As a research nurse with a specialty in gero-oncology, she has spent over 10 years understanding the factors involved in older adult smoking and the impact of stigma on the health and care of lung cancer patients. Her research and clinical foci include: the impact of tobacco industry activities on older smokers and geriatric science; stigma, symptom burden, and quality of life among lung cancer patients; and clinical trials for smoking cessation interventions for lung cancer patients and cancer survivors. Dr. Cataldo is currently conducting a pilot of an avatar intervention for enhancing coping ability with lung cancer stigma. Also, with a team in Australia, she is comparing symptom occurrence and symptom severity in both younger and older cancer patients during active treatment.