Current Research

The KU School of Nursing research focuses on five emphasis areas—determinants of health, symptom science, data science, quality & safety, and health outcomes—that impact precision health. Precision health is an innovative approach to health promotion, disease prevention, and healthcare treatment that takes into account individual differences in people’s genes, environments, and lifestyles.

• Determinants of health are the genetic, behavioral, social, and ecological factors that influence health indicators and health outcomes. These factors include people’s individual characteristics, behaviors, family, community, and social structures, and the environments in which people live, learn, work, play, worship, and age.
• Symptom science focuses on the understanding the biological and behavioral aspects of symptoms with the goal of developing and testing new interventions to reduce the disabling effects of symptoms and improving patient health and quality of life.
• Data science is an interdisciplinary approach to extract information from structured or unstructured data to gain knowledge and insights for improved care.
• Quality and safety is comprised of six dimensions of quality in healthcare: safety, effectiveness, patient-/family centeredness, timeliness, efficiency and equity.
• Health outcomes are changes in individual, group or population health status that may be due to an intervention.

SoN Research Faculty – 2018-19

PAMELA K. BARNES, PhD, MBA, Education Assistant Professor, Associate Dean, Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, G020-B SoN Bldg., 913/588-1619

• Emphasis areas of research:
  • Quality & Safety
    • Dr. Barnes' research program focuses on academic, workplace, and inter-organizational learning with an overarching purpose of creating more equitable and inclusive learning environments. Within healthcare education, a focus on equitable learning contributes to the effectiveness, efficiency, and equitable care provided by learners. Dr. Barnes and her honor student mentee are currently working to describe how school-based interprofessional education is retained and used in early professional practice among first-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduates.
  • Data Science
    • Stemming from a breadth of organizational experiences, and approached from an interdisciplinary perspective, Dr. Barnes' research efforts often involve quantitative methods and the study of attitudinal and psychosocial constructs. Education knowledge and insights provides the opportunity to continuously improve pedagogy and curriculum which ultimately contributes to quality patient care by our learners. Developed by Dr. Barnes, the Motivational Conditions in Learning Instrument© (Barnes, 2012) is currently being used to study nursing students' perceptions of classroom conditions eliciting intrinsic motivation to learn.
• Faculty Directory Link: http://nursing.kumc.edu/pamela-barnes-phd-mba-cssgb.html
• Dissertation Committee Member

WANDA BONNEL, PhD, GNP-BC, ANEF, Associate Professor, 2038 SoN Bldg., wbonnel@kumc.edu

• Emphasis areas of research: Quality and Safety dimensions related to healthcare education for varying patient, staff, and student populations. Additional quality and safety dimensions with gerontology populations.
• Quality and Safety dimensions related to healthcare education
  • Dr. Bonnel's research emphasizes improving clinical educator skills to support patient care quality and safety. Her work integrates best practices in educational technologies.
  • Dr. Bonnel served as Principal Investigator for two federally funded training grants from Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Division of Nursing. Her team initiated the online Nurse Educator Certificate and then blended with a School of Medicine HRSA grant to implement and evaluate the Web-based Health Professions Educator Certificate. Her Career Ladder grant focused on developing clinical leaders and educators via accessible online RN to BSN and graduate programs. Descriptive project evaluation included qualitative and quantitative measures to evaluate program structure, process, and outcomes.
  • Current educational research interests focus on best practices in the observer role in simulation as well as online course feedback to students. This work includes funded projects from Sigma Theta Tau Delta Chapter and National League for Nursing. Dr. Bonnel has chaired multiple dissertations with focus on technologies, including high fidelity simulation teaching and learning strategies.
• Quality and Safety dimensions related to geriatric populations and education.
  • Dr. Bonnel's interests in evidence-based practice, patient education, health literacy, and geriatric clinical educator role development are evident in grants, student dissertations and DNP projects. Past research has addressed older adults and nutritional issues. Selected studies include Meal Management Strategies of Older Adult Women and Residents' Perceptions of the Nursing Home Group Dining Room. Dr. Bonnel served as a team member of the Culture Change in Nursing Homes study.
• Faculty Directory Link: http://nursing.kumc.edu/wanda-blaser-bonnel-phd-rn-gnp-bc-anef.html
• Dissertation Chair, Dissertation Committee Member

