Kenneth Tercyak, PhD is a tenured Professor in the Departments of Oncology, Pediatrics, and Psychiatry at Georgetown University School of Medicine. At Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Dr. Tercyak serves as Director of the Interventions for Managing Parenting and Cancer Team (IMPACT) and Family Circle clinical program, and co-leads the Cancer Prevention and Control research program. He is a member of the Fisher Center for Hereditary Cancer and Clinical Genomics Research, a Senior Scholar at the Georgetown University Thrive Center for Children, Families, and Communities, and is on faculty in the Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Tercyak also co-leads the cancer center's Young Scholars Program to promote children's interest in STEM. At MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Dr. Tercyak is an attending psychologist in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry.
A clinical health psychologist specializing in children and families affected by cancer, Dr. Tercyak has been supported by the NIH since 1998–including his postdoctoral, early-stage, and mid-career training awards in basic biobehavioral research in cancer prevention-control. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (Divisions 38, 54) and the Society of Behavioral Medicine.
Dr. Tercyak is the recipient of several honors, including a Hyundai "Hope on Wheels" award for improving the lives of children surviving with cancer and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Behavioral Medicine for his commitment to promoting child and family health.
His research focuses on developmental and biobehavioral aspects of cancer risk, communication, and intervention, including public health genomics, tobacco control, and skin cancer prevention. His work in hereditary cancer syndromes examines health messaging, decision support, outcomes of genetic education and testing, and the role of peer support in promoting healthy behavior. Dr. Tercyak's work in tobacco control focuses on primary prevention in adolescents/young adults. His research in childhood cancer survivorship examines the organization and delivery of follow-up care to promote equitable health outcomes, clinical-behavioral outcomes of pediatric tumor molecular profiling, and lifestyle behaviors affecting long-term health and resilience. Other efforts focus on supporting the comprehensive care needs of parents with cancer, and behavioral interventions to promote family quality of life during cancer treatment.
With over 225 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Tercyak is also the editor of a handbook (Springer) on public health genomics and pediatric behavioral medicine. He served as Associate Editor for Prevention Science at the Journal of Pediatric Psychology (Oxford), an Associate Editor at Health Psychology (American Psychological Association), and Senior Associate Editor at Translational Behavioral Medicine (Oxford): he is a member of several editorial boards.
Dr. Tercyak has served on study sections of the NIH, American Cancer Society, the Komen Foundation, and several international grant agencies. Dr. Tercyak also chaired the NIH health behavior fellowships study section, is a member of the scientific advisory boards for several national cancer organizations, and serves as a senior faculty mentor at Georgetown University School of Medicine.
At Georgetown University, Dr. Tercyak teaches in the areas of child health and human development, public health psychology, social/behavioral epidemiology, and cancer prevention. As a clinical psychologist, he is licensed to practice in 42 states and DC.
Academic Appointment(s)
- Primary
- Professor, SOM - Oncology
- Secondary
- Professor, SOM - Pediatrics
- Professor, SOM - Psychiatry Academic Department