Project Grant K01HL186166

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute awarded The Regents of the University of Colorado (University of Colorado-Denver) $168,691 on August 1, 2026, under the Cardiovascular Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.837) to refine, augment, and pilot test an affect-based physical activity promotion program for cancer survivors at elevated risk of cardiovascular disease.

The award funds a K01 Career Development Award with a five-year period of performance through July 31, 2031. Work is performed in Aurora, Colorado. During the project's first aim, the recipient will employ human-centered design techniques to gather information from stakeholders and end-users to maximize fit between a redesigned intervention and user preferences, and to create three novel affect-based intervention components grounded in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) principles to address affective barriers to physical activity. During the second aim, the recipient will evaluate usability, feasibility, and acceptability of the program in a 2³ pilot factorial trial involving 64 adult cancer survivors over a six-month intervention period. All participants will receive a core program comprising ACT training and cancer-specific physical activity education; participants will be randomized to receive up to three additional intervention components developed during the first aim. Two integrated frameworks will guide the approach across both aims.