KELLY A. BOSAK, PhD, ANP-BC, Associate Professor, 3045 SON Bldg. 913-588-1656

• Emphasis areas of research:
  • Health Outcomes:
    • Dr. Bosak’s program of research intersects the research emphasis areas of health outcomes and symptom science that impact precision health. Dr. Bosak’s dissertation research was funded by a grant from the American Heart Association #0610096Z. Dr. Bosak used clinical trial methods to develop a physical activity intervention to prevent or delay progression of cardiometabolic disease facilitated by internet technology. Her dissertation research received a graduate student award at the Midwest Nursing Research Society conference. She also earned funding for her doctoral research from local, regional and national competitive grants, including a grant from the Nebraska Health System Clinical Research Center for laboratory work, Sigma Theta Tau National Honor Society of Nursing, Gamma Pi Chapter research award, and Phi Delta Gamma, Nu Chapter research award for Internet intervention development. The ultimate goal of her research is translation of effective health behavior interventions to clinical settings.
  • Epigenetics and Symptom Science 
    • This approach takes into account individual differences in epigenomics and lifestyle behaviors, specifically, DNA methylation and symptoms influencing exercise adherence in adults with heart failure, and chronic cardiometabolic conditions. Dr. Bosak’s goals are to support exercise adherence to prevent or delay disease progression, improve functionality, and enhance quality of life.
• Dr. Bosak received a NIH K12 award with competitive renewal (2010-2015) supporting research career development and participated in the Clinical and Translational Science Award, Post-Doctoral Research Practicum at Mayo Clinic (2010). She received pilot funding from the KUMC Research Institute (2011), and the MacArthur Foundation (2016) for interdisciplinary collaboration to study novel biomarkers of exercise adherence.
• Dr. Bosak is a board-certified Adult Nurse Practitioner with experience in the management of cardiovascular conditions.
• Faculty Directory Link: http://nursing.kumc.edu/kelly-a-bosak-phd-aprn-bc.html
• Dissertation Chair, Dissertation Committee Member

HEATHER V. NELSON-BRANTLEY, PhD, RN, CCRN-K, Assistant Professor, University of Kansas School of Nursing, 3066 SoN Bldg., 913-588-1696

• Emphasis areas of research:
  • Health Outcomes:
    • Dr. Nelson-Brantley’s research focuses on palliative care interventions, specifically the use of mobile health technologies to improve early advance care planning for older adults with Alzheimer’s and other dementias living in rural areas and their family caregivers.
  • Data Science/Quality and Safety:
    • Dr. Nelson-Brantley is a core member of the Center for Data Science at the KU School of Nursing, where she uses data visualization methods to explore large data sets to gain knowledge and insights for improved care.
    • Dr. Nelson-Brantley is a Co-Investigator on the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators® (NDNQI) project, where she studies the structures and processes of hospital care delivery and their impact on clinical and nursing workforce outcomes.
    • Dr. Nelson-Brantley is the PI of a study funded by the Association of Leadership Science in Nursing (ALSN) to examine nurse managers’ experiences of facilitating interprofessional teamwork and safety culture in perioperative nursing units.
    • Dr. Nelson-Brantley has expertise in health systems leadership and organizational change.  Her conceptual model of leading change was among the top 20 most downloaded articles published between July 2016 and June 2018 in the Journal of Advanced Nursing.
• Faculty Directory Link: http://nursing.kumc.edu/heather-nelson-brantley-phd-rn-ccrn.html
• Dissertation Committee Member

CARA A. BUSENHART, PhD, CNM, APRN, Clinical Assistant Professor, 2071 SoN Bldg., 913/588-3354

• Emphasis areas: Quality & safety (interprofessional education, best practices for midwifery care); Methodologies (Delphi).
• Dr. Busenhart is Program Director of the Nurse-Midwifery Education Program and Advanced Practice. As Program Director of these graduate clinical programs, Cara works collaboratively with the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for Graduate Programs and other Program Directors to strategically plan, develop and implement program initiatives, and evaluate the quality for academic affairs.  Additionally, Dr. Busenhart implements and evaluates the advanced practice programs.
• Cara provides women’s health prenatal care at Silver City Health Center (the faculty practice of KUSON) Maternal Options that Matter (a teaching clinic with Family Medicine residency and nurse-midwifery students); prenatal care and well-woman care at JayDoc Free Health Clinic (a medical student-run clinic); and intrapartum management at KU Hospital Labor and Delivery, where she supervises nurse-midwifery and medical students, as well as Family Medicine and Emergency Department residents.
• Dr. Busenhart's research has dealt with the use of competencies in Interprofessional Education (IPE).  Dr. Busenhart completed her dissertation on “Leveling ‘Core Competencies for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice’ for Learners”.  This study was a modified Delphi study to gain consensus on the leveling or appropriateness of different IPE competencies for beginning, intermediate, and advanced level health professions learners.  Additionally, Dr. Busenhart has studied new RNs experiences with simulation during their nursing education and its’ impact on role transition. Currently Dr. Busenhart is investigating best practices for transfer from a homebirth setting to the hospital setting via a modified Delphi approach interested in investigating adherence to a standard treatment bundle for severe sepsis in perinatal patients.
• Faculty Directory Link: http://nursing.kumc.edu/cara-a-busenhart-msn-rncnm.html

