Rachel M. Ceballos

Rachel M. Ceballos, PhD

Languages spoken: English

Academic Information

Departments Primary - Family & Preventive Medicine

Divisions: Public Health

Dr. Rachel Ceballos is an Associate Professor in the Division of Public Health, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of Utah, Senior Director for Community Outreach and Engagement at the Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI), is a member of the Cancer Control and Population Sciences Program at HCI, and holds a Huntsman Cancer Institute Endowed Chair in Cancer Research.

Her areas of research include understanding the psychological and social impact of cancer, especially in communities that experience unequal health outcomes. She has experience working with rural, African American, Native American, and Latino communities, is committed to the practice of community engagement at all levels of the research process, and co-learning between researchers and the communities we serve.

Prior to arriving at the University of Utah and HCI, she was an Associate Professor in the Division of Public Health Sciences at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and an Affiliate Associate Professor in the Department of Health Systems and Population Health at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA.

Dr. Ceballos earned her PhD in Biobehavior at Pennsylvania State University completing a postdoctoral fellowship in Public Health Science at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, M.S. in Biobehavioral Health at Pennsylvania State University, B.A. in Psychology at California State University Long Beach, and A.A. in Liberal Arts at Skyline College.

Education History

Undergraduate Skyline College
 AA
Undergraduate California State University Long Beach
 BA
Graduate Training Pennsylvania State University
 MS
Doctoral Training Pennsylvania State University
 PhD
Postdoctoral Fellowship Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
 Postdoctoral Fellow
Research Fellow University of Washington School of Public Health
 Senior Research Fellow

