Alexander R. Lucas, PhD

Research Interests: 

Behavioral Lifestyle Interventions, Cancer Prevention & Control, Cardio-Oncology 

Bio:

Dr. Lucas is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences in the VCU School of Public Health and in the VCU Pauley Heart Center (PHC). He has over 15 years of clinical experience in delivering physical activity and behavioral lifestyle programs to populations with chronic disease, and research experience examining the efficacy of theory-based physical activity, exercise and dietary interventions in several cancer populations at increased risk for developing secondary commorbidities and compromised quality of life. Most recently his work in the PHC has involved implementation and testing of behavioral physical activity interventions for managing cardiotoxicity in lymphoma and breast cancer patients. His current research funded by the NCI and NHLBI focuses on the development and testing of home-based lifestyle interventions to address cardiometabolic risk among men treated with androgen deprivation for prostate cancer. His research program applies both a social cognitive and a socio-ecological model perspective to investigate the determinants and consequences of health behaviors among cancer patients and survivors. His two main lines of inquiry address 1) the role of physical activity/sedentary behavior in disease prevention and health promotion; and 2) the use of both eHealth and mHealth technology for the delivery of clinical and behavioral lifestyle interventions.

Education:

Undergraduate Education

• BS, University of Zululand, South Africa, 2003

• BA, Stellenbosch University, South Africa, 2002

Graduate Education

• PhD, Ohio State University, 2014

• MS, Wake Forest University, 2010

Post Graduate Education

• NCI R25 Postdoctoral Fellow: Cancer Survivorship, Wake Forest University School of Medicine 2015 - 2018

• Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Exercise Behavioral Medicine Laboratory, Ohio State University 2014

Peer-Reviewed Publications 

Recent Publications:

1. • Lucas AR, Kim Y, Lanoye A, Franco RL, Sutton AL, LaRose JG, Ross M, Sheppard VB. Longitudinal associations among physical activity and sitting with endocrine symptoms and quality of life in breast cancer survivors: A latent growth curve analysis. Cancer Med. Sep 28 2023;doi:10.1002/cam4.6581

   • Lucas AR, D’Agostino R, Jordan JH, Reding KW, O’Connell NS, Melendez GC, Salloum FN, Weaver KE, Lesser GJ, Hundley WG. Atorvastatin Does Not Attenuate Aortic Stiffening After Doxorubicin for Breast Cancer and Lymphoma (PREVENT-WF-98213). JACC: CardioOncology. 2023;5(3):412-414. doi:10.1016/j.jaccao.2023.04.002

   • Lucas AR, Pan J, Ip E, Hall DL, Tooze JA, Levine B, Mohr DC, Penedo FJ, Cella D, Wagner LI. Validation of the Lee-Jones Theoretical Model of Fear of Cancer Recurrence among Breast Cancer Survivors. Psycho-oncology. 2022 December; doi: 10.1002/pon.6076**.**

   • Chaplow ZL, Lucas AR, Grainger E, Simpson C, Fairman CM, DeScenza VR, Bowman J, Clinton SK, Focht BC. Social cognitive outcomes are associated with improvements in mobility performance following lifestyle intervention in prostate cancer patients undergoing androgen deprivation therapy. PLoS One.2022;17(1):e0263136. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263136. eCollection 2022. PMCID: PMC8794107.

   • Lucas AR, Salsman JM, Levine BJ, Stoner L, Skelton JA, Moore JB. The role of motivation on physical activity and screen time behaviors among parent-adolescent dyads: The FLASHE study. Prev Med. 2021 Dec;153:106725. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8595559.

   • Lucas AR; Bitting RL; Fanning J; Isom S; Rejeski WJ; Klepin HD; Kritchevsky SB. Trajectories in Muscular Strength and Physical Function Among Men with and without Prostate Cancer in the Health Aging and Body Composition. PLoS ONE  (2020) 15(2): e0228773.

Previous Publications: 

• Lucas AR, Bass MB, Rothrock NE, O'Connor ML, Sorkin MR, Nawyn J, Albinali F, Wagner LI. Development of an eHealth System to Capture and Analyze Patient Sensor and Self-Report Data: Mixed-Methods Assessment of Potential Applications to Improve Cancer Care Delivery. JMIR Med Inform. 2018 Oct 22; 6(4):e46. PMID: 30348634 10/2018

• Lucas AR, Focht BC, Cohn DE, Klatt MD, Buckworth J. Recruiting Endometrial Cancer Survivors to Studies Examining Lifestyle Behaviors and Quality of Life: Challenges Faced and Lessons Learned. J Cancer Educ. 2018 Aug; 33(4):857-864. PMID: 28188570 08/2018

• Fairman CM, LaFountain RL, Lucas AR, Focht BC. Monitoring Resistance Exercise Intensity Using Ratings of Perceived Exertion in Previously Untrained Patients With Prostate Cancer Undergoing Androgen Deprivation Therapy. J Strength Cond Res. 2018 May; 32(5):1360-1365. PMID: 28557849 05/2018

• Focht BC, Lucas AR, Grainger E, Simpson C, Fairman CM, Thomas-Ahner JM, Buell J, Monk JP, Mortazavi A, Clinton SK. Effects of a Group-Mediated Exercise and Dietary Intervention in the Treatment of Prostate Cancer Patients Undergoing Androgen Deprivation Therapy: Results From the IDEA-P Trial. Ann Behav Med. 2018 Apr 19; 52(5):412-428. PMID: 29684136 04/2018

• Lucas AR, Klepin HD, Porges SW, Rejeski WJ. Mindfulness-Based Movement: A Polyvagal Perspective. Integr Cancer Ther. 2018 Mar; 17(1):5-15. PMID: 28345362 03/2018

• Lucas AR, Focht BC, Cohn DE, Buckworth J, Klatt MD. A Mindfulness-Based Lifestyle Intervention for Obese, Inactive Endometrial Cancer Survivors: A Feasibility Study. Integr Cancer Ther. 2017 Sep; 16(3):263-275. PMID: 27627985 09/2017

• Lucas AR, Levine BJ, Avis NE. Posttreatment trajectories of physical activity in breast cancer survivors. Cancer. 2017 Jul 15; 123(14):2773-2780. PMID: 28272835 07/2017

Conferences Attended

• American College of Sports Medicine, Boston 2024
  Mihalko M, Brubaker P, Lucas AR. Lessons Learned from the Physical Activity and Lymphoma Study (PALS):Clinical and Research Implications. Research colloquim presented at ACSM, Boston, June 2024

• Innagural Conference on Cancer Prevention and Control, Boston 2024