Overview
Dr. Eche-Ugwu is an oncology nurse scientist with over 20 years of clinical experience in pediatric and adult hematology-oncology nursing. Her foundational research illuminated the unmet psychosocial needs of African American families navigating pediatric cancer care and the corresponding need for nurse-targeted interventions to address them. This work now anchors a broader research agenda focused on developing and testing culturally responsive, nurse-led interventions to reduce disparities and improve psychosocial outcomes for marginalized families affected by childhood cancer.
One of the interventions she is currently developing and refining is ACCOMPANI (African American Childhood Cancer Multiprong Psychosocial Nurse Intervention), designed to strengthen pediatric oncology nurses’ capacity to deliver culturally tailored psychosocial support and connect families to critical resources. Her longer-term goal is to extend this work toward interventions that improve cross-cultural interactions in clinical settings more broadly, supporting effective, trust-building communication between nurses and families across diverse backgrounds.
Dr. Eche-Ugwu’s research has been funded by the National Palliative Care Research Center, the American Cancer Society, and the National Institute of Nursing Research (Diversity Supplement). She completed a postdoctoral research fellowship supported by the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center–University of Massachusetts Boston U54 Comprehensive Partnership for Cancer Disparities Research Award, along with multiple didactic trainings, including but not limited to the Harvard Catalyst Introduction to Mixed Methods Research course, a 42-week Certificate in Applied Biostatistics, and the NCI-funded Harvard Medical School workshop on Supportive Oncology Research (R25-CA181000).
Research Interests
Psychosocial oncology, pediatric oncology, health equity and disparities research, culturally responsive interventions, nurse-led care delivery, caregiver and family distress, palliative and supportive care, quality of life, patient-reported outcomes, qualitative research, intervention development
Selected Publications
Eche-Ugwu IJ, Aronowitz T, Broden EG, Merz A, White-Hammond GE, Umaretiya PJ, Bullock K, Brock K, Johnston EE, Wolfe J, Feraco AM. Psychosocial Experiences of African American Parents of Children with Cancer. Pediatrics. 2025 Jun 1;155(6):e2024070319. doi:10.1542/peds.2024-070319. PMID: 40398876.
Eche-Ugwu IJ, Aronowitz T, Broden EG, Merz A, Vernadakis A, Bullock K, Wolfe J, Feraco AM. Uncovering Structurally Differential Care: Pediatric Oncology Nurses’ Perspectives Caring for African American Families. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2025 May;69(5):455-464. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2025.01.020. Epub 2025 Feb 5. PMID: 39920978.
Eche-Ugwu IJ, Mazzola E, Stevens SE, Wolfe J, Feraco AM. Illness Uncertainty in Parents of Children with Cancer—An Exploratory Analysis to Inform Intervention Development. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2025 Jul;72(7):e31726. doi:10.1002/pbc.31726. Epub 2025 Apr 14. PMID: 40230010.
Eche-Ugwu IJ, Orellana L, Becker D, et al. Household material hardship and distress among parents of children with advanced cancer: A report from the PediQUEST Response trial. Cancer. 2024;130(20):3540-3548. doi:10.1002/cncr.35432. PMID: 38865435.
Eche IJ, Yusufov M, Isibor DA, Wolfe J. A systematic review and meta-analytic evaluation of psychosocial interventions in parents of children with cancer with an exploratory focus on minority outcomes. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2021:e29328. doi:10.1002/pbc.29328.
Selected Honors
2025: Victoria Mock New Investigator Award — Oncology Nursing Society
2022: Research Award for Scholarly Excellence — New England Regional Black Nurses Association
2022: Kornfeld Scholar Program Award — National Palliative Care Research Center
2021: Writing Award — Journal of Pediatric Hematology Oncology Nursing, for Integrative Review of Factors Associated with Symptom Burden at End of Life in Children with Cancer
2020: Writing Award — Journal of Pediatric Hematology Oncology Nursing, for Racial Disparities in Overall Survival in Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
2018: Doctoral Book Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement — University of Massachusetts Boston
Selected Public Service
2026–Present: Oncology Nursing Forum — Associate Editor
2023–Present: Association of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses (APHON) — Director-at-Large
2022–Present: Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nursing — Editorial Board
2020–Present: Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing — Reviewer
