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Areas of Research
Faculty Research and Clinical Expertise
Research and Clinical Expertise of UCLA School of Nursing Faculty Who Can Direct Dissertationsf
Dong Sung An, PhD, MD
Research: Research: Developing hematopoietic stem cell based gene therapy strategies for treating HIV infected patients. My research team investigates efficient introduction of proftective genes against HIV into target cells and offer protection against HIV. My research aims to bring basic science findings to the clinic.
Clinical: N/A
dan@sonnet.ucla.edu
Barbara Bates-Jensen, PhD, RN, CWOCN
Research: Pressure ulcers & wound care (screening, prevention, assessment & management), quality of care, and implementation science (translating research evidence into practice) in long term care.
Clinical: Gerontology nursing, chronic care, and wound care
bbatesjensen@sonnet.ucla.edu
Mary-Lynn Brecht, PhD
Research: Current projects focus on patterns and correlates of methamphetamine (meth) use; treatment outcomes and HIV risk behaviors for meth users; and the application of longitudinal statistical methods to substance abuse and health research. Past projects have included needs assessment (for substance abuse treatment, for training among service providers related to problem gambling), evaluation of treatment for drug abuse, substance use prevalence estimation, community indicators of drug abuse problems.
Statistical expertise: multivariate statistical methods, especially for longitudinal studies
lbrecht@mednet.ucla.edu
Lynn Doering, DNSc, RN, FAAN
Research: Care of patients with cardiac disease and heart transplantation and care of critically ill patients; depression and immune dysfunction after coronary artery bypass surgery.
Clinical: Critical care and cardiopulmonary nursing
ldoering@sonnet.ucla.edu
Jo-Ann Eastwood, PhD, RN, CCNS, CCRN
Research: Research focus on physiological and psychosocial cardiovascular disease in women, primarily health-related quality of life and emotional influences on the prevention and development of coronary artery disease.
Clinical: Critical Care and Interventional Cardiology
jeastwoo@sonnet.ucla.edu
Leah Fitzgerald, PhD, C-FNP
Research: Assess the association between pro-inflammatory cytokine genotype and production and the responsiveness in human disease, as well as the interaction between the neuroendocrine system and cytokines. Dr. FitzGerald integrates psychological, physiological processes and gene expression dynamics to understand the basis for IL-6 "super-producer" phenotype that has recently been established as a risk factor for several forms of cancer.
Clinical: Family Nurse Practitioner
lfitzger@sonnet.ucla.edu
Anna Gawlinski, DNSc, RN, CS-ACNP, FAAN
Research: Research is focused on testing interventions aimed at improving outcomes in acute and critically ill patients in areas such as hemodynamic monitoring, animal assisted therapy, patient communication, and the nurses' role in the recovery of medical errors. Dr. Gawlinski has implemented an infrastructure that supports research and evidence-based practice in the Department of Nursing at UCLA Medical Center.
Clinical: Cardiovascular Acute and Critical Care
agawlins@sonnet.ucla.edu
Karen Gylys, PhD, RN
Research: Understanding early changes in Alzheimer's disease brain, specifically the mechanisms by which synapses degenerate. We study postmortem Alzheimer's tissue and transgenic mouse models of this disease, and focus on the synapse region through use of a synaptosome preparation (resealed nerve terminals). Synaptic changes are detected using flow cytometry analysis of synaptosomes; we also use conventional biochemical assays including ELISA and Westerns, and we are beginning to image synaptic regions using confocal and electron microscopy. A new collaborative project in the lab is directed at correlating plasma biomarkers with volumetric imaging in subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) with the goal of finding a blood test that will identify Alzheimer's patients early in the disease.
