Michael Hoerger, PhD, MSCR, MBA

Openings Available in Psycho-Oncology

Dr. Hoerger is accepting Health Psychology PhD students interested in research-intensive careers focused psychosocial oncology as well as pandemic mitigation. Applications are due November 30, 2025.

Undergraduate research assistants interested in joining the lab should apply by August 10 for the fall, November 30 for the spring, or March 31 for the summer.

Academic Bio

Dr. Michael Hoerger is an Associate Professor of Psychology, Psychiatry, and Oncology at Tulane University and an international expert in psychosocial oncology and COVID-19 prevention. He leads the Tulane Cancer Center’s Population Science Program and co-leads the Louisiana Cancer Research Center’s Population Science Program, helping coordinate 80 faculty-level cancer scientists across Louisiana.

As a licensed clinical psychologist (PhD) with training in medical science (MSCR) and financial analytics and management (MBA), Dr. Hoerger is a transdisciplinary scientist dedicated to organizing researchers, clinicians, patients, caregivers, trainees, and community partners to improve health and quality of life. He is the founding Director of Tulane’s Health Psychology Doctoral Program and the Psycho-Oncology Research Program. Best known for research in palliative cancer care, he conducts psychosocial studies that empower patients and families across the cancer care continuum. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, he has served as the founding Director of the Pandemic Mitigation Collaborative and is recognized internationally for leading a widely used COVID-19 dashboard. People with cancer remain the largest group at known high risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes, and COVID-19 is anticipated to drive excess deaths, disability, and early retirements worldwide through 2033 and beyond.

Dr. Hoerger has collaborated on more than 125 scientific publications and secured $8 million in medical research funding, including $3 million as Principal Investigator. His work has been supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Louisiana Clinical and Translational Science (LA CaTS) Center, the American Cancer Society (ACS), the Louisiana Cancer Research Center (LCRC), the State of Louisiana, and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). He serves as a scientific reviewer for NIH, ACS, and PCORI, and recently completed a term as Co-Chair of PCORI’s National Advisory Panel on Comparative Effectiveness and Decision Science.