Sigma inducted 30 distinguished members into the International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame during the 35th International Nursing Research Congress in Singapore. The International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame honors Sigma members who have achieved significant
and sustained national and/or international recognition for their work, and whose research has impacted the profession and the people it serves. We encourage you to read more about each honoree and their research.
Jeanne Alhusen, PhD, CRNP, RN, FAAN
The University of Virginia Medical Center Professor of Nursing, Associate Dean for Research
The University of Virginia School of Nursing
Crozet, Virginia, USA
Dr. Jeanne Alhusen has been nationally and internationally recognized for her research on mental health and intimate partner violence during the perinatal period, with a particular focus on persons with disabilities. As a family nurse practitioner, she has extensive clinical expertise and is committed to understanding the barriers healthcare providers encounter in screening and intervening on these risks to develop interventions that eliminate disparities in maternal-child health outcomes. Her research has helped inform federal guidelines for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force where she made recommendations on screening for intimate partner violence and preventing perinatal depression as well as MCH evidence, for a consortium of national maternal-child health leaders that inform Title V program initiatives and helped develop state action plans.
She is a leader in the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal nurses, recently completing a second three-year term on their National Board of Directors. Dr. Alhusen is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and currently serves as
co-chair of the Trauma & Violence Expert panel. Her research has been funded by many agencies including National Institutes of Health (NIH), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and multiple foundations. Her team recently earned
a US $2.5 million grant from National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) to study the effects of mental health and violence on birth outcomes among pregnant and birthing persons with disabilities. She is a member of Sigma’s
Beta Kappa Chapter.
Marie Bakitas, DNSc, NP-C, AOCN, ACHPN, FPCN, FAAN
Professor, Associate Dean for Research and Scholarship
School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama, USA
Dr. Marie Anne Bakitas is a tenured professor, Associate Dean for Research and Scholarship, School of Nursing, and Director, Center for Palliative and Supportive Care University Wide Interdisciplinary Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham,
and SWOG National Cancer Clinical Trials Network co-chair, Palliative and End-of-Life Committee, USA. Dr. Bakitas is an international leader with a three-decade record of continuous National Institutes of Health (NIH) and foundation funding. Her program
of research focuses on developing innovative and community-informed methods, such as tele-health, tele-consultation, and community advisors to increase palliative and supportive care access for rural, under-represented and under-resourced persons
with serious illness and their family caregivers. Her research has also expanded beyond cancer to other serious illnesses such as heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cystic fibrosis. She is working with international collaborators
in Singapore, Turkey, and Iran to bring palliative care to everyone, everywhere, every time it’s needed. Dr. Bakitas has published over 200 original data-based papers, book chapters and books. She is an American Academy of Nursing and Palliative
Care Nursing Fellow. She is a member of Sigma’s Nu at-Large Chapter.
Niels Buus, PhD, MN, RN
Professor of Nursing
School of Nursing and Midwifery, Clayton Campus, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; and Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
Professor Niels Buus is a registered nurse in Australia and Denmark and works at the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia and at the department of Public Health at Aarhus University, Denmark. He is an internationally
recognised expert in mental health nursing and the use and advancement of critical ethnographic methods in qualitative health research. Professor Buus is a trained systemic psychotherapist and works with families with mental health problems with an
emphasis on ways of developing healing responses to family trauma, stress, and conflict. Professor Buus has led an international program focused on researching, developing, and implementing “Open Dialogue,” a recovery- and family-oriented
approach to social and mental healthcare. He also has a strong track record in self-harm and suicide prevention research and has actively sought to apply his research knowledge to improve support services in this area. The importance and quality of
Buus’ suicide prevention research was recognised when he received the Nordentoft Prize 2018 from the Danish Association for Education and Research in Suicide Prevention. He is a member of Sigma’s Phi Gamma Chapter (Virtual).
Helen Yui-Lai Chan, PhD, RN, APN, FAAN, FHKAN
Professor
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Dr. Helen Chan is a professor at The Nethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and the CUHK Centre for Bioethics. Her research focuses on the acceptance and effects of advance care planning in Chinese
communities and has extended across hospitals, nursing homes and community care. Dr. Chan's research interests also include nursing ethics and aged care. She served as a member to review Code of Professional Conduct and Code of Ethics for Nursing
and Guidelines on good nursing practice in end-of-life care for Nursing Council of Hong Kong between 2013 and 2017. She has conducted a policy study on examining the palliative care and end-of-life care in Hong Kong and led several trials of service
delivery models to improve care for older people with chronic conditions, such as frailty, dementia and intellectual disabilities, and their family members, with the support of government competitive research grants and philanthropic foundations.
She is an editor of Journal of Clinical Nursing and an editorial member for Journal of Nursing Ethics and Asian Journal of Gerontology and Geriatrics. She is a member of Sigma’s Pi Iota at-Large Chapter.
Marilyn Cruickshank, PhD, RN, FACN, FACICP, FISQua
Professor
University of Technology Sydney
Sydney, Australia
Dr. Marilyn Cruickshank is a registered nurse who has worked in paediatric intensive care and infection control and antimicrobial resistance. She is the professor of nursing research at the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, a concurrent position
with the University of Technology Sydney. Dr. Cruickshank has been instrumental in the reciprocal interplay between clinical practice and health policy, impacting patient outcomes throughout her career. Her current research is focused on paediatrics—both
in the care of hospitalised children, supporting their parents and families, and capacity building the research abilities of the nurses who provide life-giving care and comfort to infants, children, and adolescents.
