Rachel M. Ceballos

Rachel M. Ceballos, PhD

Languages spoken: English

Academic Information

Divisions: Public Health

Dr. Rachel Ceballos is an Associate Professor in the Division of Public Health, within the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of Utah. She serves as the 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 research focuses on understanding the psychological and social impacts of cancer, particularly among communities experiencing health disparities, as well as advancing the science of community engagement in cancer prevention and control. Dr. Ceballos is deeply committed to integrating community engagement across all stages of the research process and emphasizes bidirectional learning between researchers and the communities they serve. She has extensive experience working with rural/frontier, African American, Native American, and Latino populations.

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, Washington.

Dr. Ceballos earned her PhD in Biobehavioral Health from Pennsylvania State University, where she also completed her MS in Biobehavioral Health. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Biobehavioral Cancer prevention and Control Program at the University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. She holds a BA in Psychology from California State University, Long Beach, and an AA in Liberal Arts from Skyline College.

Education History

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

Selected Publications

Journal Article

  1. 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 RM (2025). Enhancing survivorship care among Hispanic/Latino cancer survivors via lay health educators: results of a pilot randomized trial.PMC12353148. J Cancer Surviv, 20(4), 1591-1600.
  2. Lumpkins CY, Dibble KE, Baskin M, Ceballos RM, Rodriguez Espinosa P, Lewis MW, Pratt R, Kleckner A, Kim Yeary KH, Sheinfeld Gorin S, McLeod A, Manne S, Niranjan SJ (2026). Centering community-engaged research in NCI cancer centers: optimizing Community Outreach and Engagement (COE).PMC13175176. JNCI Cancer Spectr, 10(3).
  3. Rashid M, Fu M, Jitareewong P, Cho JY, Nelson RE, Ceballos RM, Saokaew S, Chaiyakunapruk N (2026). Return on investment of community health workers in the United States: a systematic review.PMC13123591. Lancet Reg Health Am, 58, 101469.
  4. Yi JC, Lee E, Duggan C, Baker KS, Blythe N, Cole AM, Cushing-Haugen KL, Gutierrez AI, Linden H, Mendoza JA, Ohlsen TJD, Ortblad KF, Schwartz SM, Yung R, Ceballos R, Chow EJ (2025). Perspective of Hispanic Cancer Survivors on Survivorship Care Plans: A Qualitative Study. PMID41087806. J Immigr Minor Health, 28(2), 384-392.
  5. Lopez K, Silva M, Briant KJ, Fox B, Dee C, Ceballos RM, Thompson B (2025). Involving Latinas in Understanding Barriers, Facilitators, and Appropriate Outreach for Mammography in Tacoma, Washington, USA. PMID41307621. J Community Health.
  6. DeAtley T, Baker A, Denlinger-Apte R, Ogunbajo A, Martinez U, Ceballos RM, Wetter DW, Operario D, Kershaw T, Gamarel KE, Restar A (2024). Assessing Tobacco Harm Perceptions Among Transgender and Nonbinary Adults: Results From a Community Informed State-Wide Survey. PMID40059718. Nicotine Tob Res, 27(11), 2053-2062.
  7. Cruz JL, Jackson DA, Johns SL, Ramanadhan S, Luke DA, Emmons KM, Ceballos RM (2025). Unpacking rural Heterogeneity: A proof-of-concept study of how varying rural contexts shape breast cancer screening behaviors. PMC12597063. SSM Popul Health, 32, 101873.
  8. Myrer RS, Adediran E, Ellsworth AD, Ceballos RM, Lopez I, Stanford JB, Talboys S, Wang J, Schliep KC (2025). The association between preconception polycystic ovary syndrome and gestational diabetes mellitus among women with and without pre-pregnancy hypertension: a cross-sectional study from Utah's Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System Survey (2016-2021). Utah Womens Health Rev, 3(1), 40-48.
