Michael A. Hoyt
•Professor, Global Health & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Irvine
•Department Chair, Global Health & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Irvine
Biography
Michael A. Hoyt, Ph.D., is Professor and Department Chair of Global Health & Biobehavioral Sciences at the University of California, Irvine, where he is also a full member of the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and holds secondary appointments in the Departments of Psychological Science and Epidemiology. He additionally serves as a Consulting Psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Hoyt received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Arizona State University, with an emphasis in Health Psychology.
Hoyt's research focuses on biobehavioral processes underlying psychological adjustment and coping in the context of chronic disease, with a particular emphasis on cancer survivorship. His work examines the psychological, behavioral, and psychobiological pathways involved in the onset of and recovery from physical illness across the lifespan. He has secured substantial extramural funding for this research, including an active R01 from the National Cancer Institute supporting a biobehavioral intervention to reduce adverse outcomes in young adult testicular cancer survivors, as well as a Department of Defense award examining inflammatory processes, emotion regulation, and depression in prostate cancer survivors.
Hoyt is President of the International Society of Behavioral Medicine and an elected member of the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research. He served as Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Behavioral Medicine from 2018 to 2024 and received the Distinguished Career Contributions Award from the International Society of Behavioral Medicine in 2023. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association's Society of Health Psychology and a Fellow of the Society of Behavioral Medicine. At UC Irvine, he directs both the Institute for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research and the Biobehavioral Shared Resource of the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Return to topEducation
- Postdoctoral Fellow in Health Psychology, Psychoneuroimmunology, University of California, Los Angeles, 2009
- PhD in Clinical Psychology, Arizona State University, 2007
- MA in Clinical Psychology, Arizona State University, 2004
- MA in Health Communication, Emerson College - Tufts University School of Medicine, 1997
- BA in Interpersonal & Organizational Communication, State University of New York at Geneseo, 1995
Distinctions
- Fellow, American Psychological Association, Society of Health Psychology, 2024
- President, International Society of Behavioral Medicine, 2025-2027
- Distinguished Career Contributions Award, International Society of Behavioral Medicine, 2023
- Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 2018-2024
- Editor of Distinction Award, 2025
- Elected Member, Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research, 2023
- Fellow, Society of Behavioral Medicine, 2018
- Maylon-Smith Research Award, American Psychological Association, 2004
- Chancellor's Award for Research Mentoring, University of California, Irvine, 2021
- International Research Collaboration Award, University of Sydney, 2014
Areas of Expertise
- Biobehavioral Oncology and Cancer Survivorship
- Emotional Approach Coping Mechanisms
- Psychoneuroimmunology and Cortisol Biomarkers
- Masculinity Norms in Cancer Adjustment
- Sexual Minority Cancer Disparities
- Goal-Focused Emotion-Regulation Therapy
- Latino Cancer Survivor Interventions
Recent Publications
- Hoyt M.A., Llave K., Carroll J.E., Haydon M.D., “Aging-related deficits accumulation and cancer-related outcomes in testicular and prostate cancer: Cross-sectional and longitudinal findings” (opens in new tab), Social Science and Medicine, vol. 401, 2026.
- Sharifian M., Hoyt M.A., Madan A., Lee S., Nguyen T.Q., Sadigh G., “Patients’ and Providers’ Perspective of a Multi-level Approach to Improve Participation in Low-dose CT for Lung Cancer Screening (Empower LCS): A Mixed-Methods Analysis” (opens in new tab), Academic Radiology, vol. 33, pp. 2352-2360, 2026.
- Janio E., Hoyt M.A., Biegler K.A., Al-Majid S., Chen Y., Kobsa A., Sorkin D.H., “Examining the Influence of Social Network Factors on Weight Loss Among Latina and Non-Hispanic White Breast Cancer Survivors: Observational Cohort Study” (opens in new tab), Jmir Formative Research, vol. 10, 2026.
- Harris J.P., Boyd C., Shi M., Reilly M., Simon A., Seyedin S.N., Chen W.-P., Nagasaka M., Abi-Jaoudeh N., Hoyt M.A., “Addition of pulsed electric field ablation to SBRT for lung tumors: effect on health-related quality of life” (opens in new tab), Lung Cancer Management, vol. 15, 2026.
- Hoyt, M. A., Wang, Z., Nelson, C.J., “Cancer-related masculine threat and biobehavioral symptoms”, Psycho-Oncology, vol. 34, pp. e70124, 2025.
- Haydon, M.D., Stanton, A.L., Hoyt, M.A., Bower, J.E., “A randomized controlled trial testing the benefits of prosocial writing in survivors of adolescent and young adult cancer” (opens in new tab), Health Psychology, vol. 44, pp. 886-897, 2025.
- Kim, Y., Hoyt, M.A., Fortier, M., Milam, J., “Life milestone achievement among young adult childhood cancer survivors: A population-based cohort and matched case-control study” (opens in new tab), Pediatric Blood and Cancer, vol. 72, pp. e31980, 2025.
- Gupta-Louis S.K., Wang Z., Zoeter D.E., Shahrokni R.A., Hoyt M.A., “The “Listen In” Approach: A Novel Early-Phase Method to Inform Intervention Adaptation” (opens in new tab), International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 2025.
- Hoyt, M. A., Wang, A. W., Llave, K., Darabos, K., Diaz-Yanez, K., Hoch, M. M., MacDonald, J., Stanton, A. L., “Coping through emotional approach for mental and physical health: A meta-analysis” (opens in new tab), Health Psychology, vol. 43, no. 6, pp. 397-417, 2024.
