Our Team: Jana Haritatos, Ph.D.
Jana Haritatos, Ph.D.
Director of Research Operations
Dr. Jana Haritatos is responsible for the design and management of operational processes in research at HopeLab, including identification of key research questions based on literature review and needs assessment activities, translation of study objectives into procedures and protocols, management of research partnerships, and compliance with local, state, federal and international regulations and guidelines relevant to HopeLab’s research portfolio.
At HopeLab, Dr. Haritatos has led extensive qualitative user testing of HopeLab’s Re-Mission video game for teens and young adults with cancer to better understand the psychological experience characteristic of compelling game play. This work has provided insights now being incorporated into development of a new version of Re-Mission. In addition, she has managed HopeLab’s formative research activities in sickle-cell disease to identify trends in disease management and opportunities for intervention development in our target population of adolescents and young adults.
Prior to joining HopeLab, Dr. Haritatos completed a Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) in the Health Psychology Program. Dr. Haritatos received her doctorate in Psychology from the University of Michigan before joining UCSF to study psychological and socio-cultural determinants of health. While serving as a postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Haritatos conducted interdisciplinary research with the Center for Health and Community, the MacArthur Research Network on Socioeconomic Status and Health, and San Francisco General Hospital. Dr. Haritatos has also served in a variety of research roles at the University of Michigan, including positions with the Institute of Research on Women & Gender, the Immigration & Health Research Group, and the Culture and Gender Research Laboratory.