Cohort: 2023

Mentors: Marie Bakitas, DNSc and Deborah Ejem, PhD

Bio: Lindsay Aaron Wade worked as a nurse for 16 years, 13 years in the Heart Transplant ICU. She is a two time UABSON graduate (BSN in 2009, MSN 2022) and is currently a research nurse coordinator in breast oncology at the UAB O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Research Interest: Her research is focused on how sleep can influence or prevent cardiovascular disease in breast cancer patients.

Cohort: 2023

Mentor: Felesia Bowen, PhD

Bio: Mahdiyeh Ahmadi received her BSN in 2022 and began her doctoral studies at UAB in 2023. In July 2025 she presented a research poster at the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.

Research Interest: Mahdiyeh Ahmadi’s research focuses on lifestyle behaviors that contribute to childhood obesity.

Cohort: 2023

Mentor: Edwin Aroke, PhD

Research Interests: Fiona Atem's research interest is the study of chronic pain perception and beliefs in African Americans. This will allow us to better compare their pain sensitivity while living in Cameroon to that following immigration to the US.

Cohort: 2024

Mentor: Crystal Chapman Lambert, PhD

Research Interests: Hayley Ballowe's research interests focus on improving endometriosis care by utilizing non-pharmacological, nurse-led interventions.

Cohort: 2022

Mentor: Patricia Patrician, PhD

Research Interests: Hannah Bergbower, MSN, MPH, CNM, WHNP-BC (she/her/hers) is a nurse-midwife and women's health NP who practices in Atlanta, Georgia at a public-academic hospital system. Her broad area of research interest is focused on maternal health outcomes and experiences and the impact of midwifery care.

Cohort: 2023

Mentor: Frank Puga, PhD

Bio: Nury Alejandra Rodriguez Colmenares graduated from the National University of Columbia with a BSN and a Diploma in Public Health Administration. She worked as a Public Health Nurse and Research Assistant at a non-profit organization focused on sexual and reproductive health in Colombia. Currently, she is a graduate research assistant in the StAR lab.

Research Interest: Nury Alejandra Rodriguez Colmentares’ research involves examining anticipatory grief, coping strategies, and daily and long-term mental health outcomes among Hispanic and Latinx dementia caregivers.

Cohort: 2024

Mentors: Edwin Aroke, PhD and Pariya Wheeler, PhD

Research Interests: Philemon Domoyeri is a first year PhD Nursing Student. He practiced as a Nurse Anaesthetist in Ghana for 15 years mainly in obstetrics and general surgery. His area of research is epigenetic changes associated with cognitive decline/attention deficit in patients with chronic pain.

Cohort: 2022

Mentor: Allison Jones, PhD

Bio: Madison Finch began her nursing career in UAB’s Level I Emergency Department and is now a Clinical Research Nurse in the UAB Center for Injury Science, Heersink School of Medicine Department of Surgery. In her current role, she leads several NIH and DOD-funded multicenter clinical trials in patients experiencing hemorrhage shock. She has received the Florence Nightingale Scholarly Works Award to support her dissertation study.

Research Interest: Madison Finch’s dissertation is titled “Operationalizing a Community-Informed Measure of Adolescent Firearm Violence, Injuries, and Mortalities.”

Cohort: 2024

Mentor: Ellen Smith, PhD

Bio: Hiboombe Haamankuli is an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and currently serves as faculty at the UAB School of Nursing. He received the 2025 Doctoral Student Award and Scholarship from the Alabama League for Nursing. Additionally, he was voted Best Collaborative PhD Student by his peers during the 2025 PhD intensive.

Research Interests: Hiboombe Haamankuli's research focuses on improving prostate cancer treatment outcomes in Black men by addressing common stigmas that hinder the reporting of adverse outcomes. He aims to explore culturally tailored interventions that promote open communication and trust between patients and providers. This work seeks to reduce disparities and enhance the quality of care for this population, who are most impacted by prostate cancer.

Cohort: 2022

Mentor: Karen Heaton, PhD

Research Interests: Cara Harris’ research interests revolve around nicotine exposure measures within the trucking industry.

Cohort: 2022

Mentors: Jenni Wise, PhD and Frank Puga, PhD

Research Interests: Shameka Hill’s focus is on understanding why there are provider driven delays in diagnosis or linkage to care in patients presenting with Multiple Sclerosis symptoms She has a specific interest in the African American population to determine if socioeconomic factors have an effect on experienced delays.

Cohort: 2021

Mentor: Patricia Patrician, PhD

Research Interests: Kristal Hock’s area of focus is improving parental comprehension of the informed consent process for complex congenital heart disease surgery. She is currently focusing on individual aspects of the process (i.e., the dimensions involved, the document used) to identify areas for improvement.

