Kimberly M. Kelly, PhD, MS
Assistant Professor
Department of Molecular Virology, Immunology and Medical Genetics

802 Camera Center Tower
2050 Kenny Rd.
Columbus, OH  43221
Phone: 614-293-2127
Fax: 614-293-3788
kimberly.kelly@osumc.edu

Special Interests

Although studies have contributed to our understanding of familial cancers, risk communication, and health disparities, the answers to the following questions are not simple:

• How do individuals with familial cancers and individuals from special populations respond to cancer risk communication messages?
• How can we best communicate cancer risk information to decrease the discrepancy between subjective and objective risk estimates and to increase appropriate cancer control activities? 

Factors critical to effectively communicating risk to at-risk individuals include understanding the interaction of the multi-layered self-system (e.g., cultural background, genetic make-up, health literacy), external stimuli (e.g., information type, information source), affect, and cognition. My research of Ashkenazi Jewish individuals at risk to carry BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations has shown the challenges of risk communication: (1) individuals substantially overestimated subjective risk of cancer and of having a mutation, (2) individuals had their own ‘common sense’ understandings of cancer risk, and (3) subjective risk of cancer was not related to the decision to test. Further research and refinement of the aforementioned factors, and an exploration of novel factors, are essential to improving our understanding of subjective risk in at-risk individuals and the role that subjective risk plays in cancer control activities. 

Education and Training

1995 B.S. in Psychology, Centre College, Danville, KY

1998 M.S. in Social Psychology with Health specialization, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ

2000 Ph.D. in Social Psychology with Health specialization, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ

2002 M.S. in Genetic Counseling, Indiana University, School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN

2004 Post-doctoral Fellowship, Markey Cancer Control Program and Department of Behavioral Science, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

Selected Publications

Leventhal, H., Kelly, K., Leventhal, E. (1999). Population risk, actual risk, and cancer control: A discussion. Journal of the National Cancer Institute Monographs, 25, 81-85.

Kelly, K., Leventhal, H., Toppmeyer, D., Much, J., Dermody, J., Marvin, M., Baran, J., Schwalb, M. (2003). Subjective and objective risk of carrying a BRCA1/2 mutation in individuals of Ashkenazi Jewish descent. Journal of Genetic Counseling, 12(4), 351-371.

Kelly, K., Leventhal, H., Marvin, M., Toppmeyer, D., Baran, J., Schwalb, M. (2004). Knowledge and beliefs about cancer genetics and the decision to test in Ashkenazi Jewish individuals receiving counseling for BRCA1/2 mutations. Cancer Control, 11(4), 236-244.

Kelly, K., Leventhal, H., Andrykowski, M., Toppmeyer, D., Much, J., Dermody, J., Marvin, M., Baran, J., Schwalb, M. (2004). The decision to test in individuals receiving genetic counseling for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. Journal of Genetic Counseling, 13(3), 237-257.

Case, D.O., Johnson, J.D., Andrews, J.E., Allard, S.L., Kelly, K.M.. (2004). From Two-Step Flow to the Internet: The changing array of sources for genetics information seeking. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 55(8), 660-669.

Kelly, K., Leventhal, H., Marvin, M., Toppmeyer, D., Much, J., Dermody, J., Baran, J., Schwalb, M. (in press, 2004). Subjective and objective risk of breast cancer in Ashkenazi Jewish individuals at risk for BRCA1/2 mutations. Genetic Testing.

Kelly, K., Leventhal, H., Andrykowski, M., Toppmeyer, D., Much, J., Dermody, J., Marvin, M., Baran, J., Schwalb, M. (in press, 2004). Using the Common Sense Model to understand perceived cancer risk in individuals testing for BRCA1/2 mutations. Psycho-Oncology.