Rest, Resilience, and Recovery: Sleep’s Role in Cancer Wellness with Dr. Kristi Graves, Elissa Kalver, & Mary Helen Rogers - Better Sleep Council

Welcome again to Catching Zzz’s, the podcast the place we discover the science tales and methods that assist us reside and sleep higher.

Immediately, we’re speaking about one thing that touches so many lives: breast most cancers. However this dialog isn’t about concern. It’s about power, neighborhood, and the methods we are able to thrive collectively.

I’m joined by two inspiring ladies. First, Dr. Kristi Graves, a professor and researcher at Georgetown College, who research most cancers survivorship and well being disparities.

We’re additionally joined by Elissa Kalver, who was identified with stage 4 metastatic breast most cancers in 2021 and is redefining what it means to beat most cancers and reside her most genuine life.

She’s the founding father of the primary nonprofit reward registry for most cancers sufferers referred to as WeGotThis.org. Neither of our company are sleep scientists, however they each know the profound function that sleep performs in psychological well being, therapeutic, and high quality of life.

Immediately, we’re going to discover how the remainder suits into the larger image of surviving and thriving, whether or not you’re a affected person, a caregiver, a researcher, or a beloved one.

Through the dialog, we cowl all kinds of subjects, together with fatigue whereas having a critical sickness, therapy of unwanted effects and insomnia, sensible self-care routines, psychological well being methods, and extra.

MEET DR. KRISTI GRAVES

Dr. Graves obtained her Ph.D. in Scientific Psychology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State College and accomplished post-doctoral coaching on the College of Kentucky. She is a tenured Professor of Oncology and a member of the Most cancers Prevention and Management Program at Lombardi Complete Most cancers Heart. Since 2021, Dr. Graves has served because the Affiliate Dean for School Growth at Georgetown College Medical Heart. Dr. Graves conducts analysis targeted on most cancers survivorship and translational genomics, with a specific emphasis on neighborhood engagement and addressing well being disparities.

Dr. Graves is co-leading a UG3-funded examine by the Nationwide Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Analysis (NIDCR) from NIH to develop a web-based choice help to advertise knowledgeable selections about radioactive iodine therapy for sufferers identified with intermediate danger thyroid most cancers. This work follows an R01-funded venture to discover signs skilled by sufferers identified with thyroid most cancers who obtained radioactive iodine therapy. In collaboration with researchers at Northwestern College, Dr. Graves serves as web site principal investigator on a examine funded by the Nationwide Most cancers Institute to judge written peer assist to cut back signs amongst sufferers handled with stem cell transplant.

One other space during which Dr. Graves conducts work is elevating consciousness about genetic counseling and testing for most cancers danger. She was a number of principal investigator on a not too long ago accomplished NCI-R25 award to coach neighborhood well being educators, affected person navigators and promotoras about hereditary breast and ovarian most cancers in Latinos. This coaching venture is known as ARBOLES Familiares (Household Tree).

CONNECT WITH DR. KRISTI GRAVES

WEBSITE: Georgetown University

MEET ELISSA KALVER

As a record-breaking saleswoman and former collegiate athlete, Babson School alum Elissa Kalver has all the time recognized what it means to succeed. After a life-changing analysis, her way of living and her inside struggle grew to become extra necessary than ever.

Her analysis hasn’t stopped her from celebrating life or working in service of others – in truth, it has pushed her to create WeGotThis.org, the first-ever non-profit reward registry for most cancers thrivers and caregivers. WeGotThis.org’s mission is to construct a neighborhood of giving and receiving that helps most cancers thrivers and supporters reside their greatest lives.

Sharing her journey additional, Kalver authored her e book We Got This: How I Learned to Thrive with Terminal Cancer which launched in spring of 2025. The e book brazenly explores subjects equivalent to chemo therapy, fertility preservation, what NOT to say to a most cancers affected person, and extra. By her expertise and insights, Kalver goals to encourage us to reside our most genuine life attainable – and most cancers is just not a prerequisite.

Thriver, founder, speaker, writer, and Andover, MA native, Kalver resides in Los Angeles together with her husband Eric and daughter Ellie.