Anita R. Peoples, PhD, MPH

Languages spoken: English

Academic Information

Departments: Population Health Sciences - Research Assistant Professor

Divisions: Cancer Population Science

Academic Office Information

u6021727@utah.edu

(801) 581-4019

Huntsman Cancer Hospital

1950 Circle of Hope, Room: 4722
Salt Lake City, UT 84112

Research Interests

  • Examining Cancer- and Treatment-Related Symptoms and their Management
  • Understanding Clinical, Psychological, and Biological Mechanisms of Sleep Problems in Cancer Patients and Survivors
  • Evaluating the Relationships Between Sleep Disturbance and Other Symptoms such as Depression, Pain, Cognitive Impairment and Cardiovascular Toxicities in Cancer Population
  • Identifying Factors Associated with Sleep Disturbance such as Microbiota and Adiposity
  • Investigating Interventions to Alleviate Sleep Problems in Cancer Patients and Survivors such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)

Dr. Peoples is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Population Health Sciences at the University of Utah and a member of the Huntsman Cancer Institute. She received her Doctor of Philosophy degree in Biophysics with focus in basic radiation sciences and a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine. Dr. Peoples’ post-doctoral trainings include NCI-funded R25 Cancer Control Clinical Research Training and TL1 Population Health Research Fellowship, after which she moved to the Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah in 2018. Her research to date has focused on examining biomarkers, risk factors, and effective behavioral and pharmacologic interventions for adverse health outcomes stemming from cancer and its treatments, such as insomnia, depression, and pain.

Research Statement

Dr. Peoples is a clinical and translational researcher with a strong background and training in behavioral medicine, cancer control and survivorship, and radiation sciences. Her research to date has focused on examining biomarkers, risk factors, and effective behavioral and pharmacologic interventions for adverse health outcomes stemming from cancer and its treatment, namely insomnia, pain, depression, fatigue, muscle and mitochondrial damage, dyspnea and lung damage, nausea and vomiting, and overall quality of life. Dr. Peoples is currently involved in investigating the relationship of sleep disturbance with microbiota, metabolites, inflammatory and other biologic markers, adiposity, other cancer-related symptoms such as cardiotoxicity, as well as with cancer recurrence and survival in colorectal cancer patients.

Education History

Graduate Training University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Epidemiology, Clinical Trials, Population Sciences 		M.P.H.
Doctoral Training University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Biophysics 		Ph.D.
Graduate Training St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi
Physics 		M.Sc.
Undergraduate St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi
Physics 		B.Sc. (Hons)

Selected Publications

  1. Koole JL, Bours MJL, Geijsen AJMR, Gigic B, Ulvik A, Kok DE, Brezina S, Ose J, Baierl A, Bhm J, Brenner H, Breukink SO, Chang-Claude J, van Duijnhoven FJB, van Duijvendijk P, Gumpenberger T, Habermann N, van Halteren HK, Hoffmeister M, Holowatyj AN, Janssen-Heijnen MLG, Keulen ETP, Kiblawi R, Kruyt FM, Li CI, Lin T, Midttun, Peoples AR, van Roekel EH, Schneider MA, Schrotz-King P, Ulrich AB, Vickers K, Wesselink E, de Wilt JHW, Gsur A, Ueland PM, Ulrich CM, Kampman E, Weijenberg MP (2021). Circulating B-vitamin biomarkers and B-vitamin supplement use in relation to quality of life in patients with colorectal cancer: results from the FOCUS consortium. Am J Clin Nutr, 113(6), 1468-1481.
  2. Peoples AR, Pigeon WR, Li D, Garland SN, Perlis ML, Inglis JE, Vinciguerra V, Anderson T, Evans LS, Wade JL, Ossip DJ, Morrow GR, Wolf JR (2020). Association Between Pretreatment Sleep Disturbance and Radiation Therapy-Induced Pain in 573 Women With Breast Cancer. J Pain Symptom Manage, 61(2), 254-261.
  3. Han CJ, Gigic B, Schneider M, Kulu Y, Peoples AR, Ose J, Klsch T, Jacobsen PB, Colditz GA, Figueiredo JC, Grady WM, Li CI, Shibata D, Siegel EM, Toriola AT, Ulrich AB, Syrjala KL, Ulrich CM (2020). Risk factors for cancer-related distress in colorectal cancer survivors: one year post surgery. J Cancer Surviv, 14(3), 305-315.
  4. Peoples AR, Culakova E, Heckler CE, Shayne M, OConnor TL, Kirshner JJ, Bushunow PW, Morrow GR, Roscoe JA (2019). Positive effects of acupressure bands combined with relaxation music/instructions on patients most at risk for chemotherapy-induced nausea. Support Care Cancer, 27(12), 4597-4605.
  5. Ose J, Gigic B, Lin T, Liesenfeld DB, Bhm J, Nattenmller J, Scherer D, Zielske L, Schrotz-King P, Habermann N, Ochs-Balcom HM, Peoples AR, Hardikar S, Li CI, Shibata D, Figueiredo J, Toriola AT, Siegel EM, Schmit S, Schneider M, Ulrich A, Kauczor HU, Ulrich CM (2019). Multiplatform Urinary Metabolomics Profiling to Discriminate Cachectic from Non-Cachectic Colorectal Cancer Patients: Pilot Results from the ColoCare Study. Metabolites, 9(9).

Global Impact

Education History

Type School Degree
Graduate Training St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi
Physics		 M.Sc.
Undergraduate St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi
Physics		 B.Sc. (Hons)