Dr. Cruickshank is recognised as a policy development and implementation leader in collaborative research within nursing and the interdisciplinary community supporting advanced paediatric healthcare. Her work has consistently achieved endorsement for
health policy initiatives by Australian state and national health ministers since 2007. This resulted in vital and sustained changes in clinical practices and national policy for infection control, as well as the establishment of new networks for
the development, exchange, and dissemination of paediatric nursing science. Dr. Cruickshank initiated, developed, and successfully implemented innovative and robust education programs, establishing clinical capacity building and mentoring programs
that have proved sustainable and efficient for nurses, medical officers, and pharmacists.
During her career, Dr. Cruickshank has provided highly visible nursing and midwifery research leadership through developing major research initiatives, including nurse-led research projects, research capacity building, and collaboration and networking
with external researchers. Dr. Cruickshank is passionate about mentoring and has mentored many emerging researchers and research students with very successful outcomes. She is a member of Sigma’s Xi Omicron at-Large Chapter.
Susan L. Dunn, PhD, RN, FAHA, FAAN
Professor
University of Illinois Chicago
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Dr. Susan Dunn is a professor in the Department of Biobehavioral Nursing Science at University of Illinois Chicago. She is internationally known for explicating the concept of hopelessness and the development and testing of the State-Trait Hopelessness
Scale©, which is the first of its kind to differentiate state from trait hopelessness and has been used by clinicians and researchers in nursing and other health-related fields in the United States and 17 other countries. Dr. Dunn
has conducted research focused on hopelessness in patients with ischemic heart disease for over 15 years, serving as principal investigator of 8 studies. She has been successful at capitalizing on intramural, foundational, and federal research grants
to accomplish her study aims. Her current NIH/NINR-funded randomized controlled trial examines the effectiveness of a novel motivational intervention called Heart Up!, aimed to decrease state hopelessness through increased physical activity in patients
with ischemic heart disease. Her published work has identified associations between state hopelessness and several other important variables, including ethnic minority status, rurality status, cardiac rehabilitation exercise participation, home exercise
participation, dog-walking, social support, and comorbidities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Dunn published the transformation of her study protocol from an in-person randomized controlled trial to a fully remote study. She additionally published
a novel suicide risk management protocol for study participants. She is a member of Sigma’s Alpha Lambda and Kappa Epsilon at-Large Chapters.
Marion Eckert, PhD, MPH, MSN, Diploma of Applied Science (Nursing)
Director, Rosemary Bryant AO Research Centre & Professor of Cancer Nursing
The University of South Australia
Adelaide, Australia
Professor Eckert is the Founding Director of the Rosemary Bryant AO Research Centre (RBRC), University of South Australia, inaugural Professor of Cancer Nursing in South Australia and Adjunct Professor Flinders University. RBRC is recognised globally
as the pivotal interface between research and clinical practice. She has led the development of a strategic research agenda focused on high impact nursing and midwifery research applying evidence into practice across the healthcare system for
the benefit of communities and society. Marion is also the Co-Founder and Executive Chair of the Australasian Nursing and Midwifery Clinical Trials Network (ANMCTN) which is bringing together over 30 academic institutions, industry and individuals
to effectively facilitate, and support nurse and midwife led clinical research from Australia and New Zealand. During COVID-19, she helped provide critical evidence for health facility screening protocols and streamlined contact tracing practices,
addressing community needs and legal requirements. Collaborating with industry and professional bodies, she was part of the largest COVID-19 workforce wellbeing survey for nurses and midwives, leading to significant local and national changes.
Her commitment to l mentorship and capacity-build has empowered a new generation of healthcare researchers, ensuring the sustainability and growth of impactful research initiatives. Through strategic partnerships and international collaborations,
Dr. Eckert has driven positive change on a global scale.
Robyn Gallagher, PhD, RN, FAHA, FESC, FAAN
Professor of Nursing, Northern Precinct Academic Director
Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, The University of Sydney
Camperdown, Australia
Robyn Gallagher is Professor of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney Nursing School based at the Charles Perkins Centre and an Honorary Professor at Edinburgh Napier University. Professor Gallagher’s clinical and academic career focusses
on understanding and supporting patients who have cardiovascular disease to engage in secondary prevention behaviours to reduce their risk of future cardiovascular events. She leads intervention programs that use technology such as mobile apps and
wearable trackers to support behaviour change in cardiac patients and has extensive experience in establishing multidisciplinary research teams. Her work with these teams has been internationally recognised, won awards and altered clinical practice
leading to significant changes in policy. She is an experienced academic and research degree supervisor and has received the University of Sydney Vice Chancellor's Award for HDR Supervisor of the Year 2023 and the 2020 Student Union Supervision Award.
She was previously Director of Research Students at the University of Technology, Sydney, where she received the Postgraduate Supervision Award for Excellence. She has published more than 210 papers, 16 book chapters and has had significant grant
funding. Robyn is Chair of the International Council of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation and an Associate Editor of the European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing and is fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, the European
Society of Cardiology, and the American Heart Association. She is a member of Sigma’s Phi Gamma Chapter (Virtual).