EMILY CRAMER, PhD, Research Assistant Professor, 3064 SoN Bldg., 913-588-1657

• Emphasis areas of research: Quality and Safety, Health Outcomes, & Data Science
• Dr. Cramer specializes in health services research and secondary analysis with large databases. Her PhD is in Quantitative Psychology from the University of Kansas. Since 2011, Dr. Cramer has conducted research related to the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) at KU SoN. She is currently the co-principal investigator of a research contract with Press Ganey Associates, to develop measures and continue research with NDNQI data. Through NDNQI, her research has focused primarily on connecting the nursing work environment and RN characteristics, such as education and certification, to health outcomes for patients and the quality and safety of care delivery in hospitals. Her other research activities include quality indicator and survey development and reliability and validity testing of quality indicators. Dr. Cramer also has a strong interest in data science and specializes in several quantitative methodologies, including developing complex regression analyses for causal inference in large-scale observational data. Her interests in advanced statistical techniques also include longitudinal analysis, mediation models, and latent variable models.
• Faculty Directory Link:

NANCY DUNTON, PhD, FAAN, Research Professor, School of Nursing with a joint appointment in the Department of Health Policy and Management. Director, Center for Data Science. 3069 SoN Bldg., 913/588-1456

• Emphasis areas of research: Data science; quality and safety of healthcare; and healthcare quality measure development.
• Current research funded by: Econometrica/Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Virginia Commonwealth University/Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Press Ganey/National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators
• Past research has focused on: the quality of nursing care in hospitals, nursing homes, and ambulatory settings; poverty; children’s well-being.
• Faculty Directory Link: http://nursing.kumc.edu/nancy-dunton-phd-faan.html
• Dissertation Committee Member

NELDA GODFREY, PhD, RN, ACNS-BC, FAAN.  Professor and Associate Dean, Innovative Partnerships and Practice. 2036 SoN Bldg., 913/588-1654.

• Emphasis areas of research:
  • Quality and Safety:
    • Dr. Godfrey’s work with quality and safety focuses specifically on effectiveness, patient-family centeredness and efficiency. Conceptual and theoretical work in these domains begins with philosophic inquiry and extends to Eastern and Western historical perspectives to better inform how health care is conceptualized and delivered.  How the nurse or the health care professional behaves ‘when no one is looking’ is a central ethical theme in her work regarding quality and safety for people and families cared for within health care environments. 
  • Health Outcomes:
    • Dr. Godfrey’s research program focuses on nurses and other health care professionals as instruments in healing that positively influence health outcomes for patients and families.  The emergence of the quadruple aim, in which the wellbeing of the health care professional is considered as prominently as access, cost and a traditional idea of quality, Dr. Godfrey’s interest in a transformational, ethical approach to nursing practice draws upon various ethical traditions to understand how presence and ‘being’ promote health and support people in their dying. Forming and fostering professional identity in nursing and health professions is a key focus of Dr. Godfrey’s work, which recently included iterative work by national and international experts to determine the specific domains, key elements and competencies of professional identity in nursing.  Demonstration projects with Kansas nurses and hospitals are planned in the ensuing months with the hope that language to describe professional identity will foster a greater sense of just how nurses use their myriad skills and intuitions as instruments for healing.
• In addition to her focus on professional identity and ethics, Dr. Godfrey has conducted research on the effectiveness and efficiency of various aspects of nursing education, opening the national conversation to consider nursing education as an evidence-based endeavor.
• Faculty Directory Link:  http://nursing.kumc.edu/nelda-s-godfrey-phd-acns-bc.html
• Dissertation Committee Member

TERI KENNEDY, PhD, MSW, LCSW, ACSW, FGSA, FNAP, Ida Johnson Feaster Professorship in Interprofessional Practice and Education (IPE), 4036 SoN Bldg., 913/588-6892

• Emphasis areas of research:
  • Data Science:
    • Dr. Kennedy’s Kennedy Model of Sustainability © 2008 was adopted in 2018 as part of the Nexus Learning System model by the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education. This model was a result of her research on Geriatric Education Centers funded through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Her current research with the nursing-led Accelerating Interprofessional Community-Based Education and Practice initiative of the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education, in collaboration with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, John A. Hartford Foundation, Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation, and Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, has reinforced the validity and utility of the Kennedy Model and is resulting in additional sustainability strategies. The model is relevant to sustaining a range of national and international educational programs and initiatives including interprofessional practice and education (IPE), geriatrics/gerontology, and age-friendly communities, universities, and healthcare.
  • Determinants of Health:
    • Dr. Kennedy’s work in health and aging policy is advancing application of research-derived knowledge of the social and structural determinants of health to national healthcare policy through her work as Chair and Member of the Advisory Committee for Interdisciplinary Community-Based Linkages (ACICBL), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
• Dr. Kennedy has expertise in interprofessional practice and education at the nexus, advancing university/community partnerships through the development of IPE clinical practice sites and facilitating the transition of preceptors from uni-professional to interprofessional practice. She is developing a model and related resources to advance leadership competencies in IPE.
• Faculty Directory Link: http://nursing.kumc.edu/teri-kennedy-phd-msw-lcsw-acsw-fgsa-fnap.html
• Dissertation Chair, Dissertation Committee Member

