Ph.D. Student Profiles

Jennifer Ashley

Veronica Barber

Shannon Elam

Christina Greenwood

Briana Aaron
South Carolina

Research Interest: Promoting Language Equity Through Provider Preparedness
Research Mentor: Dr. Suparna Qanungo

Publication:
Chargualaf, K.A., Aaron, B., & Russin, K. (2024). Perceived learning and confidence to apply nursing theories to clinical practice through simulation: A pilot study. Clinical Simulation in Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2023.101476

Arianne Fritts
Florida

Research Interest: Recruitment of caregivers for persons living with dementia into clinical trials
Research Mentors: Dr. Teresa Kelechi and Dr. Diana Layne

Publications:
Mintzer, J., Donovan, K. A., Kindy, A. Z., Lock, S. L., Chura, L. R., & Barracca, N. (2019). Lifestyle Choices and Brain Health. Frontiers in Medicine. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2019.00204

Brawman-Mintzer, O., Tang, X. C., Bizien, M., Harvey, P. D., Horner, M. D., Arciniegas, D. B., Raskind, M., Johnson-Greene, L., Martineau, R. J., Hamner, M., Rodriguez-Suarez, M., Jorge, R. E., McGarity, S., Wortzel, H. S., Wei, Y., Sindowski, T., Mintzer, J., Kindy, A. Z., Donovan, K., & Reda, D. (2021). Rivastigmine Transdermal Patch Treatment for Moderate to Severe Cognitive Impairment in Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury (RiVET Study): A Randomized Clinical Trial. Journal of Neurotrauma. https://doi.org/10.1089/neu.2020.7146

Poster Presentation:
Karla, A. L., Fritts, A., Mintzer, J., Reynolds, B., Chadwick, M., Brawman-Mintzer, O., Jicha, G., Kindy, M., Huisa-Garate, B., Keller, J., Clanton, T., Smith, B., Grill, J. D., Aisen, P., Raman R. (2023 October 24-27). Establishing an evidence-based patient recruitment strategy through a site recruitment needs assessment for a hospice-eligible population with dementia. Poster Presentation presented at the Clinical Trials on Alzheimer's Disease (CTAD). Boston, MA.

Emily Morgan
South Carolina

Research Interest: Comparative telehealth implementation research addressing rural populations' access to and utilization barriers of COPD care
Research Mentors: Dr. Sarah Miller

Erica Richards
Maine

Research Interest: Learning Disorders and Emotional-Behavioral Dysregulation
Research Mentor: Dr. Michelle Nichols

Sarah Rose Thornton
Florida

Research Interest: Transition Care in Pediatric Liver Transplant Recipients
Research Mentors: Dr. Shannon Phillips

Susan McCabe
New York

Research Interest: Allostatic Load
Research Mentor: Dr. Sarah Miller

Jennifer Huggins
South Carolina

Research Interest: Educational Needs of Informal Caregivers of Head and Neck Cancer Patients
Research Mentor: Dr. Kathleen Lindell

Katherine Chike-Harris
South Carolina

Research Interest: Telehealth - Application and Education
Research Mentor: Dr. Teresa Kelechi

Publications:
Chike-Harris, K. E., Miller, S. N., Nichols, M. G., McElligott, J. T., & Kelechi, T. J. (2023). The management of pediatric asthma using telehealth: An integrative review. Telehealth and E-Health.

Presentations
Podium
Chike-Harris, K. E., Kelechi, T. J., Nichols, M. G., & Miller, S. N. (2024, May). Preceptor’s, caregiver’s, and children’s perceptions of telehealth in pediatric asthma management. In 2024 Lowcountry Nursing Research Conference.

Posters
Newman, S. D., Chike-Harris, K. E., Vestal, E., Phillips, S., & Kelechi, T. J. (2024, January). An alternative to the comprehensive exam: supporting PhD students in the transition to candidacy. In American Association of Colleges of Nursing Doctoral Education Conference. American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

Chike-Harris, K. E., Kelechi, T. J., Miller, S. N., & Nichols, M. G. (2024, July). Stakeholder perceptions of the management of pediatric asthma using telehealth. In Sigma Congress.

Danielle Edmonds
Georgia

Research Interest: Fertility preservation in pediatric oncology and health services.
Research Mentor: Dr. Sarah Miller

Angela Lentini-Rivera
Texas

Research Interest: Evaluation of the barriers and facilitators Pediatric Childhood Cancer survivors experience as they transition from acute cancer treatment into survivorship.
Research Mentor: Dr. Shannon Phillips

Kesha Levesque
Maryland

Research Interest: Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Factors Affecting Kidney Transplant Evaluation for African American
Research Mentors: Dr. Susan Newman

Mary Prybylo
Maine

Research Interest: Supporting self-management and a positive self-perception of health in older adults residing in rural areas with multiple chronic conditions
Research Mentor: Dr. Teresa Kelechi

Elisabeth Vestal
North Carolina

Research Interest: Access to Care for Rural-dwelling Children with Complex Chronic Conditions – Barriers and Facilitators
Research Mentor:  Dr. Shannon Phillips

Publications:
Vestal, E., Newman, S., & Phillips, S. (2024). Barriers and facilitators to accessing pediatric specialty care for rural-dwelling children with complex chronic conditions: An integrative review. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 77, e385–e393. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2024.05.001

Poster Presentations:
Vestal E, Mueller M., Peltz A, Whatley J, & Phillips S (2024). Characterizing access barriers and facilitators to pediatric specialty care among rural-dwelling children with complex chronic conditions. 16th Department of Pediatrics and Darby Children’s Research Institute Research Symposium Precision and Personalized Medicine in Pediatric Research. May 2024; Charleston, SC.

