Navigating through Forty Under Forty:

Klaus Abels
Jeanne Allgood
Jennifer Barnhart
Keith Bellizzi
Scott Case
Swin Cash
Kevin Clarke
Stacey Violante Cote
Margaret Drozdowski
Bryan Dumont
Stefanie (Pratola) Ferreri
Lani Fortier
Chunlei Guo
Christopher Hattayer
Tabitha Hitchcock
Kristin Hoffman
Scott Holcomb
James Hormuzdiar
Rebecca Lobo
Brett McGurk
Mikki Meadows-Oliver
Kevin Molloy
Irina (Tsikhelashvili) Moore
Christopher Murphy
Ilia (Rodriguez) O’Hearn
Emeka Okafor
Eric Owles
Jonathan Plucker
Althea Marshall Richardson
Craig Rodner
Carlos Rodrigues
Richard Ruiz
Christine Sansevero
Elizabeth Flynn Scott
Matthew Small
Peter Tesei
Anthony Uliano
Fahd Vahidy
Marcela de Jesús Vergara-Jiménez
Alicia Young

Keith Bellizzi, 39

Social Scientist

By age 23, Keith Bellizzi '03 Ph.D. thought his career was on track. With a business degree and an enviable consulting job, he had plenty of ambition. “Up until then,” he says, “my goal had been to make lots of money.”

Four days shy of his 25th birthday, everything changed.

Doctors told Bellizzi he had both Stage 3 testicular and kidney cancer. His chances for survival were 50 percent and if he did recover, doctors considered the prospect of his having children remote, something Bellizzi found “as devastating as the original diagnosis.”

Photo by Peter Morenus

Following several surgeries, including the removal of one kidney, and aggressive chemotherapy, Bellizzi made a vow: If he survived, he would quit his job, return to school and dedicate his work to the battle against cancer.

“That was the decision that changed my life trajectory,” he says.

“The experience taught me that it's not about money. It's about contributing to society and making a difference in the world.”

Today Bellizzi has three daughters with his wife, Danielle.

He also fulfilled his promise, obtaining three advanced degrees — master's degrees in public health and psychology and a Ph.D. in human development and family studies from UConn — and became a scientist in the Office of Cancer Survivorship at the National Cancer Institute, where he helped shape the nation's agenda for cancer survivorship research.

In 2005, he took on another challenge, making the cut for Bristol-Myers Squibb Tour of Hope, a team of 24 cyclists — chosen from a pool of 1,500 applicants — who biked cross-country with Lance Armstrong to raise awareness about cancer research.

This past summer, Bellizzi was presented with an opportunity he could not refuse. He was recruited back to UConn as an assistant professor of human development and family studies.

At UConn he combines teaching students with exploring the health needs of cancer survivors age 65 and older. His research also has helped bridge the knowledge gap regarding health issues endured by cancer survivors following medical treatment and different quality of life issues.

“We work to document the prevalence of these conditions and are looking at the role that physical activity plays in attenuating such problems,” Bellizzi says.

Bellizzi's interests also extend to cancer's impact on families. “Cancer is something that reverberates across the family system and leaves no one untouched,” he says. “We want to look at how well families adapt as a unit to these life crises and teach them coping techniques if needed.”

\ Welcoming the opportunities to discuss his research as well as his own history, Bellizzi speaks nationwide to scientists and survivors alike.

“It is extremely rewarding to talk about the work we're doing and about my own experience,” he says. “It gives people hope that you can survive and thrive after cancer.”