A photo of Kimberly Klages.

Kimberly L. Klages, PhD

  • Pediatric Psychologist, Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology
  • Assistant Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
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My work focuses on promoting health-related quality of life and symptom management in children with cancer.
Kimberly L. Klages, PhD

About

Biography

I’m a pediatric psychologist and researcher. My work focuses on promoting health-related quality of life and symptom management in children with cancer. Children with cancer often struggle to cope with the side effects of cancer treatment, which often include pain and fatigue. I seek to develop evidence-based, nonpharmacological behavioral treatments for children with cancer-related pain and fatigue.

My passion for improving health-related quality of life in children with cancer began when I was in graduate school. I completed a clinical practicum where I worked with children and families affected by childhood cancer. In this setting, I observed many children struggle to cope with treatment side effects, including pain, which negatively impacted their mental and physical health during and after cancer treatment.

While strong evidence exists for interdisciplinary care models for treating chronic pain, limited nonpharmacological options exist for patients with comorbid cancer pain. Identifying this gap in care motivated me to pursue clinical research in pediatric oncology to meet the needs of patients with cancer-related pain.

My research goals are to advance our understanding of pain in children with cancer using innovative biopsychosocial assessment techniques and to develop empirically driven, novel and cost-effective interdisciplinary interventions to treat pain and improve health-related quality of life in children with cancer.

BS: Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, 2011.

MS: The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, 2016.

PhD: The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, 2020.

Residency: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 2020.

Fellowship: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 2022.

Interests

Pain; oncology

Services and Specialties

Interests

Pediatric oncology; pain; fatigue; health-related quality of life

Research Areas

Publications

Biopsychosocial risk factors for pain in early phases of pediatric cancer treatment. Klages, KL; James, RN; Kain, ZN; Phipps, S; Alberts, NM; Fortier, MA. Frontiers in Psychology. 2025; 16:1507560.

395 Reduction in Fear of Movement Predicts Long-Term Decreases in Functional Disability Among Adolescents with Juvenile Fibromyalgia. Coskran, NM; Nelson, C; Pfeiffer, M; Peugh, J; Barnett, K; Connelly, M; Klages, K; Logan, D; Lynch-Jordan, A; Nelson, S; Wakefield, E; Williams, S; Kashikar-Zuck, S. Journal of Pain. 2025; 29:105193.

396 Pain Experiences Among Children Receiving Treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Klages, KK; Nelson, C; Herriott, J; Norris, R; Kashikar-Zuck, S; Pai, A. Journal of Pain. 2025; 29:105194.

Systematic Review of Pain Assessment Measures Used in Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Klages, KL; Gibson, CA; Barnett, KA; Schwartz, LE; Hicks, CA; Norris, RE; Kashikar-Zuck, S; Pai, AL H. Psycho-Oncology: journal of the psychological, social and behavioral dimensions of cancer. 2025; 34:e70063.

Exploring the role of pain on physical activity among youth with acute lymphoblastic leukemia using the biopsychosocial model. van Asselt, AE; Gibler, RC; Tokala, M; Dreyer Gillette, ML; Klages, KL; Gilbert, R; Weber, J; Bates, CR. Pediatric Blood and Cancer. 2024; 71:e31276.

Differential item functioning of the revised Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM-R) in racially and income diverse youth with type 1 diabetes. Choquette, AE; Berlin, KS; Desai, KR; Ankney, RL; Tillery-Webster, R; Harry, KR; Holden, LT; Cook, JL; Keenan-Pfeiffer, ME; Semenkovich, KA; Klages, KL; Rybak, TJ; Banks, GG; Sumpter, K; Eddington, AR. Journal of Pediatric Psychology. 2024; 49:791-801.

"Virtual reality fixed me ": A case report of the use of virtual reality during intensive interdisciplinary pain treatment. King, CD; Olbrecht, VA; Crowley, SL; Klages, KL; Deet, ET; Samuel, ND; Smith, K; Williams, SE; Homan, KJ. Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine. 2024; 17:376-384.

Social determinants of health predict health outcomes following pediatric allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Klages, KL; Schwartz, LE; Crabtree, EJ S; Brokamp, C; Rasnick, E; Dandoy, CE; Davies, SM; Pai, AL H. Pediatric Blood and Cancer. 2024; 71:e30892.

Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Medication Adherence Facilitators and Strategies: A Qualitative Study. Chardon, ML; Klages, KL; Joffe, NE; Pai, AL H. Journal of Pediatric Psychology. 2023; 48:415-424.

Systematic Evaluation of the Behavior Change Techniques and Quality of Commercially Available Cancer Self-Management Apps. McGrady, ME; Schwartz, LE; Noser, AE; Klages, KL; Sweenie, R; Breen, G; Ramsey, RR. JCO Oncology Practice. 2023; 19:e228-e237.

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