Maureen George, PhD, RN, AE-C, FAAN
Professor
Columbia University School of Nursing
New York, New York, USA
Maureen George is Professor of Nursing at Columbia University School of Nursing, Assistant Dean for Scholarship & Research, and Director of the PhD Program. Dr. George has an ongoing program of research funded by the National Institutes of Health
focused on the use of a brief shared decision-making intervention to improve asthma outcomes in federally qualified health centers in both adult and adolescent populations. A 2022 administrative supplement extends this work to indoor air quality measurements
in New York City apartments to contextualize uncontrolled asthma in residential housing. She was among the first investigators to challenge implicit bias, finding that asthma self-management decisions were informed by salient health beliefs developed
in response to institutional racism. In 2022, she was reappointed to the United Nations Environmental Program’s Medical Technical Options Committee which prepares assessments for the Parties of the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete
the Ozone Layer. She received a Fulbright US Scholars research award in April 2023 to adapt her shared decision-making interventions to a well population in Trinidad and Tobago. She has established a successful sustained program of federally funded
research influencing clinical practice and successful collaborations focused on advancing the development of nursing science, shared decision making and community-informed approaches. She is a member of Sigma’s Alpha Zeta Chapter.
Eileen Danaher Hacker, PhD, APRN, AOCN, FAAN
Professor, Chair
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, Texas, USA
Eileen Danaher Hacker is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Nursing and Director of the Argyros Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Oncology Nursing at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Her research interests include fatigue and
physical activity, quality of life, symptom science, technology and innovative methodologies, and exercise related interventions in people with cancer and other chronic conditions. She has extensive experience in clinical oncology nursing, cancer
research, education, and academic leadership. Dr. Hacker was among one of the first nurse scientists to use computerized ecological momentary assessment to collect real-time fatigue and objective physical activity data. This innovative method of measurement
enabled the Dr. Hacker and her team to clearly characterize increasing levels of fatigue and reductions in physical activity during profound neutropenia. Dr. Hacker devised pragmatic physical activity and exercise interventions, strategically designed
to be seamlessly integrated into clinical practice. This work has high clinical relevance for promoting functional independence, widespread applicability to other cancer populations, and substantial potential to improve quality of life outcomes in
complex and challenging populations. Dr. Hacker led efforts to systematically characterize persistent fatigue in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation survivors, advancing symptom science. She developed a novel methodology to examine the dynamic
relationship between fatigue and physical activity. She is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing. She is currently on the Board of Directors for the Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research and is the secretary on the Board of Directors
for the Midwest Nursing Research Society. She is a member of Sigma’s Alpha and Alpha Lambda Chapters.
Ronald Hickman, PhD, RN, ACNP-BC, FNAP, FAAN
Ruth M. Anderson Endowed Professor, Associate Dean for Research
Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Dr. Ronald Hickman is the inaugural Ruth M. Anderson Endowed Chair and Associate Dean for Research at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). Dr. Hickman has developed a unique set of skills in evaluating
innovative technology-based interventions, utilizing avatar-based simulations, to help individuals make informed decisions and manage their chronic illnesses. Dr. Hickman's multidisciplinary approach, drawing from psychology, computer science, behavioral
economics, cognitive science, and applied decision science, has proven truly effective. Dr. Hickman has led two National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)-funded clinical trials on how avatar-based decision support interventions can positively
influence decision-making readiness and intention to engage in advance care planning, as well as promote higher decision-making self-efficacy and quality. As one of the first nurse scientists to test avatar-based interventions, Dr. Hickman has innovatively
applied serious game technology and avatar-based simulations to facilitate decision support and instigate positive behavior change. He has shared his expertise in developing avatar-based interventions with faculty at universities across Taiwan, South
Korea, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Another milestone in his research portfolio is the creation of the first self-report instrument to measure decision fatigue, a cognitive state linked to irrational decision-making. Dr. Hickman's groundbreaking
contribution, the Decisional Fatigue Scale, earned acclaim in 2018 when his paper titled "Evaluation of the Decisional Fatigue Scale Among Surrogate Decision Makers of the Critically Ill" received the Best Faculty Paper Award from the Western Journal
of Nursing Research and the Midwest Nursing Research Society. This novel measure of decision fatigue transcends language barriers with translations into several languages and underscores its global relevance and utility. He is a member of Sigma’s
Alpha Mu Chapter.
Kechinyere Iheduru-Anderson, DNP, RN, CNE, CWCN
Professor, Nursing Program Director
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan, USA
Dr. Kechi Iheduru-Anderson
is the inaugural Nursing Program Director and Associate Professor at The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions. She is an Inaugural Fellow of American Association of Colleges of Nursing Elevated Leaders in Academic Nursing (ELAN).
Prior to this, she served as assistant dean of nursing and the director of Laboure College’s RN to BSN Program in Milton, Massachusetts. She has held other leadership positions in nursing practice and academia. Dr. Iheduru-Anderson earned her
Doctoral degree in nursing education and master’s degree in nursing leadership and healthcare administration from Regis College in Weston Massachusetts and her bachelor’s degree at Curry College. She is a certified nurse educator (CNE).
