Senior Psychologist

Associated Head of Psycho-Oncology Unit.

Sharett Institute of Oncology

Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem.

Tel: 972-2-642-4743   

E-mail: bmichal2@hadassah.org.il

Maiden name: Hoffman

Birth date and place: March 23, 1970, Jerusalem, Israel

Family status: married to Dr. Jacques Braun, M.D. Three children.

Address: 75 Bayt VeGan, Jerusalem 96425, Israel.

Academic Degrees

2001. Ph.D. Clinical -Rehabilitation Psychology. Bar Ilan University. Ramat Gan; Israel.

Dissertation: “Dimensions of the Maternal Self and its Development after Birth of a Special versus a Healthy Infant”.

1996. B.A in Psychology and Jewish Philosophy. Bar Ilan University. Ramat Gan; Israel.  Graduated with Highest Honors.

Professional Positions

2005 to present. Senior Psychologist. Associated Head of Psycho-Oncology Unit. Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem.  Functions:  Interventions to cancer patients and their families.  Supervision of psychology students. Conducting a seminar for medical oncology fellows.

2002-2004. Post-Doctoral Fellow in Psycho-Oncology.  Psycho-Oncology Department, Princess Margaret Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto.  Supervisor: Dr. Gary Rodin, M.D.

1998-2002. Resident: Clinical Rehabilitation Psychology. Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem. Supervisor: Prof. Lea Baider.

1993-1996. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Leadership school.

1994-1996. Coordinator of student volunteering program: Supervisor of students mentoring children with cerebral palsy, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.

1988 – 1992. Lieutenant in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Served as officer in infantry.

Teaching Experience

2005 to present. Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem. Responsible of the Psycho-Oncology education program for sixth year medical students.

1998- 2001. "Bikur Cholim" Hospital, Jerusalem. Nursing School. Subjects: Psychology; Research Methods; Statistics.

1999. "Shaare Zedek" Hospital, Jerusalem. Nursing School. Subject: Psychology.

1997-1998. Psychology Department, Ariel College, Israel. Subjects: Physiological Psychology; Cognitive Psychology; Computer statistics course.

1997-1999. Psychology Department, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel. Subjects: Psychology; Scientific Research Writing.

Awards and Grants

1998. Doctoral Dissertation. Research Grant "Israel Foundations Trustees".

1998. Doctoral Dissertation. Research Grant "Lunnenfeld Fund", School of Education, Bar Ilan University.

2001. Awarded Research Grant: "Israel Cancer Association" – Motivation for giving birth after breast cancer.

2003. Awarded: “Psychiatry Research Grant”, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada – The caregiving experience of spouse caregivers of advanced cancer patients. 

2003. Awarded: Best presentation by a fellow in Psychiatry, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada.

2004. Awarded: Contribution to research in Psychiatry, Health and Disease, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto.

2006. Awarded Research Grant: "Israel Cancer Association" – Parenting and cancer, parenting groups.

2006. Awarded Research Grant: "Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto" – Quality of death and psychological morbidity and bereavement processes among primary caregivers of cancer patients. .

Research Experience

Current research projects:

Quality of death and psychological morbidity and bereavement processes among primary caregivers of cancer patients. .

Parenting and cancer, parenting groups.

Medical and psychosocial implication of BRCA positive test result on elderly women

2002-2004. Post-Doctoral Fellow. Psycho-Oncology. Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto. Supervisor: Dr. Gary Rodin. Subjects:  The Caregiving Experience , Caregivers of Cancer Patients, Attachment styles and cancer, Psychological Consequences of Thyroid Cancer.

2001-2003. Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem.

“Motivation for Giving Birth after Breast Cancer”

1996-2001. Dissertation research. Psychology Department, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel. 

1996-1998. Research assistant. Professor Victor Florian. Psychology Department, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel.

1993-1996. Research Assistant. Professor Eli Vakil. Psychology Department, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel.

Oral Presentations

2006. “The Hidden Morbidity in Cancer – Spouse Caregivers”. The 8th World Congress of Psycho-Oncology, IPOS, Venice, Italy

2004. “Finding Meaning through Caregiving”. Symposium on “Metastatic Disease, Psychological Well-Being and the Will to Live: Lessons from a Longitudinal Program of Research”.Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology Conference, Toronto, Canada.

2004. “Caregiving, mostly about relationship”. Quality of Life Research Seminar. University Health Network, Toronto, Canada.

2004. “Depression and Demoralization of Spouse Caregivers of Cancer Patients”. The Humber 14th Annual Conference on Palliative and End-of-Life, Toronto, Canada.

2003. “Motivation for Giving Birth after Breast Cancer”. The 6th World Congress of Psycho-Oncology, IPOS, Banff, Alberta, Canada

2003.  “The Caregiving Experience and Its Determinants among Spouse Caregivers of Cancer Patients”. The Behavioural Sciences and Health Research Seminar, University Health Network, Toronto, ON.

2005. “Caregiving, much more than Burden”. Israeli Association of Psycho-Oncology, Israel.

Poster Presentation

2004. "Attachment and Caregiving - complementary behavioral systems". Poster at the 7th World Congress of Psycho-Oncology, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Publication

Braun, M., Baider, L. Child Souvenirs: Death and Rebirth. Journal of Clinical Oncology, In press.  Impact Factor: 11.810.

Braun, M., Mikulincer, M., Rydall, A., Walsh, A., Rodin, G. The Hidden Morbidity in Cancer: Spouse Caregivers. Journal of Clinical Oncology, In press.  Impact Factor: 11.810.

Rodin,G., Walsh, A., Zimmermann, C., Gagliese, L., Jones, J., Shepherd, F., Moore, M., Braun, M., Donner, A., Mikulincer, M. The Contribution of Attachment Security and Social Support to Depressive Symptoms in Patients with metastatic Cancer. Psychooncology, In press.  Impact Factor: 2.322.

Braun, M., Hasson-Ohayon, I., Perry, S., Kaufman, B., & Uziely, B. (2005). Motivation for giving birth after breast cancer. Psychooncology 14, 282-296.  Impact Factor: 2.322, Rank: 41, Net Citation: 43.

Vakil E, Sherf R ,Hoffman (Braun) M.(1988). Direct and Indirect Memory Measures of Temporal Order and Spatial Location: Control versus Closed-Head Injured Participants. Neuropsychiatry, Neuropsychology, and Behavioral Neurology, 11, 212-217. Submitted

Hasson-Ohayon, I., Braun, M., Galinsky, D., Baider, L. Religiosity and Hope: A path for coping for women with breast cancer. Submitted. In Preparation.

Braun, M., Gordon, D., Uziely, B. Oncology Nurses' Attitudes towards Death and Caring for the Dying Patients. Peer – Reviews, Health Psychology, Sihot

Active Research Projects

Quality of Death and bereavement process – In collaboration with Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Canada

Parents Groups – to empower parents who cope with cancer and helping them to help their children. An intervention study.

Medical and psychosocial implications of  BRCA 1/2 positive test result on elderly women.