Roberto Martin Benzo, PhD
Assistant Professor
(Courtesy)
Health Behavior and Health Promotion
Biography
Dr. Roberto Benzo is a health promotion and behavioral scientist and an assistant professor in the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. As director of the Lifestyle Lab, he leads research on how lifestyle behaviors—including physical activity, sedentary time, diet and stress management—influence cancer-related health outcomes. His work focuses on developing scalable interventions that promote health, prevent disease and reduce disparities.
Dr. Benzo earned his PhD in health and human physiology in 2019, specializing in behavioral medicine. He completed a T32 postdoctoral fellowship in the Cancer Control Training in Disparities and Equity (C-TIDE) Program at the University of Miami in 2022. His projects included adapting a web-based cognitive-behavioral stress management intervention for pancreatic cancer survivors and contributing to culturally tailored interventions for Hispanic populations. He also worked on electronic health records-integrated interventions, including the AHRQ-funded My Wellness Check, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, and NIH-funded eHealth obesity prevention programs for Hispanic adolescents and parents.
Dr. Benzo’s expertise is strengthened by participation in National Cancer Institute-funded programs, such as the MOST workshop (New York University), Supportive Oncology Research Methods (Harvard), and TREC (Yale). He holds a certificate in human-centered design (Cornell University) and is an American College of Sports Medicine certified cancer exercise trainer.
The Lifestyle Lab fosters a collaborative, transdisciplinary research environment, welcoming students, health care providers and scientists passionate about digital health innovation. Dr. Benzo’s work bridges cutting-edge research with real-world applications, leading multidisciplinary initiatives that improve public health.
Education
- PhD
- Health and Human Physiology, University of Iowa
- MS
- Health and Human Physiology, University of Iowa
- BS
- Biology, West Virginia University
Research interests
How lifestyle behaviors impact cancer-related health, leveraging mHealth technologies (e.g., apps, smartwatches, health devices) to develop scalable, accessible behavioral interventions that prevent disease and improve health.
Select publications
Singh, R., Tetrick, M. K., Fisher, J. L., Washington, P., Yu, J., Paskett, E. D., Penedo, F. J., Clinton, S. K., & Benzo, R. M. (2024). Analysis of Physical Activity Using Wearable Health Technology in US Adults Enrolled in the All of Us Research Program: Multiyear Observational Study. Journal of medical Internet research, 26, e65095. https://doi.org/10.2196/65095
Slade C, Benzo R.M., Washington P. (2024). Design Guidelines for Improving Mobile Sensing Data Collection: A Prospective Mixed Methods Study. Journal of Medical Internet Research. https://doi.org/10.2196/55694
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39487386/Noriega-Esquives, B.S., Moreno P.I., Munoz E., Lad T.E., Hollowell C.M.P., Benzo R.M., Ramirez A.G., Penedo F.J. (2024). Effects of a culturally tailored patient navigation program on unmet supportive care needs in Hispanic/Latino cancer survivors: A randomized controlled trial. Cancer, 10.1002/cncr.35626. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.35626
Li, S., Fan, C., Kargarandehkordi, A., Sun, Y., Slade, C., Jaiswal, A., Benzo, R. M., Phillips, K. T., & Washington, P. (2024). Monitoring Substance Use with Fitbit Biosignals: A Case Study on Training Deep Learning Models Using Ecological Momentary Assessments and Passive Sensing. AI, 5(4), 2725-2738. https://doi.org/10.3390/ai5040131
Brasky, T. M., Newton, A. M., Stephens, J. A., Strassels, S. A., Benzo, R.M., Hays, J. L., Stevens, E., Wagener, T. L., Hedeker, D., & Krok-Schoen, J. L. (2024). Testing the feasibility of mobile ecological momentary assessment for symptom burden and management among metastatic cancer patients. Digital health, 10, 20552076241261843. https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076241261843
Benzo, R.M., Moreno, P. I., Fox, R. S., Silvera, C. A., Walsh, E. A., Yanez, B., Balise, R. R., Oswald, L. B., & Penedo, F. J. (2023). Comorbidity burden and health-related quality of life in men with advanced prostate cancer. Research square, rs.3.rs-2572781. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2572781/v1
Benzo, R.M., St. George, S.M., Messiah, S.E., Lovan, P., Leite R., Patel A., Lee T.K., Prado G.J. (2023). Physical Fitness Among Hispanic Adolescents With Overweight or Obesity. Pediatr Phys Ther. https://doi.org/10.1097/PEP.0000000000000997