Newman, SD, Chike-Harris, K, Vestal E, Phillips S, & Kelechi T (2024). An alternative to the comprehensive exam: supporting PhD students in the transition to candidacy. 2020 Doctoral Education Conference. American Association of Colleges in Nursing. January 2024; Naples, FL.

Lianne Cole
Massachusetts

Research Interest: Pediatric Congenital Heart Disease and the Familial Response
Research Mentor: Dr. Shannon Phillips

Suzanne Hakeos
Ohio

Research Interest: Suicide Prevention for Police Officers and PTSD
Research Mentor: Dr. Sarah Miller

Yulia Romazanova
South Carolina

Research Interest: Burnout in nurse leaders
Research Mentor: Dr. Susan Newman

Stephanie Neary
South Carolina

PAEA 2020-2021 Research Fellow
Research Interest: The intersection of flourishing and the social determinants of health among medical, physician assistant, and nurse practitioner students.
Research Mentor: Dr. Michelle Nichols

Awards & Grants
Breitman-Dorn Research Fellowship, PA Foundation, 2023
Physician Assistant Education Association, Don Pedersen Research Grant, 2023-2024
Yale Department of Internal Medicine Educational Research Grant, 2023-2024

Publications:
Neary S, Kamauf R, Ruggeri M. Transparency of parental leave policies to prospective students in U.S. Physician Assistant programs: a cross-sectional study. J Physician Assist Educ. 2023;34(1):72-75. doi:10.1097/JPA.0000000000000485

Oral Research Presentations:
Neary S, Doolittle B, Mueller M, Nichols M. The relationship between intrinsic factors, the social determinants of health, and perceived flourishing among medical, physician assistant, and nurse practitioner students. Oral presentation at: American Academy of Physician Assistants Conference; accepted May 2024. Houston, TX.

Neary S, Doolittle B, Newman S, Nichols M. The drivers and barriers to clinical health professions student flourishing. Oral presentation at: International Association of Medical Science Educators Education Virtual Forum; October 2023; Online.

Neary S, Ruggeri M, Kamauf R. Family Matters: Inclusive Parental Leave Policies for Graduate Learners. Oral presentation at: International Association of Medical Science Educators Education Forum; 2022; Online. [from quant course paper]

Neary S, Kamauf R, Ruggeri, M. (2022). Parental leave policies of Physician Assistant programs. American Academy of Physician Assistants Conference. Research in Action. Indianapolis, IN. [from quant course paper]

Research Posters:
Neary S, Doolittle B, Mueller M, Nichols M. (2023). Promoting flourishing: A comparative, individual values-based scoring approach to the Secure Flourish Index among medical, physician assistant, and nurse practitioner students. American Academy of Physician Assistants Conference. Houston, TX.

Neary S, Doolittle B, Newman S, Nichols M. (2023) Organizational Drivers and Barriers of Flourishing Among Clinical Health Professions Students: An Integrative Review. Virtual poster at The Global Flourishing Conference; Online.

Neary S. (2022). Exploring the Social Ecological Model and the Role of Meaning and Purpose in Human Flourishing. Virtual poster at International Association of Medical Science Educators Education Forum. Online.

Neary S, Kamauf R, Ruggeri, M. (2022). Transparency of Parental Leave Policies at U.S. Physician Assistant Programs: A Cross-Sectional Study. Yale University Medical Education Day. New Haven, CT. (online) [from quant course paper]

Kylie Newsom
South Carolina

Research Interest: Resilience in Undergraduate Nursing Students
Research Mentor: Dr. Michelle Nichols

Theresa Skojec
South Carolina

Research Interest: The Impact of Uncertainty in Illness on Psychological Adjustment to Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Research Mentor: Dr. Teresa Kelechi

Publications:
Skojec TA, Davidson TM, Kelechi TJ. The relationship between uncertainty in illness and psychological adjustment to chronic illness. Journal of health psychology. 2024;13591053241249861–13591053241249861.

Shannon D'Alton
South Carolina

Research Interest: Bereavement in Adolescents after Loss of a Sibling
Research Mentor: Dr. Shannon Phillips

Scott Hale
Virginia

Research Interest: Mistreatment of Nursing Faculty
Research Mentor: Dr. Sarah Miller

Megan Wayne
South Carolina

Research Interest: Mental Fatigue in Oncology Patients and Informal Caregivers
Research Mentor: Dr. Teresa Kelechi