Her research interests focus on equity, diversity, inclusion, and antiracism in nursing practice, leadership, and education. Dr. Iheduru-Anderson is a prolific writer and student advocate. She is a member of Sigma’s Alpha Psi Chapter.
Cheryl B. Jones, PhD, RN, FAAN
Sarah Frances Russell Distinguished Professor
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
Dr. Cheryl Jones has
documented the high cost of nurse turnover to healthcare organizations, which has altered the science of care delivery and nursing human resource management by helping nurse practice leaders and executives quantify the economic costs of hospital nurse
turnover and related work environment sequela. Her unwavering dedication and commitment to building the science of nursing and building nursing health services research capacity of the future assures that nurses, their practice, outcomes of their
care, and their voice will result in better healthcare, better health outcomes, and a stronger nursing workforce by developing knowledge addressing systems problems, tests solutions, and informs practice policy, healthcare systems, and society. Her
research covers three overlapping areas impacting the interplay among nurses and other clinicians to foster care delivery, improve quality of care, create cost-effective care delivery models, and inform executive practice and policymaking: the nurse
workforce; multi-level structures, processes, and outcomes; and models and systems of care delivery. With a minor in labor economics, Dr. Jones merges the fields of healthcare finance and economics into nursing through her research and teaching portfolio.
For 30 years, Dr. Jones has engaged in funded research to examine the organization, delivery, and financing of care to learn how the healthcare system and the workforce impact patient care and their families. Since serving a short-term assignment
as Senior Health Services Researcher within the Agency for Health Care Quality (AHRQ), a premier government agency focusing on healthcare research and implementation, she has been laser focused on better understanding the intricacies of the nurse
workforce in healthcare organizations (HCOs) by examining the cost of nurse turnover and its relationship with the work environment. She is a member of Sigma’s Alpha Alpha Chapter.
Paule Valery Joseph, PhD, MBA, MS, FNP-BC, CTN-B, FAAN
Lasker Clinical Investigator
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Maryland, USA
Dr. Paule V. Joseph is a distinguished Venezuelan-Haitian-American nurse scientist and clinician renowned for her contributions to chemosensory science, genomics, and precision health. She is a Lasker
Clinical Scholar at the NIH, Distinguished Scholar at the NIAAA and NINR, and Chief of the Section on Sensory Science and Metabolism. She also serves as co-director of the NIH National Taste and Smell Center. Her research focuses on the neurological
underpinnings of taste and smell and their impact on health outcomes, particularly metabolic disorders, obesity, and addiction. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she expanded her research to explore why many affected individuals reported taste and
smell loss. These efforts along with co-founding the Global Consortium for Chemosensory Research, highlight her commitment to public health.
She engages in policy discussions and advocacy for chemosensory screening and routine testing, aiming to make these critical services more accessible and covered by insurance. Dr. Joseph's scholarly output is impressive, with over 100 peer-reviewed articles
and a significant h-index. The textbook she co-edited with Valerie Buzas Duffy, Sensory Science and Chronic Diseases, is a key resource for healthcare practitioners, emphasizing the importance of managing taste and smell changes in chronic
disease care. Her commitment to mentoring underrepresented groups in science is evident through her efforts to nurture the next generation of nurse scientists and her advocacy for diversity, equity, and inclusion in research and training. She co-founded
the Latino Nurses Network. She is a member of Sigma’s Phi Epsilon and Xi Chapters.
Eileen T. Lake, PhD, RN, FAAN
Edith Clemmer Steinbright Professor of Gerontology
Professor of Nursing and Sociology; Associate Director, Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research
University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Dr. Eileen Lake is an authority in nursing systems research. Graduate degrees in public policy, nursing administration, and sociology complement
her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing and allow her to incorporate theory and methods from the sociology of organizations into nursing science to transform nursing practice. She has conducted large multi-site studies of hospitals to demonstrate
how nursing organizational factors relate to the safety and quality of care and patient outcomes. Her main research focus is the nurse work environment utilizing a nurse survey instrument she published in 2002, the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index,
which measures five practice environment domains including nurses’ relationships with physicians and nurse managers’ support of their nursing staff. I aim to demonstrate something that is apparent to nurses but poorly understood by many
health administrators and policymakers: that nursing is vital to health and that fostering supportive work environments is a wise policy to maximize nursing’s impact.
Her research impact spans clinical practice, policy, and methods. Her publications document superior patient outcomes in better-staffed hospitals as well as in Magnet hospitals and have catalyzed policy changes including the adoption of hospital nurse
ratios in Wales, Ireland, Queensland AU, and several US states; and the expansion of Magnet Recognition. She is collaborating with scientists in Scotland to evaluate their Safe Staffing Law. My practice environment instrument has been continuously
endorsed as a US national quality performance standard. It supports research, benchmarking, and quality improvement. She is a member of Sigma’s Xi Chapter.
Zohra Lassi, PhD
Associate Professor, National Health and Medical Research Council Emerging Leader Fellow
University of Adelaide
Adelaide, Australia
Dr. Zohra Lassi is an associate
professor and NHMRC Emerging Leader-2 Fellow at the Robinson Research Institute and School of Public Health at the University of Adelaide. She is a registered nurse and trained epidemiologist recognised internationally for her work identifying interventions
for improving reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health and nutrition in disadvantaged settings by advancing knowledge in public health practice and translation into global health policies and guidelines. She has published over
200 peer-reviewed papers, authored 11 book chapters, and several research/technical reports. Her research has contributed significantly to global maternal and newborn policies, particularly, her work with community health workers and outreach services
has contributed significantly to global integrated maternal and newborn outreach guidelines. She is a member of Sigma’s Psi Zeta at-Large Chapter.