SALLY L. MALISKI, PhD, RN, FAAN, Dean, Franklin and Beverly Gaines Tipton Professor for Oncology Nursing, & KUCC Associate Director for Health Equity, G040 SoN Bldg., 913-588-1665

• Emphasis areas of research:
  • Symptom Science:
    • Dr. Maliski's research program focuses on cancer treatment-related symptom management and quality of life among underserved populations.  She has a strong commitment to reducing cancer health disparities and understanding the factors underlying such disparities via interdisciplinary teamwork.  Currently funded by NINR, Dr. Maliski and her team are conducting a RCT (R01) evaluating the effectiveness of a nurse-led, interdisciplinary intervention to minimize cardiovascular and metabolic adverse effects of androgen deprivation therapy for the treatment of prostate cancer.
  • Health Outcomes:
    • Dr. Maliski is also an expert in qualitative and mixed methodology to better understand decision-making processes and subsequent behavioral choices related to healthcare.  She is co-PI on an NINR R25 to explore decision-making processes among altruistic and directed kidney donors and co-I on an American Cancer Society (ACS) funded study to describe the transition from a prostate cancer specific navigated program to Medicaid or private insurance that does not provide navigation among low-income, previously uninsured men as result of the Affordable Care Act.
• In addition to her research, Dr. Maliski has clinical interests in hospice, oncology and free clinic primary care.
• Faculty Directory Link: http://nursing.kumc.edu/sally-maliski-phd-rn-faan.html
• Dissertation Chair, Dissertation Committee Member

E. LAVERNE MANOS, DNP, RN-BC, Clinical Assistant Professor, School of Nursing and Director, Master of Science in Health Informatics Program and SEEDS Program – KUMC Center for Health Informatics, 2044-A SoN Bldg., 913/588-1671

• Emphasis areas: health outcomes; quality and safety
• Data visualization and use of structured data for knowledge discovery. The design and testing of data structures with focus on data, information, knowledge and use of informatics to support nursing wisdom. Evaluating the use of academic electronic health record as an educational teaching strategy.
• Interprofessional Collaborative Acute Care Practice (ICAP) objective: To enhance interprofessional collaborative practice and IP education. Integration of collaborative care model and transitions of care from inpatient through the discharge chasm utilizing telehealth and other technologies, and then through handoff to the outpatient primary care provider.
• Communication Research objectives: Understanding how healthcare providers describe themselves and their roles in providing patient care; How healthcare providers describe other healthcare professionals and their respective roles in providing patient care; How patients describe language choices used by healthcare professionals to refer to each other in front of patients; Understanding the possible influence (consequences) of language choices made by these professionals on the ability of groups of healthcare professionals to function as a collaborative team.
• Faculty Directory Link: http://nursing.kumc.edu/e-laverne-manos-dnp-rn-bc.html

JERRIHLYN L. MCGEE, DNP, RN, CNE, Clinical Assistant Professor and Program Director, 3024 School of Nursing Building, (913) 588-3359

• Emphasis areas of research: healthy work environment, specifically workplace bullying; cultural competency; diversity and social determinants of health and education.
• Dr. McGee completed her DNP Project on Managing Workplace Bullying: A Baseline Assessment of Nurses’ Knowledge. Using the Adult Learning Theory, the Oppressed Group Model Theory, and a systematic review of the literature, Dr. McGee created and distributed a self-assessment to assess nurses’ baseline knowledge about workplace bullying. Using the results of the self-assessment and evidence from literature, Dr. McGee created a very comprehensive yet concise “badge buddy” for nurses with the necessary learning tools to manage workplace bullying. This content has now been included in local nurse residency programs where Dr. McGee lectures three-four times an academic year.
• Dr. McGee is Program Director for Leadership Program. This program includes Master of Science (MS) and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degrees in: Organizational Leadership, Public Health Nursing, Nursing Informatics, Clinical Research Management, as well as certificates in the aforementioned tracks including the Health Educator Certificate. As Program Director, Dr. McGee works collaboratively with the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and faculty to assess, plan, develop, enhance, implement and evaluate the leadership programs of study.  
• Dr. McGee serves as a member and sub-committee co-chair for the KUMC Diversity & Inclusion Cabinet, and she is the current president of Delta Chapter, Honor Society of Nursing – Sigma Theta Tau International.
• Faculty Directory Link: http://nursing.kumc.edu/jerrihlyn-l-mcgee-dnp-rn-cne.html

