Research and educational innovation highlights
Advancing nursing science
Additional projects recently funded by NIH and other external sources
Assistant Professor Sara Mithani, PhD, RN, received a four-year grant to study the neurological effects on veterans and their caregivers. She will serve as the early career principal investigator on an Emerging Topics Research Award from the U.S. Department of Defense, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health Research Program. Total funding for the project, “Functional Outcomes and Biomarkers in Occupational Blast Exposure (FOB: OBE): The Impact on Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families,” is $2.08 million, with $950,000 directed to Mithani’s work.
Dean Diane Santa Maria, DrPH, MSN, RN, ACRN, PHNA-BC, FSAHM, FAAN, received a three-year, $672,000 grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The study, “Improving HIV Prevention and Substance Use Post-Sexual Assault Services for Adolescents and Young Adults (R34DA063014),” involves development and testing of an intervention for sexual assault nurse examiners and victim advocates to provide same-day HIV/STI prophylaxis and substance use prevention services to adolescent and young adults survivors of sexual violence.
Assistant Professor Annalynn Galvin, PhD, RN, is using a new federal grant to establish baseline data on HPV-related health disparities. Her study, “HPV and HPV-related cancer prevention prevalence among people experiencing homelessness in the United States, 2006-2018 (R03CA303738),” is funded by a two-year, $170,409 award from the National Cancer Institute at the NIH.
In addition, Galvin received a $5,000 Dean’s Research Award for her study “Centering Community Voices in Understanding Perinatal Nutrition Among Recently Pregnant Women Experiencing Homelessness: A Mixed-Methods Study.”
Assistant Professor Suhyun Park, PhD, also received a $5,000 Dean’s Research Award for her study “Evidence-based definition of optimal processes of nurses’ medication management workflow.” The study explores how nurses interact with electronic health records as they manage medication administration.
Another Dean’s Research Award recipient, Associate Professor Linda Cole, DNP, RN, APRN, CCNS, CNE, CPHQ, FCNS, explores how Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) graduates develop leadership skills during their education and apply them in practice. She received a $4,400 award for her study, “An Exploration of DNP-Prepared Nurses’ Attainment of Leadership Competencies.”
Assistant Dean for Simulation Vuong Prieto, PhD, RN, CHSE, is principal investigator of “Virtual Pediatric Nursing Simulation: Feasibility and the Virtual Registered Nurses’ Experiences,” a study funded by the 2025 Sigma/Joan K. Stout, RN, Research Grant. Her team includes other Cizik School of Nursing faculty who are using the $3,633 grant to prepare students to work as part of intraprofessional teams made up of in-person and remote health care professionals.
Learn more about the ongoing funded research projects.
Educational grant highlights
Assistant Professor Sheryl Malone-Thomas, DNP, FNP-BC, AACRN, is using a $5,000 award from The University of Texas Shine Academy Small Grant Program to develop and test the one credit-hour independent study course. The study is titled “HIV Management/Prevention Independent Study for Undergraduate Nursing Students.”
