M.Tish Knobf, PhD, RN, FAAN

About

Dr. Knobf is nationally and internationally recognized for her program of research with women diagnosed and treated for breast cancer, which has been grounded in her clinical practice. Her research spans descriptive quantitative and qualitative studies through intervention trials.

Dr. Knobf holds a MSN from Yale School of Nursing and a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania. She has a strong commitment to mentoring students with pre and postdoctoral training programs, including the Komen Breast Cancer Interdisciplinary Disparities training grant and was honored by the Sigma Theta Tau Delta Mu Chapter mentorship award. Dr. Knobf’s contributions to nursing have been widely recognized including the Oncology Nursing Society, YSN Annie Goodrich Teaching award, American Cancer Society Professor of Oncology Nursing and the Connecticut Nurse’s Association Outstanding Contributions to Research award. Her expertise has interdisciplinary recognition at the institutional level and as a member in national efforts in breast cancer, such as National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers.

Research Interests/Clinical Practice

Research Interests

Professor Knobf’s research has focused on the experience of women during and after breast cancer treatment, including persistent and late effects of therapy such as bone loss, weight gain, psychological distress and cardiovascular risks. She has tested lifestyle and psycho-educational interventions to improve self-management to enhance health outcomes for breast cancer survivors and has addressed disparities and ethnic differences in the breast cancer experience.

Clinical Practice

Dr. Knobf’s clinical practice spans over the past three decades focusing on women with breast cancer.

Selected Publications/Presentations

Publications

Hwang, Y., Knobf, M.T., Sanft, T., Redeker, N. (2024). A qualitative study of sleep in young breast cancer survivors. “No Longer Able to Sleep through the Night”. J Cancer Survivorship, 18, 828-835

*Hwang, Y., Conley, S., Jeon, S., Redeker, N.S., Sanft, T., Knobf, M.T. (2022). Factors Associated with Sleep in Young Women with Breast Cancer. RINAH, 45(6), 680-692.

Knobf, M.T., Erdos, D. (2022). Community Partnerships to Support Women of Color Breast Cancer Survivors. ABNFJ 1(3),61-68.

Sanft, T., Harrigan, M., McGowan, C. Cartmel, B., Zupa, M., Li, F., Ferrucci, L., Puklin, L., Cao, A., Nguyen, T., Neuhouser, M., Hershman, D., Basen-Enquist, K., Jones, BA., Knobf, MT., Chagpar, A., Silber, A., Tanasijevic, A., Ligibel, J., Irwin, M.L. (2023). Randomized trial of exercise and nutrition on chemotherapy completion and pathologic complete response in women with breast cancer: the Lifestyle Exercise and Nutrition Early After Diagnosis study. J Clinical Oncol Doi: 10.1200/JCO.23.00871

Jiang, Y., Wu, X., Li, H., Xiong, Y., Knobf, M.T., Ye, Z. (2025). Social support, fear cancer recurrence and sleep quality in breast cancer: a moderated network analysis. European J Oncol Nurs https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejon.2025.102799

Hwang, Y., Sadler, L, Knobf, MT. (2025) Integration in Mixed Methods research. Nurs Res 74(2), 144-149.

Zhan, Y., Lustberg, M., Feder, S., Knobf, M.T (2024). Women with Metastatic Breast Cancer: An Integrative review. J Adv Nurs, https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.16643

Ouyang, N., Baker, J., Anath, PJ., Knobf, MT., Snaman, J. Feder, S., (2024). Parent-Clinician communication and prolonged grief among parents in early bereavement. J Pain Sympt Manage 68(5), 516-524.

Li, S., Xiang, Y, Li, H., Yang, C., He, W., Wu, J. Knobf, M.T. Ye, Z. (2024). Body image, self efficacy and sleep quality among patients with breast cancer: a latent profile and mediation analysis. European J Oncol Nurs, https://doi.org/10.1016/j/ejon.2024.102652

Liang, M., Xiong, Y, Zhu, S., Wang, Y, Knobf, M.T., Ye, Z. (2024). Integrating the symptom experience and coping in patients with stage I-III breast cancer in China: a qualitative study. European J Oncol Nurs, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejon.2024.102692