KAREN L. MILLER, RN, PhD, FAAN, Professor, 4037 SoN Bldg., 913/588-1658

• Emphasis areas: Health outcomes; Data Science
• Research focus is health care outcomes through study of health care delivery systems; health care economics; clinical and systems outcomes; administration in health care; organizational context of clinical care; interdisciplinary clinical practice and educational modalities for health professions education; and cultural competence in health professions education. Recently funded by the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City & REACH Foundation Grant Project ($48,481), Cultural Competency Curriculum Enhancement Project. Was funded 2008-2010 by the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City & REACH Foundation Grant Project ($74,543), Cultural Competency Faculty Preparation Pilot Program, University of Kansas School of Nursing, Kansas City, KS. Previous funding by National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), National Institutes of Health (NIH) for “Effects of a Policy for Managing Children’s Pain,” Co-investigator; “Work Sampling Validation of Pediatric Patient Classification I-II”, Co-investigator, funded by The Children’s Hospital, Denver, Colorado; “Multiple Case Comparison of Nursing Practice Models: Rehabilitation Unit Pilot Study”, Principal Investigator, funded by the Kempe Research Center, Denver, Colorado.
• Among current and past national committee appointments, Dr. Miller has held membership on an Institute of Medicine committee examining a federal health care facility merger and the Commission on Workforce for Hospitals & Health Systems of the American Hospital Association. She is active in the Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Dr. Miller completed a four-year term on the National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and served on the National Advisory Council of the National Institute of Nursing Research of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Miller was named a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 1995.
• Currently, Dr. Miller is a Past President of the Board of the Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research and is on review/editorial boards of: IMAGE: Journal of Nursing Scholarship; Collateral Reviewer, Sigma Theta Tau International, and the on-line Journal of Nursing Education. She also serves on corporate Boards of Directors including the University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, KU HealthPartners, Inc., and the Watson Caring Science Institute.
• Faculty Directory Link: http://nursing.kumc.edu/karen-miller.html
• Dissertation Chair, Dissertation Committee Member

DANIELLE M. OLDS, MPH, PhD, RN, CIC, Research Assistant Professor, 3065 SoN Bldg., 913-588-0426

• Emphasis areas of research:
  • Quality and Safety
    • Dr. Olds is focused on furthering the science of healthcare quality and patient safety. As a faculty member at the University of Kansas School of Nursing, Dr. Olds has been involved in all aspects of quality measure development and evaluation for both the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) and the CMS Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). This includes measure conceptualization, data collection guideline development and training, pilot testing, reliability and validity assessments, and use and usability determination.
  • Data Science
    • Dr. Olds has extensive experience working with large sets of diverse clinical, operational, and survey data. She is part of the Center for Data Science at the KU School of Nursing and is interested in using data from a variety of sources to answer complex questions about nursing care delivery. Dr. Olds has published on safety and quality topics including antibiotic stewardship, restraint use, pain management processes, nurse work hours and adverse events, and innovations in quality improvement research methods.
• She completed a PhD at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing as a pre-doctoral fellow in the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research. Following her PhD, Dr. Olds completed a 3-year fellowship with the Veterans Affairs Quality Scholars (VAQS) program with a focus on quality improvement research methods and interprofessional education. She has worked as an RN on an infectious disease unit and as an Infection Preventionist and maintains Certification in Infection Control (CIC).
• Faculty Directory Link: http://nursing.kumc.edu/danielle-m-olds-mph-phd-rn-cic.html
• Dissertation Co-Chair, Dissertation Committee Member, DNP Project Chair, DNP Project Committee Member

SHIN HYE PARK, PhD, RN, Assistant Professor, 3049 SoN Bldg., 913-588-1624

• Emphasis areas of research:
  • Quality and Safety:
    • Dr. Park’s research program focuses on patient safety and quality of care, especially in hospital settings and for elderly populations. Dr. Park has been involved in various research projects on quality measure development and evaluation for both the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) and the CMS Program for All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE).
  • Data Science:
    • Dr. Park has conducted numerous studies of nursing work environments and patient outcomes using large-scale databases, such as the NDNQI and the American Hospital Association Annual Survey of Hospitals. Dr. Park and her interdisciplinary research team are currently conducting a pilot study of nursing excellence and value-based programs analyzing the CMS Hospital Compare data.
• In addition to her focus on patient safety and care quality, Dr. Park has expertise in nursing workforce issues, nursing health services research, quantitative research methods, advanced statistical methods, reliability and validity testing, and quality improvement projects.
• Faculty Directory Link:  http://nursing.kumc.edu/shin-hye-park-phd-rn.html
• Dissertation Chair, Dissertation Committee Member

JILL N. PELTZER, PhD, APRN-CNS, Assistant Professor, 3027 SoN Bldg., 913-588-3396