Cohort: 2020

Mentors: Allison Shorten, PhD and Mirjam-Colette Kempf, PhD

Research Interests: Meghan C. Jones, MSN, RN, CHSE-A is a nurse with clinical experience in critical care and women’s health and an academic background in simulation education. Her research interests include anxiety among reproductive-age women and its impact on maternal health outcomes.

Cohort: 2020

Mentor: Edwin Aroke, PhD

Bio: Kiari KInni received my BSN from the University of Alabama in 2019. During her doctoral studies, she has been recognized with several research awards, including first and second place poster presentations at the UAB PhD Intensive and the international ISONG Genetics Conference.

Research Interest: Kiari Kinni’s research focuses on resilience and its role in chronic pain, with particular interest in how resilience influences epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation. She is interested in the ways psychosocial factors shape epigenetic pain outcomes, aiming to better understand the links between these mechanisms, psychological processes, and health disparities in chronic pain. The goal of her work is to inform interventions that can improve outcomes for vulnerable populations by targeting both psychological and biological processes.

Cohort: 2023

Mentors: Adelais Markaki, PhD and Allison Jones, PhD

Research Interests: Maria C. Lanzi, MS, MPH, ANP-BC, COHN-S is a highly experienced Occupational and Environmental Health (OEH) Nurse Practitioner. Most proud of developing and leading the first joint-collaboration on improving content knowledge for OEM clinicians across two different organizations, as an inaugural Faculty, she is admitted to UAB as a NIOSH Scholar. Her area of interests includes development of competency-based education and training for OEHNPs; and research in building collaborative practice models which would improve OEH access and quality of care across multiple arenas and international settings.

Cohort: 2019

Mentor: Rita A. Jablonski, PhD

Bio: Cheryl Lee received her BSN from the UABSON in 2019 and anticipates graduating with her PhD in 2026.

Research Interest: Cheryl Lee brings heart and experience to her doctoral journey, shaped by nearly two decades as a nurse in acute care, immunology, school health, and community health leadership. Her deep commitment to dementia caregiving research grew through personal and research experience with key roles in several NIA-funded studies, including CuRB-IT, where she contributed to treatment fidelity, IRB protocol development, and data management.
Driven by a passion for advocacy and connection, Cheryl serves with NAMI Birmingham and helped launch NAMI on Campus at UAB, supporting mental health awareness and peer engagement. Her leadership has been recognized with honors such as a gubernatorial proclamation for FTD Awareness Week in Alabama, a GSA Travel Award, and a Crisis Intervention Team Leadership Award.
Her dissertation explores the lived experiences of midlife women caring for a partner with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), with a focus on how intimacy may evolve over time. Because intimacy is often overlooked in dementia support, especially in bvFTD, where early behavioral changes can disrupt intimate relationships, Cheryl aims to elevate caregiver voices and inform more compassionate, community-centered care, especially for women in underserved rural areas.

Cohort: 2022

Mentors: Katherine Dudding, PhD and Marti Rice, PhD

Research Interests: Kate Lenington’s research interest is palliative care outcomes for infants with genetic disorders

Cohort: 2021

Mentors: Katherine Dudding, PhD and Marti Rice, PhD

Cohort: 2023

Mentors: Bryan Wilbanks, PhD and Karen Heaton, PhD

Research Interests: Stacey Mitchell’s research interest lies in the area of workplace violence and the intersection with forensic nursing. Workplace violence occurs in hospitals and the forensic nurse is positioned to intervene in a trauma-informed manner. My goal is to study the connection and show the impact forensic nurses can have in this area.

Cohort: 2024

Mentor: Deborah Ejem, PhD

Research Interests: Kelly's research interest revolves around spirituality and the quality of life of cancer patients.

Cohort: 2024 Sunflower Cohort

Mentors: J. Nicholas Odom, PhD and Rachel Wells, PhD

Research Interests: Emmanuel Nkrumah's research interest is caregiving and palliative care.

Cohort: 2023

Mentor: Ellen Smith, PhD

Research Interests: Chisom Odii’s research interests are factors mitigating against post-operative pain control and barriers and facilitators to safe surgery

Cohort: 2023

Mentor: David Vance, PhD

Bio: Hathaichanok Phaowirya, MSN worked as a lecturer at Princess Agrarajakumari Faculty of Nursing, Chulabhorn Royal Academy, Bangkok, Thailand. She is the recipient of the Lowder Travel Award and the Summer 2025 SPARK Award.

Research Interest: Hathaichanok Phaowiriya is pursuing research in advancing knowledge in the field of neurocognition, with a particular focus on understanding cognitive and functional outcomes in diverse clinical populations, especially in people with HIV (PWH). With her passion, Hathaichanok began publishing several articles and disseminating her research through organization presentations and conferences to share the latest research findings.