Christopher S. Lee, PhD, RN, FAHA, FAAN, FHFSA
Barry Family/Goldman Sachs Endowed Professor
Boston College William F. Connell School of Nursing
Chestnut Hills, Massachusetts,
USA
Cardiovascular nurse scientist Dr. Christopher S. Lee has dedicated his career to better understanding heart disease and improving long term outcomes for patients and their families. He is known for his expertise in heart failure
self-care and symptom science and patient and care-partner dyadic research in chronic conditions, as well the application of advanced statistical methods. Dr. Lee’s research in heart failure has been support by large research grants from the
U.S. National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association. Dr. Lee also prides himself on mentoring and has been successful in helping multiple colleagues secures National Research Service Awards, Careers Development Grants and large Research
Project Grants. His research has earned him multiple honors including the 2009 Martha Hill New Investigator Award, the 2013 Marie Cowan Promising New Investigator Award, the 2015 CVSN Atherosclerosis/Heart Failure Translational Research Prize, the
2020 Mathy Mezey Excellence in Aging Award, and the 2021 Kathleen Dracup Award for Exemplary Early Career Mentoring from the American Heart Association, as well as the 2014 Heart Failure Society of America Nursing Leadership Award, the 2016 Friends
of the National Institute of Nursing Research Protégé Award, and a U.S. National Institute of Nursing Research Director’s Lecture in 2018. Dr. Lee was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services as a member of
the National Advisory Council on Nursing Research from 2020-2024 where, among other responsibilities, he chaired a national workgroup on diversifying the nursing scientific workforce. Dr. Lee has published more than 220 scientific papers, and his
work has been cited more than 16,000 times. He is a member of Sigma’s Xi Chapter.
Jung Ah-Lee, PhD, RN, FGSA, FAAN
Professor; Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging
University of California, Irvine, Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing
Irvine, California, USA
Dr. Jung-Ah Lee is a professor at University of California, Irvine, USA, where she serves as Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging at the Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing. In addition, she is President of Asian American
Pacific Islander Nurses Association, where she works for health equity for all. Dr. Lee is a recognized leader in caregiving science among vulnerable older adults. For the last 20 years, her research has focused on improving care delivery and quality
of life for older patients and caregivers, with a particular interest in addressing racial and ethnic disparities. A pioneering federally funded study under Dr. Lee’s leadership is particularly impactful as it directly targets ethnic minority
caregivers of individuals with dementia—a demographic often underrepresented and underserved in healthcare research. The integration of community health workers to deliver language-specific support and culturally congruent stress reduction techniques,
such as mindful breathing, embodies a hands-on approach to reducing caregiver burden. This innovative model enhances caregivers' abilities to manage stress and fosters more positive interactions with their loved ones with dementia. Dr. Lee's research
has the potential to catalyze a paradigm shift in chronic disease management, especially in dementia care, by bridging the gap in health disparities. Dr. Lee has published more than 65 peer-reviewed papers and delivered over 100 scientific presentations
at national and international conferences. As a fellow of the Gerontological Society of American and the American Academy of Nursing, Dr. Lee is highly regarded for her contributions to the field. Moreover, she is a dedicated mentor to pre- and postdoctoral
scholars from various academic institutions. She is a member of Sigma’s Psi at-Large Chapter.
Sok Ying Liaw, PhD
Professor, Head of Nursing
National University of Singapore, Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies
Singapore
Professor Sok Ying Liaw is the Head of Department for Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies at National University of Singapore. Sok Ying’s PRIME research focuses on Patient safety with emphasis on recognising and responding to clinical deterioration;
interprofessional collaboration and education; manpower nursing workforce and development; and experiential learning using simulation. Sok Ying has led the development and evaluation of simulation-based educational programmes, including e-RAPIDS (Rescuing
A Patient In Deterioration Situation) and CREATIVE (Create Real-time And Teamwork In Virtual Environment) which were translated into curriculums and licensed to overseas institutions. She has secured several research grants with a total of over US
$3 million funding. She has published over 100 peer-reviewed journal papers and earned herself an H-index of 30. Currently, she is an Associate Editor of Clinical Simulation in Nursing. She is a member of Sigma’s Upsilon Eta Chapter.
Justina Yat Wa Liu, PhD, RN
Associate Professor
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Hong Kong
Dr. Justina Liu researches the implementation of nutritional advice, exercise, and psycho-behavioral interventions by using gerontechnology (such as virtual reality, wearable sensors, and e-health technology) to manage fatigue, sarcopenia, low physical
activity levels, falls, and low social participation among older people with frailty. She is a well-established scientist and is one of the top 2% most-cited scientists worldwide as determined by Stanford University in 2021 and 2022 under the subjects
of geriatrics (top 0.1525%) and nursing (top 0.2373%). She has more than 90 SCI/SSCI indexed papers published in diverse healthcare journals, and other publications. She has gained the trust and confidence of funders and government bodies. She has
been able to continuously secure different external and internal grants as the principal investigator for her research and consultancy projects. In addition, she is also a highly innovative nurse educator. Her award-winning contributions to learning
technology have broken new ground in nurse education pedagogy—exemplified by her work using virtual reality in nurse education and the development of virtual hospitals. This work has been highly influential and extremely well evaluated by the
international nursing community. She has been successful in commercializing her work and seen her honored by several regional and international award including the Asia Gold award in the QS Reimagine Education Regional Awards, 2022 and PolyU President’s
Awards 2023, Team Award- Teaching: Outstanding Teacher. She is a member of Sigma’s Pi Iota at-Large Chapter.
