Nurse scientists at Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston continued to grow varied programs of research in 2024, adding more than $1.1 million in federal grants and rising to No. 15 nationally among nursing schools that received funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The school maintained its No. 1 ranking among Texas nursing schools, according to the annual rankings by the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research. Cizik School of Nursing’s NIH funding increased from $5,310,454 in 2023 to $6,438,187 in 2024.

“The research projects driving our dramatic increase in NIH funding over the past few years grew from small seed grants provided by the school and through private funding, including awards from the PARTNERS organization,” said Associate Dean for Research Constance Johnson, PhD, RN, FAAN. “Last year, the Cizik Nursing Research Institute, led by Professor Carolyn Pickering, was approved by UTHealth Houston. This institute is committed to facilitating the development and dissemination of evidence-based knowledge that informs and enhances the practice of nursing.” 

Fostering a rich and collaborative environment for scientific discovery in the Texas Medical Center and beyond is important not only to help improve the lives of patients and families but to prepare nursing faculty to teach the next generation of nurse scientists and clinicians.

“Our reputation as a leader in research attracts nurse scientists seeking to grow their careers, who in turn attract high-caliber PhD students who share their interests, who will then become future nursing faculty,” said Dean Diane Santa Maria, DrPH, MSN, ACRN, PHNA-BC, FSAHM, FAAN. “The next step is putting scientific discoveries into practice, which is why we recently launched a Doctor of Nursing Practice to PhD option to give nurse practitioners and nurse leaders the opportunity to apply their practice expertise and expand the horizons of nursing research.”

Below are brief synopses of new projects that received NIH funding in 2024:

• A $5.265 million grant from the Edward R. Roybal Centers for Translational Research in the Behavioral and Social Sciences of Aging program, funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), established the interprofessional Roybal Center for Elder Mistreatment Intervention Research, the first Roybal center to focus on elder mistreatment. Pickering, PhD, RN, serves as a multiple principal investigator along with Associate Professor Brad Cannell, PhD, MPH, and Professor Ronald Acierno, PhD, of McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston.
• Professor Jennifer Kawi, PhD, MSN, FNP-BC, CNE, FAAN, received a “U-series” cooperative agreement award funded by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The award is part of the Helping to End Addiction Long-term^®(HEAL) Initiative of the NIH. Her project, “Personalized Auricular Point Acupressure for Chronic Pain Self-Management in Rural Populations” (UG3AT012728), was awarded $817,483 for the first year with multimillion dollar funding in the next four years after successful completion of milestones.
• Assistant Professor Annalyn DeMello, PhD, MPH, RN, CNE, received a five-year, $751,345 career development grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR). The award funds her project, “A Longitudinal Mixed Methods Study of Psychosocial Behavioral Health after Non-Fatal Firearm Injuries among High-Risk Youth” (K23HD112596).
• Associate Professor Daphne Hernandez, PhD, MSEd, FAAHB, was awarded $385,023 by the NINR for her project, “Invisible Evictions: Displacement Pressures and Mental Health,” as a supplement to a $2.36 million grant received in 2023.
• Assistant Professor Veronica Brady, PhD, FNP-BC, received a $40,000 pilot grant from the NIA for her study, “Impact of Type 2 Diabetes on Aging Among People with HIV.”

Learn more about currently funded research projects at Cizik School of Nursing.