Cohort: 2022

Mentors: Shena Gazaway, PhD and Nicholas Odom, PhD

Bio: Leslie Pitts is a dual DNP-PhD student and Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), with over a decade of clinical experience as a pediatric acute care nurse practitioner in pediatric endocrinology, specializing in newborn screening. I serve LEndocrinology Nursing Society, and as Immediate Past-President of the Alabama Chapter of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. My academic and clinical achievements have been recognized with multiple honors, including the 2025 Dr. Jean A. Kelley Legacy Award—the highest student distinction awarded by the UAB School of Nursing—and the 2024 Emerging Leader Award from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s Graduate Nursing Student Academy (GNSA).

Research Interest: Leslie Pitts’ research focuses on the healthcare transition experiences of adolescents and young adults living with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). I aim to explore multilevel factors—ranging from individual readiness and family dynamics to health system influences—that impact continuity of care and self-management during this critical period. My current qualitative study, the Pediatric to Adult Transitions for CAH Healthcare (PATCH) Study, is funded by the Pediatric Endocrinology Nursing Society and is guided by the adapted Social-Ecological Model of Adolescent and Young Adult Readiness for Transition (SMART).

Cohort: 2023

Mentor: Pamela Bowen, PhD

Research Interests: Diana Pulido’s research interest is stress eating and chronic illness.

Cohort: 2022

Mentor: Susan McMullan, PhD

Bio: Lindsay Quinlan is a part-time PhD nursing student finishing her third year. She has a MSN and is a board certified CRNA. She has over a decade of clinical experience in anesthesia practice.

Research Interest: Lindsay Quinlan’s research focuses on exploring the relationship between workload, well-being, and burnout among nurse anesthetists. Using the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) framework, she aims to identify key organizational and personal factors. This work seeks to inform evidence-based strategies that support CRNA well-being and improve retention in the workforce.

Cohort: 2024

Mentor: David Vance, PhD

Bio: Maryam Rostamvand holds a Master of Science in Psychiatric Nursing from Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences in Iran (MAZUMS), where she graduated as the top student in her program. Her master’s thesis investigated the effects of a mindfulness-based self-care training program on the depression and family functioning of breast cancer patients’ spouses. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Ardabil University of Medical Sciences in Iran (ARUMS). She has co-authored several publications, with topics focusing on nursing and psychiatric nursing.

Research Interests: Maryam Rostamvand's research interest is mental health, psychiatric disease, mindfulness and caregivers.

Cohort: 2021

Mentor: Patricia Patrician, PhD

Research Interests: Asiah Ruffin is a full-time VA Quality Scholar Predoctoral Fellow. Her research interests include the nursing workforce and work environments with an emphasis on nursing leadership and management. She is particularly interested in understanding how to promote nurse wellness and minimize burnout among nurses and nurse leaders.

Cohort: 2023

Mentors: Marie Bakitas, DNSc and Pamela Bowen, PhD

Bio: Heather Shelton is currently a full-time Nursing Research PhD student and Graduate Teaching Assistant in Nursing Honors at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing. Heather worked as a registered nurse since 2008, and worked in home health and home hospice for 7 years. Ms. Shelton was the Spring 2025 PhD Summit Leader.

Research Interest: Heather Shelton’s research focus examines the relationship between physical fitness/activity levels and memory impairment in breast cancer survivors, with a particular focus on identifying key moderators that influence cognitive outcomes in this population. Her long-term research goal is to bridge the gap between evidence-based clinical practice and translational research, ultimately enhancing the quality of life for cancer survivors through targeted, multidisciplinary interventions.

Cohort: 2023

Mentors: Hsiao-Lan Wang, PhD and Allison Shorten, PhD

Research Interests: Tina Smith’s research interests are maternal-child health and health disparities. The goal of her research focus is to improve maternal health outcomes by identifying strategies that decrease maternal morbidity and mortality.

Cohort: 2023

Mentor: Patricia Patrician, PhD

Research Interest: Joyce Stevens’ research focus is investigating nursing workforce well-being, with a focus on identifying the root causes of stress, distress, and burnout among hospital-based nurses. She studies how organizational environments influence nurses’ beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors, and explores strategies that promote wellness, empowerment, and sustainable behavior change. Her work aims to drive systemic and cultural change within U.S. healthcare institutions to create conditions that support nurses in practicing at the top of their scope and capabilities.

Cohort: 2024

Mentors: Gwen Childs-Sims, PhD and Candace Knight, PhD

Bio: Shani Strader is a second year PhD student. She received a BA from Spelman College and MPH and Master of Nursing degrees from Emory University. She worked as a Labor and Delivery nurse in Atlanta before entering the PhD program. She also worked as a Research Specialist gaining skills in qualitative methods and data analysis.

Research Interest: Shani Strader has a passion for women’s health, specifically women identifying as a sexual and/or gender minority (SGM). Her interests include reproductive health and sexual health. She hopes to bridge her background in public health and nursing to provide effective and respectful care to women.

