UM Scholars Program

Principle Investigator:

Luana Colloca, MD, PhD, MS 
Professor, University of Maryland School of Nursing
Adjunct Professor, University of Maryland School of Medicine

Project Description:

The feeling of pain is not just a sensory experience, but is also influenced by emotions, beliefs and expectations, making pain a highly subjective experience. This is evident in clinical practice, where the behavior of the physician and the treatment context can strongly influence the pain experience of patients.  The Colloca lab is involved in several studies examining perception of pain and the mechanisms of pain and pain reduction. 

Principal Investigator:

Amber Kleckner, PhD
Assistant Professor

Project Description:

Description: Most people experience fatigue during cancer treatment that, unfortunately, can persist long after the cancer is cured. We don't know why fatigue does not resolve, but we hypothesize that it could be related to cancer- and cancer treatment-induced dysregulation of circadian rhythm. We implemented a time-restricted eating program during cancer survivorship to help regulate circadian rhythm and alleviate persistent cancer-related fatigue. This project will involve analyzing data from this completed study, as well as meeting with participants and collecting data from an ongoing time-restricted study.

Principal Investigator:

Rachel Blankstein Breman, PhD, MPH, RN
Assistant Professor

Project Description:

With improved trust, birth workers can provide better care and offer resources to birthing people and their families that they may not have otherwise offered. Trauma-informed communication methods can also help address the social determinants of health and equity.

This project aims to provide a metric for measuring Shared Decision Making (SDM) from the pregnant person’s perspective during their prenatal and intrapartum hospital care; this will be achieved by testing the validity and reliability of a revised version of the CHOICEs measure. Researchers expect to establish the reliability and validity of an SDM measure in perinatal care in English and Spanish and to determine whether the SDM items perform equally across different clinical situations and demographic groups. Using a trauma-informed method of communication during perinatal care can foster trust between patients and birth workers.

Principle Investigator:

Kim Mooney-Doyle, PhD, RN, CPNP-AC
Assistant Professor

Project Description:

Do you want to be part of a team that strives to improve the health of children and families living with serious illness? Then, consider joining Dr. Mooney-Doyle's team and share your skills in social media design and dissemination and data management! In this project, we are collaborating with community partners and a variety of interdisciplinary professionals to learn about the experiences of adolescent siblings and parents of youth with serious, life-threatening illnesses, such as cancer, rare diseases, congenital heart disease. We specifically want to understand the impact of everyday family processes, like communication, on this experience to create an intervention or service that will support families, build on the strengths, and meet them where they are as they navigate life-threatening illness. This will be a great experience for those interested in the impact of chronic or serious illness on families or for those interested in child health.

Principle Investigator:

Charlotte Nwogwugwu, DrPH, BSN, RN, HIV PCP, CPH-BC
Assistant Professor

Project Description:

Training sessions are pivotal in equipping healthcare providers with the competence needed to address the intersection of mental health and HIV care comprehensively. This longitudinal research initiative focused-project centers on the integration of mental health services within the context of HIV care in Owerri, Nigeria. This project’s primary objective is to bolster the capabilities of healthcare professionals, including nurses, community health workers, and physicians, by providing comprehensive training programs encompassing the screening, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health disorders. To execute this endeavor effectively, the project lead will undergo intensive residential training programs during visits to Nigeria. During the summer, the project lead will partake in a refresher course while also guiding the student intern through a similar training session to ensure the retention and application of acquired knowledge and skills. Subsequently, during the summer, we will facilitate a refresher training session to ensure the retention and application of acquired knowledge and skills. The research methodology used in this project will incorporate a multifaceted approach. In addition to collecting quantitative data through surveys, we will recognize the significance of qualitative insights. Thus, we will also engage with various stakeholders, including healthcare professionals, and community representatives, to conduct interviews. These interviews will serve the dual purpose of gaining a holistic understanding of the current state of mental healthcare in the region, as well as identifying existing gaps and opportunities for improvement. By adopting this comprehensive approach to research and capacity building, we aim not only to contribute to the betterment of mental healthcare in Owerri but also to serve as a model for similar initiatives in regions facing similar challenges at the intersection of mental health and infectious diseases such as HIV.

Principle Investigator:

Barbara Resnick, PhD, RN, CRNP, FAAN, FAANP
Professor
Associate Dean for Research

Project Description:

Participating in hands on data collection and entry as part of an interdisciplinary senior housing clinic program. The program provides weekly half day senior housing clinics to older adults in low-income senior housing facilities. Activities include health assessments, medication reviews, blood pressure monitoring among others. The team is an interdisciplinary team of clinicians and researchers. Senior Housing Clinics: Involves participating in a weekly senior housing clinic off campus that includes hands on assessments of older adults living in these communities. The work is focused on health promotion and screenings for things like hearing, foot care, and blood pressure monitoring, annual wellness visits and immunizations. In addition, data analysis is included and medication coding. A study focused on implementation of a Pain Clinical Practice Guideline in nursing homes involves the recruitment and collection of data on residents living with dementia in these sites and obtaining data on how staff evaluate and manage pain. This would involve completing institutional review board training and participating with our research teams in the field (a variety of nursing homes in the Baltimore / Washington area. It would also involve some data management and experience being part of a research team.

Principle Investigator:

Ian Kleckner, PhD, MPH
Associate Professor

Project Description:

Patients with cancer often experience additional symptoms from the disease and treatment itself. This project under the mentorship of Ian Kleckner, PhD, MPH, who directs the Cancer Control Mind & Body Lab, and the SYNAPSE Center at University of Maryland Baltimore involves analyzing data from patients with cancer including symptoms that they experience from their cancer, chemotherapy, and the effects of health behaviors such as exercise. This project could also involve theoretical work on developing biopsychosocial models of symptoms. The work will culminate in publishing results as a scientific manuscript ultimately to better prevent, treat, and predict symptoms to help patients with cancer.