Clinical: Cardiac and critical care nursing
kgylys@sonnet.ucla.edu
Nalo Hamilton, PhD, APRN, BC
Research: The focus of Dr. Hamilton's research is breast cancer development. Currently, she is investing the regulatory affects of the insulin like growth factor-II (IGF-2) on gene expression in estrogen receptor negative (ER-) breast cancer cell lines and tumors. Clinical: OB and Primary Care; Certified women's health and adult health nurse practitioner
nhamilton@sonnet.ucla.edu
MarySue V. Heilemann, PhD, RN
Research: Dr. Heilemann's research focuses on depression among Latinas in relation to strengths (mastery, resilience, and other protective factors), motivation, and readiness to change, in the context of intergenerational cultural expectations, gender issues, trauma, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Her expertise is qualitative methodology (Grounded Theory and Interpretive Phenomenology) but she also uses quantitative methods in research.
Clinical: Community-based health, community health nursing, and public health nursing
mheilema@ucla.edu
Felicia Schanche Hodge, DrPH
Research: Research focuses on chronic health conditions and health beliefs and behaviors among American Indians and Alaska Natives. Current projects: (1) examines the cultural constructs of pain and cancer related symptoms among AIAN cancer survivors; (2) documents diabetes fatalism among the Plains tribes; (3) tests smoking cessation interventions; (4) investigates the environmental contamination at reservations; and (5) examines knowledge, attitudes and preferences for HPV vaccinations targeting 9-18 year Native children . Dr. Hodge is the Chair of the American Indian Studies (BA/MA) program and is the Director of the Center for American Indian/Indigenous Research and Education (CAIIRE).
Clinical: American Indian health and healthcare, health behavior intervention strategies, cultural competencies, health disparities
fhodge@sonnet.ucla.edu
Angela Hudson, PhD, RN, FNP-C
Research: Dr. Hudson's research focuses on health promotion and risk reduction behaviors among at-risk youth. Her current research pertains to youth currently and formerly in foster care, homeless youth, and LGBT youth and their respective health-related issues. Another aspect of Dr. Hudson's research concerns HIV/AIDS awareness and interventions to increase HIV testing rates in all persons, irrespective of risk status. She is currently exploring primary care providers' perspectives on facilitators and barriers to HIV testing as part of standard practice in ambulatory care settings.
Clinical: Maternity-Newborn nursing, Certified family nurse practitioner
ahudson@sonnet.ucla.edu
Eufemia Jacob, PhD, RN
Research: Dr. Jacob is interested in monitoring pain and symptom experiences, evaluating pain and symptom management, and examining the effects of pain and symptoms on sleep activity patterns and on overall quality of life in children with cancer. She is also interested in pain management in children with sickle cell disease, particularly the use of morphine delivered by patient controlled analgesia in children, and whether genotypes and cytokines are associated with patient's response to pain and morphine.
Clinical: pediatric nursing, hematology/oncology nursing
ejacob@sonnet.ucla.edu
Deborah Koniak-Griffin, EdD, RN, WHCNP, FAAN
Research: Nursing interventions to reduce risk behaviors in pregnant and parenting adolescents, mother-child interaction, HIV/AIDS education. Dr. Koniak-Griffin is developing and evaluating innovative intervention programs to improve health outcomes of adolescent mother and fathers, including reducing their risk for HIVSTDS. Her public health nursing program has led to decreased infant morbidity and improved maternal educational status. She is the Director of the Center for Vulnerable Populations Research.
Clinical: Maternity nursing, women's health nurse practitioner
dkoniak@sonnet.ucla.edu
Linda Searle Leach, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, CNL
Research: Nursing leadership; Interdisciplinary teams, including surgical teams and rapid response teams focusing on team effectiveness as a critical safety process to prevent adverse outcomes; Early detection of patient risk to reduce preventable deaths in acute care hospitals.
Clinical:Health care systems, organizational change, quality of care delivery; nursing administration and leadership; professional nursing practice; critical care nursing.
lleach@sonnet.ucla.edu
Mary Ann Lewis, DrPH, RN, FAAN
Research: Health Services Research and Nursing Interventions to improve the quality of care for adults with developmental disabilities, the frail elderly, and children with chronic diseases; health promotion and disease prevention interventions for children with chronic diseases; community-based partnerships to improve the quality of care for children with chronic diseases; and education interventions for health professionals.
