Arcoleo, Kimberly, PhD, MPH

Research interests in maternal and child health with a focus on nurse home visiting services for first-time mothers, childhood asthma, and unintentional injuries among children. Expertise in research survey design, development and implementation of data entry and management systems, and statistical analyses of the data. Dr. Arcoleo is experienced in regression analyses (parametric and non-parametric techniques), Monte Carlo simulations, and structural equation modeling.

Baldwin, Carol, PhD, RN, CHTP, AHN-BC
Southwest Borderlands Faculty

Research (mixed-methods) on bio-psycho-social and spiritual correlates of, and contributors to sleep disorders experienced by Latino/as across lifespan and ways in which sleep disorders may impact other health problems, such as obesity, depression and cardiovascular disease. Dr. Baldwin developed the Southwest Borderlands web site which disseminates bilingual health information for the latino/a community.

Bozzette, Maryann, PhD, RN

Extensive background in neonatal nursing as a staff nurse and clinical nurse specialist. Dr. Bozette has been on the faculties of Duke University and the University of Illinois at Chicago. Research interests focus on premature infants and their families. Particular interest in social and sensory development and maternal-infant interaction.

Brewer, Melanie, DNSc, RN, FNP, APRN, BC

Dr. Brewer currently holds a joint appointment with Phoenix Children's Hospital as Director of Clinical Outcomes and Nursing Research. Research focuses on the psychosocial and physiological outcomes of health care for children and adolescents admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit.

Chen, Angela Chia-Chen,
PhD, RN, PMHNP-BC

Adolescent risky behaviors (risky sexual behavior and substance abuse); child and adolescent mental health issues; immigrant family mental health issues, healthcare access and utilization; cross-cultural research; instrument development and testing; quantitative methods (e.g., multivariate, path analysis, structural equation modeling, multiple imputation for missing data).

Cook, Susanne, PhD, RN

Adolescent asthma self-management; factors that influence adolescent asthma self-management; interrelationships among key dimensions of the asthma screening form.

Gance-Cleveland, Bonnie, PhD, RNC, PNP

Research focuses on outcomes of school-based prevention for at-risk youth. Obtained funding from NIH to evaluate the outcomes of school-based support groups for adolescents with an addicted parent. Other work includes community-based participatory research on obesity prevention in the school and family centered care.

Link, Denise, DNSc, WHNP

Outcomes of NP care for women; cultural influences on decision making related to health promotion/disease prevention activities; NP applications of evidence-based practices/interventions; barriers to reproductive healthcare.

Mattson, Susan, PhD, RN, FAAN

Issues focusing on obstetric care, particularly related to cultural determinates of pregnancy outcomes and care for underserved and vulnerable populations; cultural norms influencing violence against women in the Latino community.

McLeod, Renee, DNSc, APRN, CPNP

Patient compliance with treatment looking at TB and atopic dermatitis. How nurses and nurse practitioners create an evidence-based practice using mobile technology like a PDA. Educational research that will look at outcomes when you teach with a PDA.

Melnyk, Bernadette, PhD, RN,
CPNP/NPP, FAAN, Dean

Interventions to enhance mental health outcomes in children/teens and parents experiencing stressful life events and transitions (hospitalization/critical care/prematurity/marital separation and divorce); interventions to improve mental and physical health in overweight teens, school-age children, and preschoolers at risk for obesity.

Records, Kathryn, PhD, RN

Studies of health of women during childbearing. This program of research focuses on the influences of prenatal and postpartum depression on the health of women and their newborns and the contribution of physical and/or sexual abuse to depression symptoms. Testing of perinatal interventions to minimize depression symptoms. Cultural issues affecting the childbearing process. Instrumentation issues and strategies for successful instrument development.

Rice, Michael, PhD, Psych RNP, BC, FAAN

Research expertise focuses on the effects of abuse on the ecology of the human experience. His recent work focuses on the childbearing health of abused women and newborns, including completed projects examining the influence of abuse on labor and delivery outcomes; the experience of postpartum depression; the examination of physical correlates and problems caused by abuse; and testing of abuse assessment methods during childbearing.

Ruiz, Ester, PhD, RN

Cross-cultural issues; depression; Latina health; cultural norms influencing violence against women in the Latino community; cultural factors affecting the relationship between psychological separation and college adjustment.

Shaibi, Gabriel, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow

Research focuses on cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk in overweight populations (insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and Type 2 diabetes). A major emphasis of Dr. Shaibi's work is the effects of exercise and fitness as a means to improve the physiologic health status of overweight youth.

Silva, Graciela, PhD, MPH, MT
Assistant Professor,
Southwest Borderlands Scholar

Research focuses on sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. She is currently involved in research looking at SDB and sleep-related symptoms and their association with quality of life in a community population. She is also looking at the decline in lung function and its association with alpha-1 antitrypsin in a cohort of community subjects. Her work also includes disease surveillance along the US-Mexico border.

Small, Leigh, PhD, RN, CPNP

Interventions to prevent and treat childhood overweight/obesity in preschool children (ages 4-7 years) and their parents; prediction of maladaptive responses to an unanticipated ICU childhood hospitalization.

Sutter, Kimberlee, MS, RN

Research interest are pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), siblings, qualitative research, and families. She is currently working on PhD dissertation entitled "Siblings of children in the PICU: An Interpretive Phenomenological Approach."

Wilson, Barbara, RNC, MSN

Research interests are in birth outcomes from a systems perspective, evaluating the cumulative and synergistic influence of patient, provider, and system characteristics on maternal and newborn outcome following the induction of labor and other labor management strategies.