Ph.D. Faculty Research Interests

Jessica Chandler, PhD
Technology enhanced interventions
Utilizing technology for primary and secondary prevention of various chronic diseases including prehypertension, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and sarcoidosis.

Tatiana M. Davidson, PhD
Health Services Research, Behavioral Health, Technology enhanced interventions
Technology-based resources to promote emotional health, self-help mental health interventions, mental health care disparities, traumatic stress, cultural-modification of evidence-based treatments, posttraumatic stress disorder, depression.

Teresa J. Kelechi, PhD, GCNS, CWCN, FAAN
Symptom science/self-management, Technology enhanced interventions
Geriatrics, skin temperature self-monitoring, chronic venous disease, social genomics, cryotherapy, leg and foot ulcer prevention, wound healing.

Diana Layne, PhD, RN
Health Services Research
Quantitative methods, healthcare workforce improvement, quality and patient safety, implementation science, and organizational change.  

Sarah Miller, PhD, MS, RN
Symptom science/self-management, Technology enhanced interventions
Health disparities in asthma & COPD, perception of dyspnea, psychophysiology, complex neuropathologies & impaired airway defense, mechanisms, psychological comorbidities in chronic respiratory diseases, telehealth in asthma & COPD.

Martina Mueller, PhD, MS, RN
Health Services Research
Data management and data quality control, bioinformatics, biostatistics, neural network methodology in predicting outcomes, development of applications for decision support in the care of premature infants using machine learning algorithms. 

Susan Newman, PhD, RN, CRRN
Symptom science/self-management, Community/patient engagement 
Spinal cord injury rehabilitation, peer navigation & peer mentoring, community participation, independent living, disability-related health disparities, biopsychosocial model of disability, community-engaged research, intervention development and testing.

Michelle Nichols, PhD, RN
Symptom science/self-management, Behavioral Health, Technology enhanced interventions, Community/patient engagement
Global health disparities (emphasis on Low-and Middle Income Countries), self-management of non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs) (diabetes, stroke, hypertension, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and asthma), qualitative & mixed methodological approaches, ethics, community-engaged research.

Shannon M. Phillips, PhD, RN, Alumnus CCRN
Symptom science/self-management, Technology enhanced interventions
Individuals with complex chronic conditions, particularly children, adolescents, and young adults with sickle cell disease and their families, self-management and symptom management, quality of life, healthcare utilization, access to care, disparities in underserved populations, rural disparities, dissemination and implementation of evidence-based interventions and guideline-based care for individuals with sickle cell disease and their families.

Suparna Qanungo, PhD
Community/patient engagement
Global health and global communities with specific interest in low and middle income countries, Palliative Care, cancer biology, biochemistry and pathophysiology of chronic diseases, advancing nursing and community research through telehealth applications, access to care for underserved communities.

Leigh Ridings, PhD
Symptom science/self-management, Health Services Research, Behavioral Health, Technology enhanced interventions
Pediatric trauma, child and caregiver mental health, enhancing service access and quality, traumatic stress, mental health intervention delivery in healthcare settings.

Kenneth J. Ruggiero, PhD
Symptom science/self-management, Health Services Research, Behavioral Health, Technology enhanced interventions
Technology-based interventions to improve access and quality of health care, traumatic injury/stress, self-management interventions, posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, children and families, equity in mental health care.