Alexandra Zaleta, PhD

Alexandra Zaleta, PhD, is Associate Vice President of Research and Insights at CancerCare, a national non-profit organization that supports and advocates for people affected by cancer. Dr. Zaleta is a caregiver advocate, research scientist, and clinical psychologist with extensive experience driving person-centered research and advocacy. Building on her experiences growing up as a rare disease caregiver, Dr. Zaleta has dedicated her career to improving care and support for people with life-limiting illnesses and their loved ones. She is a nationally-recognized leader in patient and caregiver experience research, distress screening and whole-person care, patient-reported outcomes (PROs) development and validation, and cancer survivorship. Dr. Zaleta also developed the first screening and referral program dedicated to supporting the unmet needs of cancer caregivers, which has been implemented in care settings across the U.S. Her current research focuses on access and affordability of care, including the real-world impacts of health insurance practices on people with cancer. She has published numerous scientific articles and book chapters, and is passionate about translating research insights into policy and programmatic action. Dr. Zaleta completed her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Washington University in St. Louis, internship training at the VA Boston Healthcare System, and postdoctoral training at The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. She also holds a Masters of Education from Harvard University and BA from Vassar College.