Rebecca Lehto, PhD, RN, FAPOS, FAAN
Associate Professor
Research
1355 Bogue Street #C344, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
Biography
I am an Associate Professor in the College of Nursing at Michigan State University. My clinical experiences as a nurse caring for patients with cancer, a period that can be emotionally distressing and cognitively challenging, led me to my research interests that are aimed towards evaluating integrative strategies such as meditation and immersive nature experiences to improve wellbeing and quality of life for patients and more recently, their caregivers. Most recently our team developed an on-l
Read moreEducation
Post-doctoral Fellowship, University of Michigan; PhD, University of Michigan; MS, University of Michigan; BSN, Oregon Health Sciences University
Awards
2025 Senior Career Award. Palliative End of Life Care RIIG. MNRS, March 29, 2025; 2024 Distinguished Contribution to Oncology Literature Award Recipient; Oncology Nursing Society; 2024 Fellow, American Psycho-Social Oncology Society; 2019 Palliative Care End of Life Midcareer Investigator Award, Midwest Nursing Research Society; 2019 Graduate Teaching Excellence Award, Michigan State University College of Nursing
Publications
Complete list of publications
Research and Grants
2024-2026: (PI) Support for bereaved friend and family caregivers of cancer patients (R03 CA282943) Funding: NIH-NCI $157,000; 2018-2020: (Cco-I) Burnout Prevention in Hospice and Palliative Care Workers Funding: Hospice of Michigan/Michigan Health Endowment Fund(PI: Carrie Heeter), $92,950.00; 2015-2020: (Co-I) Using SMART Design to Improve Symptom Management Strategies Among Cancer Patients (R01 CA193706) Funding: NIH (PI: Gwen Wyatt). $3,166,704.00; 2015-2016: (Co-I) A cybermeditation toolkit for hospice and palliative caregivers Funding: Sparrow/MSU Center for Innovation (PI: Carrie Heeter, CAS) $44,866.00; 2014-2015: (PI) Telehealth Mindfulness Therapy: Home-based Lung Cancer Symptom Management Funding: Midwest Nursing Research Society $10,000.00