  9. Cruz JL, Luke DA, Ceballos RM, Ramanadhan S, Emmons KM (2024). Reconceptualizing rurality: Exploring community capital to identify distinct rural classes in the United States. PMC 117000284. SSM Popul Health, 29, 101729.
  10. 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 RM (2025). Enhancing survivorship care among Hispanic/Latino cancer survivors via lay health educators: results of a pilot randomized trial. PMC 12353148. J Cancer Surviv, 20(4), 1591-1600.
  11. Torres VN, Williams EC, Ceballos RM, Donovan DM, Ornelas IJ (2022). Discrimination, acculturative stress, alcohol use and their associations with alcohol-related consequences among Latino immigrant men. PMID 35634786. J Ethn Subst Abuse, 23(1), 150-165.
  12. 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 PD (2025). How pharmacists would design and implement a community pharmacy-based colorectal cancer screening program. PMC 11177275. Prev Oncol Epidemiol, 2(1).
  13. Stafford E, Dimitrov D, Ceballos R, Campelia G, Matrajt L (2023). Retrospective analysis of equity-based optimization for COVID-19 vaccine allocation. PMC 10492235. PNAS Nexus, 2(9), pgad283.
  14. 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 PD (2023). Primary care provider perspectives on the role of community pharmacy in colorectal cancer screening: a qualitative study. PMID 10463525. BMC Health Serv Res, 23(1), 892.
  15. 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. PMC 10650940. J Rural Health.
  16. 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 S (2022). Cancer disparities in the context of rurality: risk factors and screening across various U.S. rural classification codes. PMC 9811397. Cancer Causes Control, 33(8), 1095-1105.
  17. Samayoa C, Santana-Ufret V, Santoyo-Olsson J, Strassle PD, Stewart A, Bonilla J, Escalera C, Mendez RM, Mrquez-Magaa L, Ortiz C, Ceballos RM, Npoles AM (2022). Cortisol levels in rural Latina breast cancer survivors participating in a peer-delivered cognitive-behavioral stress management intervention: The Nuevo Amanecer-II RCT. PMC 9363644. Compr Psychoneuroendocrinol, 11, 100153.
  18. Boehmer U, Potter J, Clark MA, Winter M, Berklein F, Ceballos RM, Hartshorn K, Ozonoff A (2021). Follow-up surveillance among colorectal cancer survivors of different sexual orientations. PMC 8531882. J Cancer Surviv, 16(2), 445-454.
  19. Boehmer U, Ozonoff A, Winter M, Berklein F, Potter J, Ceballos RM, Clark MA (2021). Anxiety and depression in colorectal cancer survivors: Are there differences by sexual orientation? PMID 34672050. Psychooncology, 31(3), 521-531.
  20. Boehmer U, Ozonoff A, Winter M, Berklein F, Potter J, Hartshorn KL, Ward KC, Ceballos RM, Clark MA (2021). Health-related quality of life among colorectal cancer survivors of diverse sexual orientations. PMC 8478814. Cancer, 127(20), 3847-3855.
  21. Ceballos RM, Hohl SD, Molina Y, Hempstead B, Thompson-Dodd J, Weatherby S, Malen RC (2020). Oncology provider and African-American breast cancer survivor perceptions of the emotional experience of transitioning to survivorship. PMC 8856584. J Psychosoc Oncol, 39(1), 35-53.
  22. 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. PMC 776866. Health Educ Res, 35(6), 627-636.
  23. 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. PMC 7476378. J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol, 9(3), 410-417.
  24. 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.
  25. Knerr S, Ceballos RM, Chan KCG, Beresford SAA, Bowen DJ (2017). Women's beliefs about what causes obesity: variation by race/ethnicity and acculturation in a Washington State sample. PMC 6125226. Ethn Health, 25(2), 243-254.
  26. Boehmer U, Potter J, Clark MA, Ozonoff A, Ceballos RM, Winter M, Hartshorn KL (2019). Neighborhood Characteristics and Colorectal Cancer Survivors' Quality of Care. PMC 6918517. Health Equity, 3(1), 619-627.
  27. Hohl SD, Ceballos R, Scott MA, Thompson B (2018). Developing a Culturally Informed Survey Instrument to Assess Biomedical Research Participation Among Latinos on the U.S.-Mexico Border. PMC 6667166. Qual Health Res, 29(3), 445-454.
