Meet Our Nurse Researchers

Implementing Evidence-Based Palliative Care
Joan Carpenter, PhD, CRNP, ACHPN, FPCN
Research explores improving quality of life and the care experience for people with serious illnesses in post-acute and long-term care.

Getting Physical as We Age
Barbara Resnick, PhD ’96, RN, CRNP, FAAN, FAANP
Researcher recognizes older adults in assisted-living settings and nursing homes are particularly at risk for decreased function and physical health, as are older adults with Alzheimer’s.

Worksite Wellness: Setting and Sticking to a Plan
Kelly Doran, PhD, RN 
Creating effective worksite wellness programs for long-term care staff who experience health disparities, with the goal of improving cardiovascular health outcomes.

Social Inclusion: The Antidote to Social Isolation 
Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD, CRNP-Neonatal, FNAP, FAAN 
Addressing health inequities in local and global communities, specifically related to newborns and families residing in marginalized communities.

Great Expectations: How to Support Families of Children with Life-Threatening Illnesses
Kim Mooney-Doyle, PhD, RN, CPNP-AC
Understanding parental expectations of support from health care providers as they navigate their child’s illness and end of life.

Exploring COVID-19 Pandemics Impact on Pregnancy and Postpartum Care
Rachel Blankstein Breman, PhD ’18, MPH, RN
With the COVID-19 pandemic comes a new set of challenges for health care providers, birthing populations, and to the families that are being created.

Applying Cutting-Edge Statistical Methods in Nursing Research 
Shijun Zhu, PhD, DrE
Advancing novel statistical analysis methods and their application through collaborations with UMSON’s faculty, PhD students, and postdoctoral fellows.

How an Epidemic Spreads: A Social Stability Perspective on HIV Prevention
Marik Moen, PhD ’19, MPH, RN
Understanding the social determinants of health that lead to the transmission of HIV may be key to long-term prevention.

Exploring Gestational Pesticide Exposure Impact on Child Respiratory Health
Robyn Gilden, PhD ’10, MS ’01, RN
Finding ways to assess and reduce exposure to pesticides in children and pregnant women.

Improving the Care of Pregnant Women Living with Maternal Opioid Use Disorder
Doris Titus-Glover, PhD, RN
Sharing evidence-based integrated strategies to give women the support and resources they need to get treatment and help their children grow.

Empowering Older Cancer Survivors Through Digital Technology
Eun-Shim Nahm, PhD '03, RN, FAAN
As the number of cancer survivors grows, digital technologies are needed to support them.

Living with HIV: Why Advanced Planning Matters 
Mei Ching W. Lee, PhD, MSRN, CHPN
As people live and age with HIV, there is a new need for advance care planning education – for both providers and patients.

Seeking Equal Measures for Elderly Care
Alison M. Trinkoff, ScD, MPH, BSN, RN, FAAN
UMSON nurse researcher finds assisted-living facility regulations vary widely when compared with traditional nursing homes.

The Hunt for Chronic Pain Genes
Cynthia L. Renn, PhD, MS ’97, RN, FAAN
“We’re trying to identify gene signatures that differentiate those who are likely to develop chronic pain from those who recover from their injuries and have no pain after the fact.”

5 Ways to Enhance Your Approach to Individuals with Substance Use Disorders
Charon Burda, DNP ’16, MS ’03, PMHNP-BC, CARN-AP, assistant professor
Katherine Fornili, DNP ’16, MPH, RN, CARN, FIAAN, assistant professor
Burda and Fornili recommend using these guiding principles to enhance your ability to respond to individuals with substance use disorders.
While Katherine Fornili is no longer at UMSON, she conducted the featured research during her time at the School.

Getting Big Data to Get Along
Susan Dorsey, PhD, RN, FAAN
When data sharing and analysis cannot take place across research sites, "the impact of our science is weakened," Dorsey explains. 

Following Commands: UMSON Studies Military Veterans with PTSD as they Train Service Dogs
Erika Friedmann, PhD
"A large number of veterans suffer from PTSD. It’s important to develop ways to help them that are complementary to other treatments."

7 Tips to Reduce Fatigue at Work
Alison M. Trinkoff, ScD, MPH, BSN, RN, FAAN
"Much of the problem of nurse fatigue is a result of the long hours worked and shift rotation, which affects the amount and quality of sleep."

Unraveling the Links Between Diet and Preterm Birth
Mary Regan, PhD, RN
“By providing a means for the women to see what their diet looks like, it likely promotes changes in the eating and behavior that lower their risk of preterm labor and birth.”

Managing Chronic Conditions with E-Learning
Eun-Shim Nahm, PhD, RN, FAAN
"Everyone gets older, and we want to enjoy our health and life. Technology can help."

Eliminating Errors of Omitted Care
Ronald J. Piscotty, Jr., PhD, RN-BC
“I’m trying to develop something more efficient, focused, and intelligent.”

Keeping Children Out of Harm's Way
Robyn Gilden, PhD, RN
"What my research is really best for is supporting the science-based data to change policy."

Taking Care of Long-Term Care Workers
Kelly Doran, PhD, RN
This workforce faces two major threats: “employees leaving because of health reasons, and voluntary turnover due to job-related stress."

Managing HIV Care in Real Time
Veronica Njie-Carr, PhD, RN, ACNS-BC, FWACN
“I care about eliminating health disparities by working with women of African heritage who are aging with HIV."

The Science of Using Your Expectations to Relieve Pain
Luana Colloca, MD, PhD, MS
“I wanted to know more and more about the mechanisms underlying placebo effects and particularly in the field of pain, an endemic burden.”

Post-Birth Warning Signs to Help You Save a Mother's Life
Debra Bingham, DrPH, RN, FAAN
"If [nurses] aren't aware that there's been a rise in maternal mortality, then it makes it less urgent to explain to women what the warning signs are."
While this nurse researcher is no longer at UMSON, she conducted the featured research during her time at the School.

Research Shows Stress May Cause an Increase in Addiction Vulnerability
Carla Storr, ScD, MPH
Not everybody reacts the same way to the same experience, and the same person may respond differently to different types of stressors.
While this nurse researcher is no longer at UMSON, she conducted the featured research during her time at the School.

Thriving As We Age: Improving the Quality of Long-Term Care for Older Adult
Kirsten Corazzini, PhD, FGSA
Support and recognizing what matters most to the older adults who are in residential care settings, their family members, and the staff who care for them.
While this nurse researcher is no longer at UMSON, she conducted the featured research during her time at the School.