Cassel is a senior analyst in the oncology administration department of the VCU Health System; assistant professor of Quality Health Care in the School of Medicine; adjunct assistant professor in Life Sciences; affiliate research associate professor in psychology; and member, Massey Cancer Center, VCU. Dr Cassel is the director of the VCU Life Sciences and Religion Initiative. In that role, he created and co-teaches the “Faith and Life Sciences” class (with Mark Wood and John Quillin), created and co-chairs the “Life Sciences and Religion Community Forum of Central Virginia” (with Mark Wood), funded by the Local Societies Initiative of the Metanexus Institute, and co-directs the “Science, Reason and Faith” series of six public lectures and debates this year (with Anthony Ellis, Thomas Huff and Donald Smith). His doctorate (City University of New York Graduate School and University Center, 1995) was in social-personality and health psychology. His dissertation, “Altruism is only part of the story: A prospective, longitudinal study of AIDS volunteers” defined a typology of AIDS volunteers; this prospective, longitudinal study revealed the antecedents and consequences of altruistic behavior. Dr Cassel has taught courses in research methods, social psychology, science-and-religion, clinical outcomes evaluation, and morality/justice at SUNY, NYU and VCU in BS, MS and PhD programs. He serves on several cancer and palliative-care focused committees for the VCU Health System. Dr. Cassel is recognized nationally for his studies of the financial and clinical outcomes of palliative care, and participates in state-wide and nation-wide training programs on palliative care. He presented a paper on the bio-psycho-social-spiritual aspects of end-of-life care at the 2006 Metanexus Institute conference and has published and presented papers on self-help group leaders, AIDS volunteers, end-of-life care, palliative care, cancer care, and the use of data systems in advancing cancer programs. With Everett Worthington he has submitted two research proposals on forgiveness at the end of life.

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