Ann Marie Moraitis, PhD, MS, RN

  • Assistant Professor
  • College of Nursing
  • Phone: 401.874.2502
  • Email: annmarie.moraitis@uri.edu
  • Office Location: RI NEC, Room 231, 350 Eddy St., Providence, RI, 02905

Biography

Dr. Ann Marie Moraitis is a PhD prepared nurse scientist and a master’s prepared clinical exercise physiologist. Her overarching research focus is the provision of digital support for health promotion and symptom mitigation in underserved cancer communities. Her research approach is transdisciplinary and builds on formative experiences in clinical nursing care in pediatric intensive care, outpatient and community settings. Her Masters-level preparation health promotion training as a clinical exercise physiologist provided her with extensive clinical training to understand the role of physical activity across various acute care and rehabilitation settings, including cardiopulmonary, metabolic settings and Livestrong at the Y.

Dr. Moraitis received her PhD in Nursing Science under the primary mentorship of Dr. Rae Walker. She completed a NIH funded T32 postdoctoral training in Cancer, Caregiving and End-of Life, at the University of Utah, under the primary mentorship of Dr. Kathi Mooney. Here she gained expertise in optimizing health promotion interventions, and cancer care delivery systems using technology. Additional training includes valuable research skills and collaborations she developed as a selected participant in Harvard’s Research Methods in Supportive Oncology workshop, and Yale’s Transdisciplinary Research in Energetics and Cancer Research (TREC) fellowship. These opportunities have fostered transdisciplinary clinical research partners to enhance her research in cancer energetics.

Currently, she is the co-chair of the Oncology Nursing Scientist Research Collaborative (Co-Chair) and an invited committee member of the International Late Effects of Childhood Cancer Guideline Harmonization Group (health promotion, physical activity guideline). She is also a manuscript reviewer for the Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology, Journal of Cancer Survivorship, Research in Nursing and Health and BMC Cancer.

Research

Her primary research interest is in intervention co-design and implementation of digitally delivered physical activity support for youth throughout the cancer care continuum to decrease symptom burden, optimize quality of life, and long-term health outcomes.

Education

  • PhD, Nursing Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
  • MS, Clinical Exercise Physiology, Springfield College, Springfield, MA
  • BSN, Nursing, Niagara University, Niagara Falls, NY

Selected Publications

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6684-9881

  1. Mooney, K., Beck, S., Wilson, C., Coombs, L., Whisenant, M., Moraitis, AM., Sloss, EA., et., al Assessing Patient Perspectives and the Health Equity of a Digital Cancer Symptom Remote Monitoring and Management System, JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics, 8, e2300243(2024). DOI https://doi.org/10.1200/CCI.23.00243
  2. Mooney, K., Gullatte, M., Iacob, E., Alekhina, N., Nicholson, B., Sloss, E.A., Lloyd, J., Moraitis, A.M., & Donaldson, G. Essential Elements of an Electronic Patient-Reported Symptom Monitoring and Management System: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Network Open. (In Press)
  3. Moraitis, A. M., Iacob, E., Wong, B., Beck, S. L., Echeverria, C., Donaldson, G., & Mooney, K. (2024). Pairing automated exercise coaching with patient-reported symptom monitoring: A way to nudge exercise uptake during cancer treatment? Supportive Care in Cancer, 32(4), 258. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-024-08450-1
  4. Moraitis, AM., Rose, N. B., Johnson, A. F., Dunston, E. R., Garrido-Laguna, I., Hobson, P., … & Coletta, A. M. (2023). Feasibility and acceptability of an mHealth, home-based exercise intervention in colorectal cancer survivors: A pilot randomized controlled trial. Plos one, 18(6), e0287152
  5. Seven M, Pearlman J, Moraitis AM, Reid AE, Sturgeon SR, Wenzel J, Hammer MJ. Exploration of stress and inflammatory biomarkers among Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black Cancer Survivors. Oncology Nursing Forum, 2024, 51(4), 321-331. DOI: 10.1188/24.ONF.321-331
  6. Seven, M; Moraitis AM, Pearlman, J., Reid AE, Sturgeon SR, Wenzel J, Hammer MJ. The interplay of psycho-social Determinants on Quality of Life among Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, and Other Non-White Cancer Survivors. Seminars in Oncology Nursing; 2024, 151698,ISSN 0749-2081, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soncn.2024.151698.
  7. Mooney, K. H., Coombs, L. A., Whisenant, M. S., Wilson, C. M., Moraitis, A. M., Steinbach, M. N., … & Donaldson, G. W. (2023). Impact of an automated, remote monitoring and coaching intervention in reducing hospice cancer family caregiving burden: A multisite randomized controlled trial. Cancer. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.35131
  8. Mooney, K., Whisenant, M. S., Wilson, C. M., Coombs, L. A., Lloyd, J., Alekhina, N., Sloss, E.A., Steinbach, M., Moraitis, AM., Berry, P., & Donaldson, G. (2023). Technology-Assisted mHealth Caregiver Support to Manage Cancer Patient Symptoms: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2023.02.320
  9. Seven M, Moraitis A.M., Hammer M.J., Pearlman J. Reid A.E., Sturgeon S., Wenzel J. Healthy behaviors among Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic people affected by cancer during the post-treatment survivorship, Cancer Nursing, Dec. 2023 DOI:10.1097/NCC.0000000000001281
  10. Moraitis, AM, Seven, M., Sirard, J., & Walker, R. (2022). Clinical Relevance and Implementation Considerations of Physical Activity in Young Adult Cancer Survivorship: An Expert Consensus Study. Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology. Published Online:20 Oct 2022 https://doi.org/10.1089/jayao.2022.0044
  11. Moraitis, A. M., Seven, M., Sirard, J., & Walker, R. (2021). Expert Consensus on Physical Activity Use for Young Adult Cancer Survivors’ Biopsychosocial Health: A Modified Delphi Study. Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology. https://doi.org/10.1089/jayao.2021.0109
  12. Moraitis AM., Seven M., Walker R. Physical activity and young adult cancer survivors: A scoping review, Oncol Nurs Forum, 2021;1(48):184-194. PubMed PMID: 33600391.