• Emphasis areas of research:
  • Symptom Science:
    • Dr. Peltzer’s research program focuses on breast cancer-related symptoms. With current funding by the KU Cancer Center, Dr. Peltzer is conducting a pilot exploratory study with an inter-disciplinary team from Nursing, Cancer Biology, and Radiation Oncology to examine fatigue and mitochondria related gene expression among black and white women undergoing radiation therapy for breast cancer.
  • Determinants of Health:
    • Dr. Peltzer’s research also focuses on health disparities. She has been funded for research on psychological distress experienced by black women living with HIV infection and black adults living in an underserved, urban community.  She currently serves as a board member for a non-profit community development corporation in Wyandotte County.
• In addition to her focus on breast cancer-related symptoms, Dr. Peltzer has expertise in qualitative research methodologies. 
• Faculty Directory Link: http://nursing.kumc.edu/jill-peltzer-phd-aprn-cns.html
• Dissertation Committee Member

MOYA PETERSON, PhD, RN, Associate Clinical Professor, 3055 SoN Bldg., 913/588-1644

• Emphasis areas: Social determinants of Health (e.g., special needs adults [Down Syndrome]; historical research methods
• Dr. Peterson has conducted historical research on nurses in the military in particular WW1 & WWII.  She also has ongoing research on a variety of topics concerning adults with Down Syndrome.  Projects are variable but must all have the final outcome of impacting and improving the life of adults with Down syndrome.  Funding for projects in the past has been provided through Special Olympics, First Downs for Down Syndrome and the Kansas Department of Health and Human Services, Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs.
• Faculty Directory Link: http://nursing.kumc.edu/moya-peterson-phd-aprn.html
• Dissertation Committee Member

JANET D. PIERCE, PHD, APRN, CCRN, FAAN, Christine A. Hartley Endowed Professor of Nursing, University of Kansas Distinguished Professor, 3028 SoN Bldg., 913-588-1663

• Emphasis areas of research:
  • Symptom Science:
    • Dr. Pierce research program focuses on heart failure with preserve ejection fraction (HFpEF) measuring the effects of ubiquinol and d-ribose on symptom burden and several physiological measurements. Currently, funded by NIH, NIA, Dr. Pierce and her inter-professional team are conducting a FDA regulated clinical trial (R01) examining how ubiquinol and/or d-ribose may alter cardiac function, fatigue, shortness of breath, and adenosine triphosphate production, lactate, and brain natriuretic peptide production.
  • Data Science:
    • Dr. Pierce and her research team has conducted a genomic study on brain tissue following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Using RNA sequencing techniques and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) software, she found in a pilot study that administering ubiquinol before a TBI may reduce brain injury to mitochondrial function and reduce free radical injury. Her exploratory work to examine administering ubiquinol before and after a TBI was funded by a grant from the Department of Defense titled Preventing and Reducing the Cellular Damage in Traumatic Brain Injury Using Ubiquinol.
• In addition to her focus on heart failure, Dr. Pierce has expertise in animal surgery, measuring diaphragm fatigue, apoptosis, mitochondrial damage, and reactive oxygen species. 
• Faculty Directory Link: http:// http://nursing.kumc.edu/janet-d-pierce-phd-aprn-ccrn-faan.html  
• Dissertation Chair, Dissertation Committee Member

BARBARA J. POLIVKA, PHD, RN, FAAN, Professor, Associate Dean of Research. 3010D SoN Bldg, 913-5883386 

• Emphasis areas of research:
  • Determinants of Health:
    • Dr. Polivka's interest involves addressing and mitigating environmental hazards encountered in the home by residents and by home healthcare providers. She has been funded by National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to develop and test a virtual simulation training system for home health workers to identify and mitigate fire/electric, slip/trip/fall, and environmental hazards encountered in client homes. She is currently funded by NIH NIA to longitudinally assess the impact of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other home environmental triggers in older adults with asthma. She is also a co-investigator on an NIH NIEHS funded study exploring the impact of exposure to coal ash on neurobiological development of children.

• Symptom Science and Health Outcomes:
  • Dr. Polivka and her team are developing a phenotypic algorithm for older adults with asthma in the NIH NIA study. Asthma symptoms, asthma control, biomarkers, home environmental exposures, medication management, and asthma quality of life are assessed over an 18-month period to identify changes over time and develop a predictive model of asthma quality of life.