- Harris, J., Ku, E., Harada, G., Hsu, S., Chiao, E., Rai, P., Healy, E., Nagasaka, M., Humphreys, J., Hoyt, M. A., “Severity of financial toxicity for patients receiving palliative radiation therapy” (opens in new tab), American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, vol. 41, pp. 592-600, 2024.
- Hoyt, M. A., Campos, B., Lechuga, J., Fortier, M.A., Llave, K., Haydon, M., Daneshvar, M.A., Nelson, C.J., Wu, B., “Young adult Latino testicular cancer survivors: A pilot study of Goal-focused Emotion-regulation Therapy (GET)” (opens in new tab), Supportive Care in Cancer, vol. 32, pp. 758, 2024.
- Hoyt, M. A., “Advancing behavioral medicine: The international pursuit of science for 30-years” (opens in new tab), International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, vol. 31, pp. 815-818, 2024.
- Darabos, K., Mazza, M.C., Somers, J., Song, A.V., Hoyt, M. A., “Peer victimization and relationships to approach and avoidance coping to health and health behaviors” (opens in new tab), Behavioral Medicine, vol. 49, no. 1, pp. 15-28, 2023.
- Hoyt, M. A., Darabos, K., Llave, K., “Disparities in health-related quality of life among sexual minority cancer survivors” (opens in new tab), Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, vol. 41, pp. 661-672, 2023.
- Llave, K., Hoyt, M. A., “Social constraints and cancer-related quality of life in single and partnered young adult cancer survivors: A contextual approach” (opens in new tab), Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, vol. 40, pp. 743-755, 2022.
- Hoyt, M. A., Mazza, M.C., Ahmad, Z., Darabos, K., Applebaum, A. J., “Sleep quality in informal caregivers: Understanding psychological and biological processes” (opens in new tab), International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, vol. 28, pp. 6-13, 2021.
- Hoyt, M. A., Darabos, K., Llave, K., “Emotional processing writing and physiological stress responses: Understanding constructive and unconstructive processes” (opens in new tab), Cognition and Emotion, vol. 35, pp. 1187-1194, 2021.
- Darabos, K., Renna, M., Wang, A., Zimmermann, C. F., Hoyt, M. A., “Emotional approach coping among young adult cancer survivors: Relationships with psychological distress, posttraumatic growth, and resilience” (opens in new tab), Psycho-Oncology, vol. 30, pp. 728-735, 2021.
- Hoyt, M. A., Wang, A.W., Breen, E.C., Nelson, C.J., “A randomized controlled trial of Goal-focused Emotion-regulation Therapy for young adult survivors of testicular cancer: Effects of salivary and inflammatory stress markers” (opens in new tab), American Journal of Men's Health, vol. 15, pp. 15579883211044557, 2021.
Most Cited Publications
- Hart, S. L., Hoyt, M. A., Diefenbach, M., Anderson, D. R., Kilbourn, K. M., Craft, L. L., Steel, J. L., Cuijpers, P., Mohr, D., Berendsen, M., Spring, B., Stanton, A. L., “Meta-analysis of efficacy of interventions for elevated depressive symptoms in adults diagnosed with cancer” (opens in new tab), Journal of the National Cancer Institute, vol. 104, no. 13, pp. 990-1004, 2012.
- Hoyt, M. A., Stanton, A. L., Irwin, M. R., Thomas, K. S., “Cancer-related masculine threat, emotional approach coping, and physical functioning following treatment for prostate cancer” (opens in new tab), Health Psychology, vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 66-74, 2013.
- Thomas, K. S., Bower, J., Hoyt, M. A., Sepah, S., “Disrupted sleep in breast and prostate cancer patients”, Psycho-Oncology, vol. 19, no. 7, pp. 767-778, 2010.
- Hoyt, M. A., “Gender role conflict and emotional approach coping in men with cancer” (opens in new tab), Psychology & Health, vol. 24, no. 8, pp. 1-15, 2009.
- Yanez, B. R., Stanton, A. L., Hoyt, M. A., Tennen, H., Lechner, S., “Understanding perceptions of benefit following adversity: How do distinct forms of growth relate to coping and adjustment to stressful events?” (opens in new tab), Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, vol. 30, no. 7, pp. 699-721, 2011.
- Hoyt, M. A., Rubin, L. R., Nemeroff, C. J., Lee, J., Huebner, D. R., Proeschold-Bell, R. J., “HIV/AIDS-related institutional mistrust among multi-ethnic men who have sex with men: Effects on HIV testing and risk behaviors” (opens in new tab), Health Psychology, vol. 31, no. 3, pp. 269-277, 2012.
- Hoyt, M. A., Thomas, K., Epstein, D. R., Dirksen, S. R., “Coping style and sleep quality in men with cancer” (opens in new tab), Annals of Behavioral Medicine, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 88-93, 2009.
- Hoyt, M. A., Kennedy, C. L., “Leadership and adolescent girls: A qualitative study of leadership development” (opens in new tab), American Journal of Community Psychology, vol. 42, no. 3-4, pp. 203-219, 2008.
- Hoyt, M. A., Cano, S. J., Saigal, C. S., Stanton, A. L., “Health-related quality of life in young men with testicular cancer: Validation of the Cancer Assessment for Young Adults” (opens in new tab), Journal of Cancer Survivorship: Research and Practice, vol. 7, pp. 630-640, 2013.
- Hoyt, M. A., Frost, D. M., Cohn, E., Millar, B. M., Diefenbach, M. A., Revenson, T. A., “Gay men's experiences with prostate cancer: Implications for future research” (opens in new tab), Journal of Health Psychology, vol. 25, pp. 298-310, 2020.
Contact Information
Website: https://www.bmed.publichealth.uci.edu
Email: michael.hoyt@uci.edu
Phone: (949) 824-9937
Address: 3511 Susan & Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences
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Last updated on 9/16/2026.