Clinical: Family health
mlewis@sonnet.ucla.edu
Courtney H. Lyder, ND, ScD(Hon), FAAN
Research: Care of vulnerable and minority elder adults. Particular emphasis on chronic care issues -- pressure ulcer prevention and management, perineal dermatitis, urinary incontinence, medication adherence, elder safety. Research methods of interests - descriptive, experimental and health services research.
Clinical: Gerontological nursing and wound, ostomy and continence nursing.
clyder@sonnet.ucla.edu
Paul M. Macey, PhD
Research: I study the brain in people with sleep disordered breathing. I seek to help understand how the neural regulation of body functions such breathing and cardiovascular control, and of psychological factors such as depression and anxiety are affected in people with obstructive sleep apnea. Our group typically uses brain MRI scanning to look at brain structure and function, and we relate brain changes to performance on physiologic tests of blood pressure and breathing, as well as measurements of mood and cognitive capacity. As well as adults with obstructive sleep apnea, I am part of a team looking at similar questions in heart failure, and in the pediatric condition of congenital central hypoventilation syndrome. I also regularly collaborate with faculty outside UCLA on a variety of brain imaging projects.
pmacey@ucla.edu
Sally Maliski, PhD, RN
Research: Symptom experience and management among low-income populations currently men with prostate cancer and their partners. Primarily qualitative methods (grounded theory, narrative, ethnomethodology) and mixed methods designs.
Clinical: Oncology, hospice, and free clinic primary care
smaliski@sonnet.ucla.edu
Janet Mentes, PhD, APRN, BC
Research: Improving the health of frail nursing home residents by focusing on common problems of acute confusion, dehydration and oral hygiene. An additional research focus is on pain assessment and management in older adults.
Clinical: Geropsychiatric advanced practice nurse
jmentes@sonnet.ucla.edu
Adey Nyamathi, PhD, ANP, FAAN
Research: Coping and adjustments to illness, health promotion and risk reduction with vulnerable homeless and drug-addicted adults and adolescents at risk for HIV/AIDS, TB, HBV and HCV. Dr Nyamathi has led an impressive team of multidisciplinary investigators as Principal Investigator (PI) of eight NIH-funded RO1s, as well as a number of other NIH grants, funded by NIDA, NIAAA, NICHD and NIAID over the past 25 years related to HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, TB and other infectious diseases. Her numerous research activities in India relate to coping and adjustment to chronic illnesses, such as HIV/AIDS and TB.Dr Nyamathi is also Director of the NIDA-funded Ruth Kirschstein T-32 Pre-Post Doctoral Fellowship and the HRSA Vulnerable Populations Training grant. Dr Nyamathi travels abroad extensively in her academic position and is also PI on additional studies based in India. She actively teaches in the doctoral program and is a certified nurse practitioner.
Clinical Expertise: Community Health
anyamath@sonnet.ucla.edu
Carol Pavlish, PhD, RN
Research: Gender-based violence in post-conflict settings; refugee and immigrant women's health; risk of HIV infection in post-conflict settings; transcultural nursing care; social justice and social advocacy; health and human rights; narrative and community-based collaborative action research. Additional areas of research include palliative care and end-of-life care.
Clinical: Community health nursing and acute oncology nursing care
cpavlish@sonnet.ucla.edu
Linda Phillips, PhD, RN, FAAN
Research: Family caregiving for frail elders; Care of frail elder in institutions including assisted living facilities; Nursing interventions to promoted functional behavior among elders with dementia; Elder abuse in homes and in institutions; Late-life domestic violence; Cross-cultural research on aging and caregiving; Community-based research; End-of-life caregiving.