Robert J. Lucero, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN, FACMI
Professor of Nursing, Inaugural Audrienne H. Moseley Endowed Chair in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
University of California, Los Angeles, School of Nursing
Los Angeles, California, USA
Robert J. Lucero focuses on improving health outcomes of vulnerable populations using innovative health systems and informatics approaches. His practice-based research leverages electronic patient, clinical, administrative data, and AI methods as well
as the clinical and consumer expertise of healthcare providers, families, and patients. He is known for his scientific contributions to enhancing the quality of care for hospitalized older adults and improving self-management of chronic health conditions
among Hispanic, African American, and LGBTQ+ populations. He has a distinguished record of peer-reviewed publications in nursing, interdisciplinary health systems and biomedical informatics journals. He is the author of three licensed clinical decision
support algorithms for the prevention of community-based falls among older adults. He has received over US $9 million in external funding as principal investigator and contributed as a co-investigator on externally funded projects totaling nearly
$14 million USD primarily from the US National Institutes of Health. He is currently funded by the National Institute on Aging and is an Editorial Board Member of BioMed Central (BMC) Geriatrics. As a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing,
the American College of Medical Informatics, and the New York Academy of Medicine, his leadership and impact as a scientist has been recognized nationally and internationally for its significant and sustained contributions to the fields of nursing
and medical informatics. He is a member of Sigma’s Alpha Theta and Xi Chapters.
Salimah H. Meghani, PhD, MBE, RN, FAAN
Professor of Nursing and Palliative Care, University of Pennsylvania, School of Nursing
Senior Fellow, Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, USA
Dr. Salimah Meghani spearheads a research program aimed at enhancing pain and symptom management for individuals with cancer, particularly in the context of the opioid crisis. Her research adeptly navigates this challenging landscape compounded by the
intersections of federal policies, state restrictions, and clinical practice guidelines governing opioid access and use. Her research offers valuable insights into the multifaceted nature of cancer pain management and spans an understanding of clinicians,
systems, and policy factors that affect clinicians’ decision-making, patients’ self-management through the trajectory of their illness, and patient-reported outcomes. Addressing equity and justice in pain care within the changing landscape
of policies and access has been a central focus of Dr. Meghani's research. She was the first to systematically quantify disparities that racial and ethnic minoritized groups face in the US, significantly impacting our understanding of how clinical
judgment and bias limit access to pain care. That prompted a national dialogue on pain care disparities. Dr. Meghani also generated the first longitudinal intensive data on patterns and outcomes of opioid self-management by cancer patients filling
a crucial gap identified in cancer pain management guidelines. Dr. Meghani's studies both advance our understanding in these key areas and inform patient-centered policy considerations in a complex legal and regulatory landscape. Governor Edward Rendell
of Pennsylvania appointed her to serve on a task force dedicated to enhancing end-of-life care for Pennsylvanians where she played a pivotal role in developing a blueprint aimed at improving access to end-of-life care for minority and underserved
communities in the state. Her research findings have been utilized in congressional testimonies and influential policy reports, highlighting their tangible impact on guiding health policy. She is a member of Sigma’s Xi Chapter.
Kelly A. Metcalfe, PhD, RN, FCAHS, FAAN, FCAN
Professor and Associate Dean, Research and External Relations, Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto; and Senior Scientist, Women’s College
Research Institute
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Dr. Kelly A. Metcalfe is internationally recognized for her multi-dimensional research on the implications of genetic testing for the cancer predisposing genes BRCA1 and BRCA 2, working to improve health outcomes. Since the late 1990s, she has been a
leader in the field, having published the first needs assessment in women with the BRCA genes. Her early work was used in the field to improve clinical and supportive care programs for these women. She pioneered our understanding of the survival advantage
associated with bilateral mastectomy and oophorectomy and was the first to suggest that nipple-sparing mastectomy is effective for breast cancer prevention in BRCA carriers. Her findings have been referenced in practice guidelines around the world
and she was asked to the United States Preventive Services Task Force as an expert panel member. Her work has certainly revolutionized hereditary cancer clinical practice and policy. She is a member of Sigma’s Lambda Pi at-Large Chapter.
Ratchneewan Ross, PhD, RN, FTNSS, FAAN
Professor
The University of Louisville School of Nursing
Louisville, Kentucky, USA
As a nurse scientist for over three decades, Dr. Ross has worked with research teams in different parts of the world, including Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and North America. Her program of research is in mental health of culturally
diverse, complex, and vulnerable populations such as those who have experienced violence, stigmatization, trauma, and extreme stress. Other areas of expertise involve research methodology, measurement, and theory development.