  28. 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. PMC 5053836. Cultur Divers Ethnic Minor Psychol, 22(4), 588-593.
  29. 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. PMC 4879045. Support Care Cancer, 24(7), 3077-84.
  30. McGregor BA, Murphy KM, Albano DL, Ceballos RM (2015). Stress, cortisol, and B lymphocytes: a novel approach to understanding academic stress and immune function. PMC 4837014. Stress, 19(2), 185-91.
  31. 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. PMC 4739817. Ann Behav Med, 49(6), 873-84.
  32. 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. PMC 4764352. J Psychosom Res, 79(5), 412-9.
  33. Molina Y, Hempstead BH, Thompson-Dodd J, Weatherby SR, Dunbar C, Hohl SD, Malen RC, Ceballos RM (2014). Medical Advocacy and Supportive Environments for African-Americans Following Abnormal Mammograms. PMC 4383730. J Cancer Educ, 30(3), 447-52.
  34. Knerr S, Ceballos RM (2015). Giving samples or "getting checked": measuring conflation of observational biospecimen research and clinical care in Latino communities. PMC 4504441. BMC Med Ethics, 16, 49.
  35. Ceballos RM, Molina Y, Malen RC, Ibarra G, Escareo M, Marchello N (2015). Design, development, and feasibility of a spanish-language cancer survivor support group. PMC 4449795. Support Care Cancer, 23(7), 2145-55.
  36. 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. PMC 4458128. PeerJ, 3, e959.
  37. Molina Y, Thompson B, Ceballos RM (2015). Physician and Family Recommendations to Obtain a Mammogram and Mammography Intentions: The Moderating Effects of Perceived Seriousness and Risk of Breast Cancer. PMC 4281937. J Womens Health Care, 3(6).
  38. 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. PMC 4474137. J Empir Res Hum Res Ethics, 9(4), 10-21.
  39. 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. PMC 3768230. J Altern Complement Med, 19(9), 751-8.
  40. Sherman KJ, Wellman RD, Cook AJ, Cherkin DC, Ceballos RM (2013). Mediators of yoga and stretching for chronic low back pain. PMC 3652191. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2013, 130818.
  41. Littman AJ, Bertram LC, Ceballos R, Ulrich CM, Ramaprasad J, McGregor B, McTiernan A (2011). Randomized controlled pilot trial of yoga in overweight and obese breast cancer survivors: effects on quality of life and anthropometric measures. PMC 3188686. Support Care Cancer, 20(2), 267-77.
  42. 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. PMC 3477899. Prev Chronic Dis, 9, E152.
  43. 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. PMC 2978785. J Cancer Surviv, 4(4), 372-80.
  44. West SG, Krick AL, Klein LC, Zhao G, Wojtowicz TF, McGuiness M, Bagshaw DM, Wagner P, Ceballos RM, Holub BJ, Kris-Etherton PM (2011). Effects of diets high in walnuts and flax oil on hemodynamic responses to stress and vascular endothelial function. PMC 3862179. J Am Coll Nutr, 29(6), 595-603.
  45. Ceballos RM, Coronado GD, Thompson B (2010). Having a diagnosis of diabetes is not associated with general diabetes knowledge in rural Hispanics. PMC 4022479. J Rural Health, 26(4), 342-51.
  46. 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. PMC 2875677. Cancer, 113(12 Suppl), 3484-92.
  47. 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. PMC 2683753. Genet Test, 12(3), 415-20.
  48. 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. PMID 16543042. J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci, 45(6), 17-21.
  49. Corwin EJ, McCoy CS, Whetzel CA, Ceballos RM, Klein LC (2005). Risk indicators of metabolic syndrome in young adults: a preliminary investigation on the influence of tobacco smoke exposure and gender. PMID 16543042. Heart Lung, 35(2), 119-29.
  50. Klein LC, Corwin EJ, Ceballos RM (2004). Leptin, hunger, and body weight: Influence of gender, tobacco smoking, and smoking abstinence. PMID 152219336. Addict Behav, 29(5), 921-7.

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 (2014). 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.