Selected Publications

Journal Article

  1. Cavigelli SA, Guhad FA, Ceballos RM, Whetzel CA, Nevalainen T, Lang CM, Klein LC (2006). Fecal corticoid metabolites in aged male and female rats after husbandry-related disturbances in the colony room. J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci, 45(6), 17-21.
  2. Miller SM, Bowen DJ, Lyle J, Clark M, Mohr D, Wardle J, Ceballos R, Emmons K, Gritz E, Marlow L (2008). Primary prevention, aging, and cancer: overview and future perspectives. Cancer, 113(12 Suppl), 3484-92.
  3. Ceballos RM, Newcomb PA, Beasley JM, Peterson S, Templeton A, Hunt JR (2008). Colorectal cancer cases and relatives of cases indicate similar willingness to receive and disclose genetic information. Genet Test, 12(3), 415-20.
  4. Ceballos RM, Coronado GD, Thompson B (2010). Having a diagnosis of diabetes is not associated with general diabetes knowledge in rural Hispanics. J Rural Health, 26(4), 342-51.
  5. West SG, Krick AL, Klein LC, Zhao G, Wojtowicz TF, McGuiness M, Bagshaw DM, Wagner P, Ceballos RM, Holub BJ, Kris-Etherton PM (2010). Effects of diets high in walnuts and flax oil on hemodynamic responses to stress and vascular endothelial function. J Am Coll Nutr, 29(6), 595-603.
  6. Beasley JM, Newcomb PA, Trentham-Dietz A, Hampton JM, Ceballos RM, Titus-Ernstoff L, Egan KM, Holmes MD (2010). Social networks and survival after breast cancer diagnosis. J Cancer Surviv, 4(4), 372-80.
  7. Littman AJ, Bertram LC, Ceballos R, Ulrich CM, Ramaprasad J, McGregor B, McTiernan A (2012). Randomized controlled pilot trial of yoga in overweight and obese breast cancer survivors: effects on quality of life and anthropometric measures. Support Care Cancer, 20(2), 267-77.
  8. Barrington WE, Ceballos RM, Bishop SK, McGregor BA, Beresford SA (2012). Perceived stress, behavior, and body mass index among adults participating in a worksite obesity prevention program, Seattle, 2005-2007. Prev Chronic Dis, 9, E152.
  9. Sherman KJ, Wellman RD, Cook AJ, Cherkin DC, Ceballos RM (2013). Mediators of yoga and stretching for chronic low back pain. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2013, 130818.
  10. Cadmus-Bertram L, Littman AJ, Ulrich CM, Stovall R, Ceballos RM, McGregor BA, Wang CY, Ramaprasad J, McTiernan A (2013). Predictors of adherence to a 26-week viniyoga intervention among post-treatment breast cancer survivors. J Altern Complement Med, 19(9), 751-8.
  11. Molina Y, Thompson B, Ceballos RM (2014). Physician and Family Recommendations to Obtain a Mammogram and Mammography Intentions: The Moderating Effects of Perceived Seriousness and Risk of Breast Cancer. J Womens Health Care, 3(6).
  12. Ceballos RM, Knerr S, Scott MA, Hohl SD, Malen RC, Vilchis H, Thompson B (2014). Latino beliefs about biomedical research participation: a qualitative study on the U.S.-Mexico border. J Empir Res Hum Res Ethics, 9(4), 10-21.
  13. Sannes TS, Dolan E, Albano D, Ceballos RM, McGregor BA (2015). Stress management reduces intraindividual cortisol variability, while not impacting other measures of cortisol rhythm, in a group of women at risk for breast cancer. J Psychosom Res, 79(5), 412-9.
  14. Song S, Graham-Engeland JE, Corwin EJ, Ceballos RM, Taylor SE, Seeman T, Klein LC (2015). The role of multiple negative social relationships in inflammatory cytokine responses to a laboratory stressor. PeerJ, 3, e959.
  15. Molina Y, Hempstead BH, Thompson-Dodd J, Weatherby SR, Dunbar C, Hohl SD, Malen RC, Ceballos RM (2015). Medical Advocacy and Supportive Environments for African-Americans Following Abnormal Mammograms. J Cancer Educ, 30(3), 447-52.
  16. Knerr S, Ceballos RM (2015). Giving samples or "getting checked": measuring conflation of observational biospecimen research and clinical care in Latino communities. BMC Med Ethics, 16, 49.
  17. Ceballos RM, Molina Y, Malen RC, Ibarra G, Escareño M, Marchello N (2015). Design, development, and feasibility of a spanish-language cancer survivor support group. Support Care Cancer, 23(7), 2145-55.
  18. McGregor BA, Dolan ED, Murphy KM, Sannes TS, Highland KB, Albano DL, Ward AA, Charbonneau AM, Redman MW, Ceballos RM (2015). Cognitive Behavioral Stress Management for Healthy Women at Risk for Breast Cancer: a Novel Application of a Proven Intervention. Ann Behav Med, 49(6), 873-84.
  19. Molina Y, Scherman A, Constant TH, Hempstead B, Thompson-Dodd J, Richardson S, Weatherby SR, Reding KW, Ceballos RM (2016). Medical advocacy among African-American women diagnosed with breast cancer: from recipient to resource. Support Care Cancer, 24(7), 3077-84.
  20. McGregor BA, Murphy KM, Albano DL, Ceballos RM (2016). Stress, cortisol, and B lymphocytes: a novel approach to understanding academic stress and immune function. Stress, 19(2), 185-91.
  21. Molina Y, Hohl SD, Nguyen M, Hempstead BH, Weatherby SR, Dunbar C, Beresford SA, Ceballos RM (2016). Ethnic differences in social support after initial receipt of an abnormal mammogram. Cultur Divers Ethnic Minor Psychol, 22(4), 588-593.
  22. Knerr S, Ceballos RM, Chan KCG, Beresford SAA, Bowen DJ (2020). Women's beliefs about what causes obesity: variation by race/ethnicity and acculturation in a Washington State sample. Ethn Health, 25(2), 243-254.
  23. Hohl SD, Ceballos R, Scott MA, Thompson B (2019). Developing a Culturally Informed Survey Instrument to Assess Biomedical Research Participation Among Latinos on the U.S.-Mexico Border. Qual Health Res, 29(3), 445-454.
  24. Miropolsky EM, Scott Baker K, Abbey-Lambertz M, Syrjala K, Chow EJ, Ceballos R, Mendoza JA (2020). Participant Perceptions on a Fitbit and Facebook Intervention for Young Adult Cancer Survivors: A Qualitative Study. J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol, 9(3), 410-417.