Clinical: Gerontology, long term care, community health nursing
lrphillips@sonnet.ucla.edu
Huibrie C. Pieters, PhD, D.Phil, RN
Research: Healthcare decision making among women 70 years and above who had recently been treated for breast cancer.
Clinical: Mental health nursing; gero-oncology
hpieters@ucla.edu
Nancy A. Pike PhD, RN, FNP-C, CPNP-AC
Research: Dr. Pike's research focus is on health outcomes (physiological and psychosocial) in children with complex congenital heart disease across the life span. She is also interested in other timely issues such as feeding strategies of the newborn with single ventricle heart disease and the knowledge level of life-time heart care in late adolescents and their parents prior to transitioning to adult chronic disease health services.
Clinical: Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Congenital Heart Disease, Cardiothoracic Surgery
npike@sonnet.ucla.edu
Wendie Robbins, PhD, RN, FAAN
Research: Biomarkers; male reproductive toxicology; gene-gene and gene-environment interaction in complex medical conditions, for example schizophrenia, infertility; occupational, environmental, reproductive epidemiology, occupational and environmental health.
Clinical: Occupational and environmental health nursing
wrobbins@sonnet.ucla.edu
Linda Sarna, PhD, RN, FAAN
Research: Impact of cancer on quality of life and symptom distress; tobacco policy and smoking. She is the Principal Investigator for a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grant to investigate best ways to train nurses to implement a smoking cessation guideline into clinical practice. Prior work has focused on symptom recovery after lung cancer surgery and quality of life.
Clinical: Oncology
lsarna@sonnet.ucla.edu
Sophie Sokolow, PhD, MPharm
Research: Calcium signaling pathways involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Special focus on the identification of novel targets for pharmacological intervention in Alzheimer's Disease.
Clinical: Pharmacist, pharmacovigilance and pharmacosurveillance.
Sokolow lab website: http://ssokolow.bol.ucla.edu/ | email: ssokolow@sonnet.ucla.edu
Dorothy J. Wiley, PhD, RN
Research: Men's and women's health as it relates to sexuality and sexually transmitted diseases; HIV infection, including risk factors for disease progression; HPV infection, including population surveillance for cervical, oropharyngeal and anal cancer screening activities, vaccine efficacy and risk factors for infection; HPV-and HIV-specific cellular immune responses. Dr. Wiley uses epidemiological methods to identify health- and disease- patters in human populations.f
Clinical: Adolescent females and adult women, adult men, community/public health prevention strategies, vulnerable populations.
dwiley@ucla.edu
Mary Woo, DNSc, RN, FAAN, FAHA
Research: Heart rate variability and sudden death; autonomic-cardiac interactions; heart failure; brain-heart interactions in sudden death; sleep; brain MRI.
Clinical: Critical Care
mwoo@sonnet.ucla.edu
Lynn Woods, PhD, RN, GNP
Research: The contribution of stress to the biological, behavioral and social components of Alzheimer's Disease; the relationship of stress hormones and genetic polymorphisms to behavioral symptoms of persons with Alzheimer's Disease in nursing homes using longitudinal time series designs; effects of complementary therapies on stress hormones and behavioral symptoms using three group experimental interrupted time series designs.
Clinical: Gero-psychiatry, Gerontological Nurse Practitioner
lwoods@sonnet.ucla.edu
Emeriti Faculty
Nancy Anderson, PhD, RN, C-ANP, FAAN
Research: Adolescent health beliefs and decision-making, adolescent perceptions of risk including HIV, substance abuse and violence, qualitative methods. Dr. Anderson has identified perceptions of risk among teens in juvenile detention. Current work as Director of the Social Policy and Dissemination Core for the Center for Vulnerable Populations Research centers on employing participatory research and ethnographic methods in community based research.
nanderso@sonnet.ucla.edu
Betty Chang, DNSc, RN, C-FNP, FAAN
Research: Functional status and self-care in the elderly, and their caregivers, health services research on outcomes of nursing care, telehealth and distance learning in integrative east-west medicine. Dr. Chang studies intervention to reduce the burden of family members who care for persons with chronic illnesses in the home. Growth in the older population makes this issue critical in maintaining the health of our middle-aged adult "children" and their parents in the comfort of their homes. She is also looking at the role of self-care (non-physician prescribed), and the use of technology in the improvement of health in adults in their middle and older years.