Cohort: 2021

Mentors: Allison Jones, PhD and Ada Markaki, PhD

Research Interests: Krisada (Aof) Suamchaiyaphum, has experience working in prehospital and emergency care in Thailand. His research interests include triage accuracy performed by emergency nurses and the processes through which they make decisions.

Cohort: 2023

Mentors: Wendy Landier, PhD and Felesia Bowen, PhD

Cohort: 2022

Mentors: Karen Heaton, PhD and Patricia Speck, DNSc

Research Interests: Jessica Volz is a PhD student and National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety fellow. She is a nurse practitioner with a clinical background in emergency nursing and is the Clinical Director of the Forensic Medical Unit at Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center. Her research interests are focused on the impact of workplace violence and trauma on total worker health.

Cohort: 2023

Mentors: Jenni Wise, PhD and Karen Heaton, PhD

Research Interests: Jennifer Ware’s research interests are occupational health and safety, wellness and burnout.

Cohort: 2023

Mentor: Crystal Chapman Lambert, PhD

Cohort: 2024 Sunflower Cohort

Mentors: Pariya Wheeler, PhD and Connie White-Williams, PhD

Research Interests: Jer'Donna Harper Wilson's currently work as a family nurse practitioner in the urgent care setting and has a area of research interest in Myocarditis.

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine
Nurse Scientist, Aflac Cancer & Blood Disorders Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta

Her research focuses on reproductive health among adolescent and young adult cancer survivors and is informed by her clinical experience as a pediatric oncology nurse with the Aflac Cancer Survivor and Fertility Preservation programs. In her role as Nurse Scientist, she provides research mentorship to nurses and advanced practice providers in the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. She earned a BSN from the University of Michigan, MPH from Emory University, and PhD from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing. Dr. Cherven’s research has been supported by the American Cancer Society, Children’s Oncology Group, and National Institutes of Health/National Institute for Nursing Research.

Post-Doctoral Research Associate, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing

2021 UAB SON PhD Program Graduate

Her research focuses on the health and well-being of young carers (<18 years old) who provide care to an ill parent. During her time at UAB she explored the experience of young carers of a parent with Huntington’s Disease. For her postdoctoral work she will be focusing on the experiences and support needs of young carers in the context of cancer with the goal of future intervention work.

Associate Professor, UAB Heersink School of Medicine

2016 UAB SON PhD Program Graduate

Dr. Timiya S. Nolan is an Associate Professor in the Division of Preventive Medicine and Associate Director of Community Outreach and Engagement the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at The University of Alabama at Birmingham. Nolan studies issues in self-management and prevention of chronic conditions (i.e., breast cancer and cardiovascular disease). Her community-based research program is looking at ways to improve quality of life and health among individuals from underrepresented, underserved. She is the co-organizer of The Ohio State University’s Health Equity through Diversity Conference. Nolan’s work has been supported by the National Cancer Institute, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, and others. She earned a BSN, MSN and PhD at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing, and completed postdoctoral training at The Ohio State University College of Nursing.

Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Vanderbilt University

2021 UAB SON PhD Program Graduate

Her program of research focuses on the development and implementation of family-centered and community-based dietary lifestyle interventions for prediabetes management and multi-generational prevention of type 2 diabetes. Dr. Sneed’s postdoctoral fellowship is funded through the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Patient/ pRactice Outcomes Research in Effectiveness and Systems Science (PROgRESS) T32 Program supported by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing.

iCURE Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, National Cancer Institute

2021 UAB SON PhD Program Graduate

Her research focuses on the symptom burden of individuals living with a central nervous system tumor and the effect of their symptom burden on the quality of life of both members of the care recipient/caregiver dyad.

Cancer Prevention Fellow, National Cancer Institute

2018 UAB SON PhD Program Graduate

Vo completed her BSN and PhD in nursing science from UAB under the mentorship of the late Karen Meneses, PhD, RN, FAAN, and she completed her MPH in quantitative methods from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public health. At the NCI, she leverages her clinical expertise to drive her epidemiology research, where she studies late effects of cancer treatment (including cardiovascular disease and second cancers) among breast cancer survivors and racial/ethnic disparities among cancer survivors. Vo was awarded the NCI Director’s Award for Emerging Leader and NCI Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program Merit Award, and she has received NIH intramural research funding including the NCI Cancer Prevention Fellowship Transfellowship Research Award, NIMHD William G. Coleman Jr. PhD, Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Innovation Award, and the NCI Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics Cancer Health Disparities Research Award.

Assistant Professor, UCSF School of Nursing Community Health Systems

2016 UAB SON PhD Program Graduate

She started a sexual health and primary care faculty practice. She still has ties to UAB – she has a diversity supplement with Mike Saag’s CNICS grant studying Symptom Clusters.