• Quality and Safety:
  • Dr. Polivka has worked with a multi-disciplinary team to develop, implement, and evaluate a disaster surge curriculum specifically for public health nurses. She has analyzed the differences between actual public health nursing position descriptions and published standards/competencies for public health nurses. She worked with nurses in a 5-hospital system in Louisville, KY to improve the quality of nursing care throughout the healthcare system. Dr. Polivka is currently a co-investigator on a mixed method study exploring moral distress in emergency department nurses, and a qualitative study exploring cancer experiences of Muslim cancer survivors.
• Faculty Directory link: http://nursing.kumc.edu/barbara-j-polivka-phd-rn-faan.html
• Dissertation Chair, Dissertation Committee Member

MARYELLEN POTTS, PhD, Education Assistant Professor, 3023 SoN Bldg., 913/945-5046

• Emphasis areas of research:
  • Determinants of Health:
    • Dr. Potts’ research program focuses on palliative care and cancer in the African American community and in low resource countries. Currently, with colleagues who are supported by The Center for Global Health at the Medical University of South Carolina, Dr. Potts serves as co-investigator of a pilot project “Development of a Kenyan Stakeholder-Informed Palliative Care Research Agenda.”
  • Health Outcomes:
    • Dr. Potts and colleagues from Bradley University (Peoria, IL) and August University a (GA) have recently completed a systematic review of medication adherence to hydroxyurea in persons with sickle cell disease and are moving to the next step of developing a pilot project for a holistic behavioral intervention designed to promote HU medication adherence in this population.
• In addition to her interests in palliative care and sickle cell disease, Dr. Potts has expertise in strategies designed to support and enhance student writing across the nursing programs. 
• Faculty Directory Link: http://nursing.kumc.edu/maryellen-potts-phd.html
• DNP Project Committee Member

QIUHUA SHEN, PhD, APRN, RN, Assistant Professor, 3050 SoN Bldg., 913-588-1855

• Emphasis areas of research:
  • Symptom Science:
    • Dr. Shen’s research program focuses on understanding pathophysiological mechanisms of oxidative stress and mitochondrial bioenergetics impairment associated various diseases and investigating potential intervention strategies to reduce symptoms and improve health outcomes of patients. Currently, Dr. Shen is a co-investigator on a NIH funded randomized clinical trial (R01) that examines the effects of ubiquinol and d-ribose in reducing symptom burden of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).
  • Data Science:
    • Dr. Shen’s other research interest focuses on investigating the effects of ubiquinol in myocardial genomics and mitochondrial function using a HFpEF model. Currently, Dr. Shen and her research team are conducting a pilot study examining how ubiquinol modulates gene expression and cardiac mitochondrial function. Collaborated with an inter-professional team, Dr. Shen also conducted an exploratory genomic study on traumatic brain injury.
• In addition to her focus on heart failure, Dr. Shen has expertise in quantitative, correlational/regression analyses, large database analysis, and laboratory experimental design.
• Faculty Directory Link; http://nursing.kumc.edu/qiuhua-shen-phd-rn.html
• Dissertation Committee Member

CAROL E. SMITH, PhD, Professor of Nursing & Preventative Medicine 3062 SoN Bldg, 913-588-1667

• Emphasis areas of research:
  • Health Outcomes:
    • Currently, funded by NIH, Dr Smith and her Interprofessional team are conducting teen and young adult patients and their family members iPad delivered care. Dr Smith measures scientific health outcomes that are biological, social, educational and observable assessments.  These outcomes have underscored her multiple clinical trial outcomes which empirically verify that her tested interventions prevent infection, depression, hospitalizations and guide family caregivers “how to” gain resources and support from peers and professionals.  Dr. Smith’s clinical trials tested interventions support families managing complex home care including intestinal failure patients requiring daily 12-hour IV for survival, end-stage heart failure, and patients requiring home ventilators and those needing palliative care.
    • Dr. Smith has record of 38 years of consecutive NIH funding across the National Institutes of NINR, HLBL, Aging, NIDDK, and the Institute of Biomedical Engineering.  Dr. Smith also completed an SBIR grant to develop/test a DVD series which illustrates complex home family home caregiving. These DVDs include 13 different ethnic patients, caregivers, nurse practitioners and MDs in various home care and clinic scenes. These DVD s were awarded the Robert Wood Johnson Transitions in Care Award. Dr. Smith’s effective translation of her interventions into practice have been adopted by international and national professional organizations, statewide hospital groups and local patient advocacy groups
  • Technologies/Methodologies:
  • Dr Smith’s research interventions are delivered via telehealth technologies including videophones, iPads, and by her interactive award-winning internet sites.  Her research team has published the cost efficiency methodologies for professionals delivering technology based illness management homecare.  Her economic data from vulnerable inner city and rural families was an invited presentation for the National Medicaid Services.
• In addition, Dr. Smith has expertise in clinical trials conduct and using technology with severely ill patients and their family members to allow visual assessments, address complex challenges and to develop a joint plan of care acceptable to the families in rural or, intercity homes distant from specialist care.
• Faculty directory Link: http://nursing.kumc.edu/carol-e-smith-phd-rn-faan.html 
• Dissertation Chair, Dissertation Committee Member

