborator on an Internet-based intervention that promoted diet and behavior changes in obese populations (HEALTH Study-funded by the DOD). Since 2007, I have been the Project Director on a 5-year NIH-funded Internet-based prospective, observational, longitudinal study that assesses the relationships between physical activity and musculoskeletal injuries for 918 community-living women (The WIN STUDY). One of my major scientific contributions to The WIN Study is the development of the adherence protocol that monitors and addresses participants’ motivation to continue participating in an Internet-based study for the study’s 3.25-year surveillance period.

REPRESENTATIVE PUBLICATIONS

Frierson, G.M., Williams, D., Dunger, S., Lewis, B., Whiteley, J., Albrecht, A., Jekicic, J., Firara, S., & Marcus, B. (In press). Recruitment of a racial-ethnically diverse sample into an efficacy trial: Balancing internal and external validity. International Journal of Clinical Trials.

Pinto, B.M., Rabin, C., Papandonatos, G, Frierson, G.M., Trunzo, J.J., & Marcus, B.H. (2008). A Home-based Physical Activity Intervention for Breast Cancer Patients Effects on Physical Activity Outcomes. Supportive Care Cancer.

Rabin, C, Rogers, M.L., Pinto, B.M., Nash, J.M., Frierson, G, & Trask, P.C. (2007). Effect of personal cancer history and family cancer history on levels of distress. Social Science & Medicine, 64, 411-416.

Grambling, B., Anthony, D., Frierson, G.M., & Bowen, D. (2007). The Cancer Worry Chart: a patient-centered measure of worry about developing cancer for triage in the busy office setting. Psycho-Oncology, 16, 593-7.

Frierson, G.M. (2006). Clinical Case Report: Using the IDEA method in African-American women with weight-loss issues. Obesity Management, 1 (6), 258-260.

Frierson, G.M., & Andersen, B.L. Breast Reconstruction. (2006). In: D. Sarwer, T. Pruzinsky, T. Cash, R. Goldwyn, J. Persing, & L. Whitaker (Eds.), The Psychological Aspects of Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery. (173-188). Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams, & Wilkens.

Frierson, G. M., Thiel, D., & Andersen, B. L., (2006). Body Change Stress for Women with Breast Cancer: The Breast-Impact of Treatment Scale. Annals of Behavioral Medicine. 32(1), 77-81.

Rabin, C., Pinto, B., Trunzo, J., Frierson, G., & Bucknam, L. (2006). Physical Activity among Breast Cancer Survivors: Regular Exercisers vs. Participants in a Physical Activity Intervention. Psycho-Oncology, 15 (4).

Rabin, C., Pinto, B., & Frierson, G., (2006). Mediators of a Physical Activity Intervention for Breast Cancer Patients. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 28 (3) 269-284.