Clinical: Gerontological nursing, integrative East-West medicine
bchang@sonnet.ucla.edu
Jacquelyn Flaskerud, C-FNP, RN, FAAN
Research: AIDS prevention in vulnerable populations; Culture, ethnicity and mental illness. Dr. Flaskerud's research emphasizes the influence of cultural beliefs and practices on the prevention and treatment of AIDS and mental illness as well as the utilization of health services by ethnic and vulnerable populations.
Clinical: Neuropsychiatric nursing; community mental health nursing.
Donna McNeese-Smith, EdD, RN
Research: Organizational factors affecting quality of care processes and outcomes. Specifically, Dr. McNeese-Smith is studying the effect of managed care on substance abuse treatment processes, including methods, intensity, and duration; and patient outcomes such as substance use and employment, and organizational outcomes including costs of care. Another area of research is nurse and manager factors (i.e., leadership, power motivation, development and career stage) that influence staff job satisfaction, productivity, organizational commitment, and patient satisfaction.
Clinical: Administration of health care services
dmcneese@sonnet.ucla.edu
Joyce Newman Giger, EdD, APRN, BC, FAAN
Research: Dr. Giger's research focuses on genetic indices and other physiological predictors of coronary heart disease among pre-menopausal African-American women (18-45) as they relate to designing culturally competent interventions to stop the phenotypical expression of risk indices for the development of coronary heart disease among this vulnerable population. Dr. Giger's research specifically takes into account gene-environmental interactions, diabetes, hypertension, and obesity, the metabolic syndrome in relations to the development of coronary heart disease in this vulnerable population.
Clinical: Transcultural nursing
jgiger@sonnet.ucla.edu
Maria Seraydarian, PhD
Research: Myocardial energy metabolism
mserayda@sonnet.ucla.edu
Donna Ver Steeg, PhD, MSN, MA, RN, FAAN
Research: Health work force planning, delegation of decision-making, behaviors of professions in organizations, past, present, and future.
dverstee@sonnet.ucla.edu
Gwen van Servellen, PhD, RN, FAAN
Research: Psychosocial responses to life threatening illness (AIDS and Cancer); health care delivery methods.
Clinical: Psychiatric mental health nursing
gservell@sonnet.ucla.edu
Research and Clinical Expertise of Other Faculty
Adjunct Faculty
Mary Cadogan, DrPH, RN, C-GNP
Research: Improving quality of care with special emphasis on pain assessment and management, and end-of-life care; improving interdisciplinary communication between care settings for older adults.
Clinical: Gerontology nursing; Community based health promotion and disease prevention for diverse populations
mcadogan@sonnet.ucla.edu
Anna Gawlinski, DNSc, RN, CS-ACNP, FAAN
Research: Research is focused on testing interventions aimed at improving outcomes in acute and critically ill patients in areas such as hemodynamic monitoring, animal assisted therapy, patient communication, and the nurses' role in the recovery of medical errors. Dr. Gawlinski has implemented an infrastructure that supports research and evidence-based practice in the Department of Nursing at UCLA Medical Center. Clinical: Cardiovascular Acute and Critical Care
agawlins@sonnet.ucla.edu
J. Kelly Graves, PhD, DNSc, RN
Research: Focus on psychosocial issues and pain related to children and adolescents with chronic illnesses, such as sickle cell disease and diabetes. Additional areas of research include the therapeutic milieu and privacy rights.