CYNTHIA S. TEEL, RN, PhD, FAAN, Professor & Associate Dean, Academic Affairs, SoN, Professor, 2010C SoN Bldg., 913/588-1697

• Emphasis areas of research:  health services and bio-behavioral outcomes; evaluation approach.
• Dr. Teel’s research emphasis areas are in Social Determinants of Health and Quality and Safety.  She is coordinating the Kansas Action Coalition (KSAC), in partnership with other state-supported schools of nursing and the University of Kansas Hospital, to focus on advancing recommendations from the IOM report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. Dr. Teel’s work with the KSAC includes partnering to better define the nursing workforce in Kansas and identify needs of Kansas nurses. Among other projects, Dr. Teel’s team conducted the state’s first RN Workforce study, a nursing leadership needs assessment, determination of cultural competency awareness among nurses, and determining the presence of cultural awareness content among the state’s nursing educational programs. Each of these grant-funded projects has resulted in creating innovative, outcome-focused projects to address the identified needs. Most recently, the group is working on analyzing data from the 2016 Kansas Nurse Leader Residency Program and developing new resources for advancing cultural competency skill development, based on study findings.
• Faculty Directory Link: http://nursing.kumc.edu/cynthia-teel-phd-faan.html
• Dissertation Chair, Dissertation Committee Member

KAREN A. WAMBACH, PhD, RN, IBCLC, FILCA, FAAN, Professor, Interim Associate Dean, Research; Program Director, PhD Program, and Co-Coordinator BSN Honors Program, 3052 SoN Bldg., 913/588-1639

• Emphasis areas of research:
  • Determinants of Health:
    • Dr. Wambach's research program focuses on breastfeeding promotion and support, especially in vulnerable populations. Currently, funded by NICHD, Dr. Wambach and her inter-professional team are conducting a pilot RCT (R21HD088913) of multiple health behavior education and support interventions (breastfeeding, healthy eating/active living, and depression prevention) among pregnant and parenting adolescent women using mobile technology.
  • Health Outcomes:
    • Dr. Wambach has conducted numerous quantitative and qualitative studies of social and behavioral factors relative to breastfeeding choice, initiation, exclusivity, maintenance, and duration among adolescent mothers, ethnic minority groups, and mainstream childbearing women. Her exploratory work with adolescent women led to comprehensive prenatal, in-hospital, and postpartum interventions tested in a randomized clinical trial funded by National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) titled "Promoting and Supporting Breastfeeding in Adolescents".
• In addition to her focus on breastfeeding promotion and support, Dr. Wambach has expertise in instrument development and measurement in nursing and health research. 
• Faculty Directory Link: http://nursing.kumc.edu/karen-wambach-phd-rn-ibclc-filca-faan.html
• Dissertation Chair, Dissertation Committee Member

KRISTINE WILLIAMS, PhD, APRN, FNP-BC, FAAN, Professor, 3043 SoN Bldg., 913/588-1673

• Emphasis areas of research:
  • Symptom science, health outcomes, and the use of technology
    • Dr. Williams’ research tests interventions to improve care for older adults including persons with dementia by enhancing nursing communication, providing cognitive training for improved self-care, and using technology to support caregivers. Her research focuses on the areas of symptom science, health outcomes, and the use of technology to provide precision health.
  • Symptom Science
    • Dr. Williams’ most recognized research focuses on establishing an association between elderspeak communication and disruptive behavioral and psychological symptoms in persons with dementia.  Elderspeak is talk that sounds like baby talk.  A recently completed study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that a three-session nursing home staff training program significantly reduced the use of elderspeak and subsequently reduced disruptive behaviors during care activities.  Ongoing research will expand dissemination of the Changing Talk Intervention to greater numbers of long term care settings and to test a self-monitoring app to reinforce reduced elderspeak use by direct care staff.
  • Health Outcomes
    • A current NIH-funded randomized clinical trial study is testing an application to support family members caring for a loved one with dementia at home.  Caregivers of persons with dementia who exhibit dementia related behaviors or who experience challenging care situations can record care episodes using a tablet-based app, and upload the videos to a secure site for review by a team of experts, who provide individualized feedback for managing care at home. The goal of this research is to reduce negative health outcomes experienced by informal dementia caregivers.
    • Additional NIH-funded research found that applied problem-solving skills needed to maintain and improve cognitive function needed to manage everyday living in Assisted Living residences were improved in a group who received a cognitive training intervention that focused on reasoning and applied problem-solving skills compared to a control group.  The next step for this research is a collaboration to test a combined physical and cognitive exercise intervention in older adults with mild cognitive impairment.
• Faculty Directory Link: http://nursing.kumc.edu/kristine-williams-rn-phd-fnp-bc-fgsa-faan.html
• Dissertation chair, Dissertation committee member