Dr. Ross' research has significantly contributed to the advancement of nursing care, education, and science around the world. For example, based on her studies among HIV-infected perinatal Thai women, the United States Department of Health and Human Services
has recommended routine depression screening for all HIV-infected perinatal women. Also, due to the lack of depression screening experience and skills of healthcare professionals in Ghana, Dr. Ross is leading her teams to train Ghanaian healthcare
professionals on depression screening in HIV-infected perinatal women, with a long-term goal to establish routine depression screening in the target population at all hospitals in the country. Additionally, Dr. Ross created the SATELLITE SV Assessment
and Care Guide, teaching healthcare providers how to screen for sexual violence and care for perinatal and OB/GYN patients with sexual violence positive results. The SATELLITE has been incorporated into at least seven nursing textbooks as well as
continuing education for clinical nurses. In 2020, Dr. Ross and her team published a situation-specific theory, The Systemic Assessment of Depressive Symptoms Among Registered Nurses (SAD-RN), based on the Roy Adaptation Model, which has been cited
by different researchers in various countries. She is a member of Sigma’s Iota Zeta Chapter.
Loredana Sasso, MSN, RN, FAAN
Scientific Director of CERSI FNOPI in Rome
Professor of Nursing, Department of Health Sciences University of Genoa
Genoa, Italy
Professor Loredana Sasso is the Scientific Director the Centre of Excellence for Research and the Development of Nursing, set up in Rome with the Italian National Regulatory Board of Nursing. She is a freelance Senior Lecturer and Researcher at the University
of Genoa, Italy. Previously, she was a Full Professor of Nursing at the University of Genoa. She has authored over 200 scientific publications and has been scientific director of many funded projects. Since 2019, Dr. Sasso has been a member of International
Learning Collaborative (ILC) and was the first to promote the implementation of Fundamentals of Care in undergraduate nursing curricula in Italy.
Dr. Sasso was one of the first to establish a PhD program in nursing in Italy. In 2012, she co-founded the Italian Society of Nursing Sciences. She is a board member of the Foundation Insieme per Vita agli Anni, and former board member (1997-2000) and
Secretary General (2000-2009) of the Italian National Regulatory Board of Nursing. She led the Italian leg of the RN4CAST study.
She is the Founding President of the first Sigma chapter in Italy, Alpha Alpha Beta Chapter, and the first Italian nurse to become a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 2016. She is Fellow Ad Eundem of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
since December 2017.
Dr. Sasso is co-founder and was president of the European Federation of Nursing Regulators (FEPI) in the Brussels office from 2006 to 2009, where she contributed to the development of the Code of Ethics and Conduct for European Nursing. She is a
member of Sigma’s Alpha Alpha Beta Chapter.
Kathleen J. Sawin, PhD, RN, CPNP, FAAN
Nurse Scientist, Professor Emerita
Children’s Wisconsin and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Dr. Kathleen J. Sawin is a nurse scientist at Children’s Wisconsin and Professor Emerita at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM). For over 35 years, Dr. Sawin’s program of interdisciplinary research has had an impact on the health and
healthcare for individuals with chronic health conditions, especially AYA with spina bifida (SB) and their families. This research has advanced the science in QOL, self-management, SB clinical knowledge and care, instrument development, and theory
development supporting the Individual Family Self-Management Theory (IFMST) that Dr. Sawin co-authored. Her work has provided significant contributions to family science with the inclusion and measure of family in the IFMST, report of the significance
of family in the transition and QOL of AYA, and the inclusion of family context in care and research. The research of the interdisciplinary team she co-led with a clinician partner has made substantial contributions to the literature and practice
on the health and well-being of children, adolescents, and adults with SB. This research with SB takes an upstream approach to address one condition in the significantly underserved and under-researched population of persons with disabilities. This
work has substantially informed the Guidelines for People with Spina Bifida.
Dr Sawin’s leadership at the Spina Bifida Association of America Professional Advisory Committee, research, and multiple CDC funded grants contributed to the establishment and continued success of the National Spina Bifida Patient Registry (NSBPR),
which provides a framework for a systematic approach to improving the quality of care received at spina bifida clinics nationwide, resulting in practice change and informing practice policy. She is a member of Sigma’s Alpha and Eta Nu Chapters.
Jeanne-Marie Stacciarini, PhD, RN, FAAN
Associate Dean for Community Engagement and Global Affairs
College of Nursing, University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida, USA
Dr. Stacciarini is an Associate Dean for Community Engagement and Global Affairs at the College of Nursing, University of Florida. She is a national and international researcher in mental health promotion among underrepresented populations in rural and
underserved communities. Her research trajectory started in Brazil, studying occupational stress, job satisfaction, and mental health in the nursing workforce. She immigrated to the United States in 2001, and since then, her program of research has
focused on mental health disparities faced by rural underrepresented and hard-to-reach populations, including Latino immigrants/farmworkers, LGBTQ+ adolescents, and international sexual minorities with HIV.
Dr. Stacciarini’s research on occupational stress, job satisfaction, and mental health in Brazilian nurses impacted the nursing workforce policies in Brazil and served as a model to other countries. Dr. Stacciarini has a strong publication record
with 60 peer-reviewed articles and presentations at multiple national and international conferences. She has published in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, contributing to global nursing science. She has been invited to present nationally and internationally
as a keynote speaker on various continents, including Asia, Europe, and Latin America. She has secured national funding from the National Institute of Health, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and international agencies. Dr.