Clinical: Psychiatric nursing, public health nursingf
kgraves@sonnet.ucla.edu
Colleen Keenan, PhD, RN
Research: Reduction of high-risk behaviors and strategies to promote physical and mental health adpated for use in homeless adolescents and adult women.
Clinical: Primary Care, Women's Health, Family Planning, Homeless Health Care
ckeenan@sonnet.ucla.edu
Maria Elena Ruiz, PhD, RN
Research: Health disparities, aging, and intergenerational relations. Particular emphasis on vulnerable populations, Latinos, social epidemiology, and the intersection of place, culture, language, and health. Special focus on community based participatory research and mixed qualitative and quantitative designs.
Clinical: Family Health, Advanced Practice, Community/Public Health
mruiz@sonnet.ucla.edu
Marlyn S. Woo, MD
Research: clinical research in cystic fibrosis, pediatric paraplegia; pediatric assisted ventilatory support; pulmonary hypertention; lung transplantation.
Clinical: Pediatric Pulmonology and Physiology
mswoo@sonnet.ucla.edu
Lecturers
Jody Adams-Renteria, RN, FNP
Clinical: Family NP
jadams@sonnet.ucla.edu
Lucy Artinian, MN, RN, C-FNP
Clinical: MECN Medical-Surgical
lartinian@sonnet.ucla.edu
Nancy Jo Bush, MN, MA, RN, AOCN, ONP
Clinical: Oncology; psychiatric mental health; depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress in the oncology population, compassion fatigue and nurse grief; oncology family caregiving.
njbush@sonnet.ucla.edu
Mary Canobbio, MN, RN, FAAN
Research: Adult congenital heart disease (ACHD); reproductive issues in women w/ ACHD, and acquired heart disease; Ms. Canobbio is the coordinator of a National Registry following pregnancy outcomes of females with complex congenital heart disease.
Clinical: Acute Care; Cardiovascular nursing; Adult congenital heart disease including transitional care for adolescents with congenital heart disease; pregnancy and contraceptive counseling.
mcanobbi@sonnet.ucla.edu
Catherine M. Gabster MSN, RN, ACNP-C, CNS
Lecturer, Clinical Faculty, CNIII, ICU SM-UCLA Fundamentals Lab, Medical-Surgical/Critical Care Lecture, Simulation Learning
cgabster@sonnet.ucla.edu
Kellie T. Kell, MSN, RN, C-FNP
Lecturer: women's health, family practice
Clinical: FNP program
kkell@sonnet.ucla.edu
Laurie Love, MSN, RN, FNP
Clinical: Family Practice and Neuro-psych subspecialty
llove@sonnet.ucla.edu
Youngkee Markham, MN, RN, GNP-C
Clinical: Gerontology
ymarkham@sonnet.ucla.edu
Nancy McGrath, MN, RN, C-PNP, CEN
Research: Pediatric injury prevention
Clinical: Pediatric ambulatory and pediatric emergency care
nmcgrath@sonnet.ucla.edu
Deborah Rice, MN, RN, C-FNP, CCRN
Clinical: Family health and emergency medicine
drice@sonnet.ucla.edu
Joan Schleper, MS, RN, GNP
Clinical: Oncology
jschleper@sonnet.ucla.edu
Inese Verzemnieks, PhD, RN
Lecturer: Pediatric and Community Health (BS and MECN); Advanced Practice: Growth and Development (PNP, CNS) and Patient education.
Research interests: Adolescent mothers, child discipline, parenting; community-based participatory research with vulnerable populations.
iverzemn@sonnet.ucla.edu
Marjorie Wells, PhD, RN
Research: Use of Web-based survey methods with Internet questionnaires for research and evaluation. Project Director for Dr. Linda Sarna on a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grant to investigate best ways to train nurses to implement current smoking cessation guidelines into clinical practice. Prior work focused on creation of a multimedia CD-ROMf for nursing educators to teach End-of-Life care to nursing students.
Clinical: Community/Public Health
mjwells@sonnet.ucla.edu