  25. Boehmer U, Potter J, Clark MA, Ozonoff A, Ceballos RM, Winter M, Hartshorn KL (2019). Neighborhood Characteristics and Colorectal Cancer Survivors' Quality of Care. Health Equity, 3(1), 619-627.
  26. Torres VN, Williams EC, Ceballos RM, Donovan DM, Ornelas IJ (2020). Participant Satisfaction and Acceptability of a Culturally Adapted Brief Intervention to Reduce Unhealthy Alcohol Use Among Latino Immigrant Men. Am J Mens Health, 14(3), 1557988320925652.
  27. Torres VN, Williams EC, Ceballos RM, Donovan DM, Duran B, Ornelas IJ (2020). Participant engagement in a community based participatory research study to reduce alcohol use among Latino immigrant men. Health Educ Res, 35(6), 627-636.
  28. Ceballos RM, Hohl SD, Molina Y, Hempstead B, Thompson-Dodd J, Weatherby S, Malen RC (2021). Oncology provider and African-American breast cancer survivor perceptions of the emotional experience of transitioning to survivorship. J Psychosoc Oncol, 39(1), 35-53.
  29. Boehmer U, Potter J, Clark MA, Winter M, Berklein F, Ceballos RM, Hartshorn K, Ozonoff A (2022). Follow-up surveillance among colorectal cancer survivors of different sexual orientations. J Cancer Surviv, 16(2), 445-454.
  30. Duggan C, Cushing-Haugen KL, Cole AM, Allen J, Gilles R, Hornecker JR, Gutierrez AI, Warner J, Baker KS, Ceballos RM, Chow EJ (2023). Feasibility of delivering survivorship care via lay health educators: A pilot randomized controlled trial among rural cancer survivors.(Epub ahead of print). J Rural Health.
  31. Corwin EJ, McCoy CS, Whetzel CA, Ceballos RM, Klein L (2006). Risk indicators of metabolic syndrome in young adults: a preliminary investigation on the influence of tobacco smoke exposure and gender. Heart & lung, 35(2), 119-29.
  32. Waters AR, Meehan K, Atkins DL, Ittes AH, Ferrari RM, Rohweder CL, Wangen M, Ceballos RM, Issaka RB, Reuland DS, Wheeler SB, Brenner AT, Shah P (2024). How pharmacists would design and implement a community pharmacy-based colorectal cancer screening program. Preventive oncology & epidemiology, 2(1),
  33. Torres VN, Williams EC, Ceballos RM, Donovan DM, Ornelas I (2024). Discrimination, acculturative stress, alcohol use and their associations with alcohol-related consequences among Latino immigrant men. Journal of ethnicity in substance abuse, 23(1), 150-165.
  34. Brenner AT, Rohweder CL, Wangen M, Atkins DL, Ceballos RM, Correa S, Ferrari RM, Issaka RB, Ittes A, Odebunmi OO, Reuland DS, Waters AR, Wheeler SB, Shah P (2023). Primary care provider perspectives on the role of community pharmacy in colorectal cancer screening: a qualitative study. BMC health services research, 23(1), 892.
  35. Samayoa C, Santana-Ufret V, Santoyo-Olsson J, Strassle PD, Stewart A, Bonilla J, Escalera C, Mendez RM, Márquez-Magaña L, Ortiz C, Ceballos RM, Nápoles A (2022). Cortisol levels in rural Latina breast cancer survivors participating in a peer-delivered cognitive-behavioral stress management intervention: The Nuevo Amanecer-II RCT. Comprehensive psychoneuroendocrinology, 11, 100153.
  36. Hirko KA, Xu H, Rogers LQ, Martin MY, Roy S, Kelly KM, Christy SM, Ashing KT, Yi JC, Lewis-Thames MW, Meade CD, Lu Q, Gwede CK, Nemeth J, Ceballos RM, Menon U, Cueva K, Yeary K, Klesges LM, Baskin ML, Alcaraz KI, Ford (2022). Cancer disparities in the context of rurality: risk factors and screening across various U.S. rural classification codes. Cancer causes & control, 33(8), 1095-1105.
  37. Boehmer U, Ozonoff A, Winter M, Berklein F, Potter J, Ceballos RM, Clark M (2022). Anxiety and depression in colorectal cancer survivors: Are there differences by sexual orientation?. Psycho-oncology, 31(3), 521-531.
  38. Boehmer U, Ozonoff A, Winter M, Berklein F, Potter J, Hartshorn KL, Ward KC, Ceballos RM, Clark M (2021). Health-related quality of life among colorectal cancer survivors of diverse sexual orientations. Cancer, 127(20), 3847-3855.
  39. Klein LC, Corwin EJ, Ceballos R (2004). Leptin, hunger, and body weight: Influence of gender, tobacco smoking, and smoking abstinence. Addictive behaviors, 29(5), 921-7.
  40. Cruz JL, Luke DA, Ceballos RM, Ramanadhan S, Emmons K (2025). Reconceptualizing rurality: Exploring community capital to identify distinct rural classes in the United States. SSM - population health, 29, 101729.
  41. Chow EJ, Blythe NA, Cushing-Haugen KL, Duggan C, Baker KS, Cole AM, Green S, Guiterrez AI, Lee E, Linden HM, Mendoza JA, Ohlsen TJD, Ortblad KF, Schwartz SM, Yung RL, Ceballos R (2025). Enhancing survivorship care among Hispanic/Latino cancer survivors via lay health educators: results of a pilot randomized trial. Journal of cancer survivorship,
  42. Cruz JL, Jackson DA, Johns SL, Ramanadhan S, Luke DA, Emmons KM, Ceballos R (2025). Unpacking rural Heterogeneity: A proof-of-concept study of how varying rural contexts shape breast cancer screening behaviors. SSM - population health, 32, 101873.
  43. DeAtley T, Baker A, Denlinger-Apte R, Ogunbajo A, Martinez U, Ceballos RM, Wetter DW, Operario D, Kershaw T, Gamarel KE, Restar (2025). Assessing Tobacco Harm Perceptions Among Transgender and Nonbinary Adults: Results From a Community Informed State-Wide Survey. Nicotine & tobacco research, 27(11), 2053-2062.

Review

  1. Molina Y, Thompson B, Espinoza N, Ceballos R (2013). Breast cancer interventions serving US-based Latinas: current approaches and directions. [Review]. Womens Health (Lond), 9, (4), 335-48; quiz 349-50.

Letter

  1. Molina Y, Ceballos RM, Dolan ED, Albano D, McGregor BA (2015). Perceived breast cancer risk and breast cancer worry among women with a family history of breast cancer: a new perspective on coping as a mediator. [Letter to the editor]. Psychooncology, 24(1), 113-6.