Stacciarini has extensively mentored the new generation of researchers around the globe. She developed and led the EMBRACE program, which provides mentorship related to research and leadership for underrepresented nursing students. Dr. Stacciarini
is also working to introduce the nurse practitioner role to Brazil and other countries in South America. She is a member of Sigma’s Alpha Theta Chapter.
Angela Starkweather, PhD, ACNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN
Chamings Endowed Professor, Assistant Dean for Research Development
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida, USA
Dr. Angela Starkweather is the Chamings Endowed Professor, Assistant Dean of Research Development, and Director of the PhD Program and Undergraduate Honors Program at the University of Florida College of Nursing. She is an adult acute care nurse practitioner
and nurse scientist with an ongoing program of research focused on elucidating the biopsychosocial mechanisms of pain and other distressing conditions, developing multi-level interventions to improve health and quality of life, and implementing research
and evidence into practice and systems of care. Dr. Starkweather has been continuously NIH-funded over the past decade, has over 190 peer-reviewed publications, is editor of three books, and is co-editor of Topics in Pain Management.
Dr. Starkweather’s groundbreaking work on the biological mechanisms of patients’ transition from acute to chronic pain is both seminal and translational. Her 18-year career as a productive researcher in the field of biobehavioral symptom science
began with a focus on people experiencing low back pain, one of the most common and debilitating musculoskeletal conditions. Her program of research expanded to oncology and chronic conditions such as HIV-related pain and comorbid symptoms with
development and testing of multi-level interventions to improve access to care, as well as self-management interventions for improving health outcomes and health equity. Many of the interventions developed and tested by her team have been implemented
into clinical practice. Dr. Starkweather has provided instrumental mentorship to numerous postdoctoral scholars, undergraduate and graduate students, as well as faculty throughout her career, and views it as an honor to be part of their journey. She
is a member of Sigma’s Alpha Theta Chapter.
Heng-Hsin Tung, PhD, DNP, FNP, RN, Senior Fellow HEA
Distinguished Professor
Department of Nursing, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
Taipei, Taiwan
Dr. Heng-Hsin Tung is dedicated to advancing cardiovascular care, geriatrics care, and nurse practitioner (NP) development through the application of AI with innovative strategies. She leveraged her leadership roles in both academic and professional societies
to actively participate in government roundtable discussions, exerting influence on healthcare policies and NP regulation development initiatives.
Dr. Heng-Hsin Tung has made an impact on clinical practices and brought other fields into nursing science. For example, as a co-principal investigator, she worked with physicians, brain scientists, and statisticians to validate the benefits of gamification
for older adults in an industry-university cooperative project. Also, for the past eight years, she has been the chair of an education committee in charge of training programs for the Dementia Care Examination (DCE)/certification program of the Taiwan
Integrated Care Association. There are 237 healthcare-related personnel in different fields who hold a dementia care certification and who possess an understanding of how to take care of dementia patients in different settings in Taiwan. The DCE program
will continue to be sustained, as Taiwan is an aging society. She also has endorsed a new program on the behavior and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) and collaborated with the National Health Research Institute team to develop and plan to
provide a BPSD certification program in 2024 for nurses and NPs.
Dr. Heng-Hsin Tung is the president of the Taiwan Association of Nurse Practitioners (TANP) and has received numerous awards and honors throughout her career. She is a member of Sigma’s Lambda Beta at-Large Chapter.
Constance G. Visovsky, PhD, RN, ACNP, FAAN
Professor, Lewis and Leona Hughes Endowed Chair in Nursing
University of South Florida, College of Nursing
Tampa, Florida, USA
Dr. Constance Visovsky is Professor of Nursing and the Lewis and Leona Hughes Endowed Chair in Nursing Science at the University of South Florida College of Nursing. She completed her PhD studies at Case Western Reserve University in 2002, and her dissertation
focused on the characterization of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) in patients receiving neurotoxic agents for their cancer treatment. Following her PhD, Dr. Visovsky was the first nurse to receive the Post-Doctoral Research Fellow,
Case Western Reserve University Translational Research Oncology Grant. Through this fellowship, she trained with a cancer exercise behavioralist in Canada, which helped her refine her conceptual model and intervention strategy. She is currently completing
a National Cancer Institute funded grant, "Home-Based Physical Activity Intervention for Taxane-Induced CIPN,” testing a home-based gait, balance, and resistive exercise intervention for breast cancer survivors with persistent CIPN.
Dr. Visovsky’s research has had measurable and sustained impact on changes in widespread clinical practice. She established of one of the first free supportive care clinics for community-dwelling patients with peripheral neuropathy in the Tampa
Bay area (CARE Tampa Bay).
Dr. Visovsky’s research is focused on the development, testing, and translation into practice of her home-based gait, balance, and resistive exercise program for ameliorating the neuromuscular effects of CIPN. Her innovative program has been awarded
an R01 funded grant from the National Cancer Institute to further develop and test it among breast cancer survivors. Her novel research was featured in local television news broadcasts during breast cancer awareness month in 2023. She is a member
of Sigma’s Delta Beta at-Large Chapter.