By Sarah Morgan Johnson

University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing Assistant Professor Shena Gazaway, PhD, RN, is the recipient of the Society of Behavioral Medicine Health Decision-Making and Communication Special Interest Group Early Career Award. This award honors a scholar who has contributed to health decision making and communication research. Gazaway accepted the award at the Society of Behavioral Medicine Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California.

As the recipient of the Early Career Award, Gazaway was recognized for her work as first author of the article “Exploring the Health-Related Decision-Making Experiences of People with Chronic Kidney Disease and Their Caregivers: A Qualitative Study.”

Published in the November 2023 edition of the Health Expectations journal, this study catalogues the experiences of individuals with kidney disease and their caregivers as they navigate health decisions. Gazaway is honored to receive the award and feels it is a recognition of her research team.

“This award is a wonderful recognition of our team's work and dedication to improving the shared decision-making capacity and partnership of those living with serious illness and their family caregivers. I am extremely proud and humbled to be selected for this recognition and continuing to invest in the people and communities that need us most,” Gazaway said.

In August 2023, Gazaway received a K23 career development award from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. She previously received a grant from the Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation as Co-Principal Investigator with Assistant Professor Rachel Wells, PhD, RN, CNL (MSN 2009, PhD 2019), as well as a Palliative Care Research Cooperative pilot program grant. She is a 2024-2026 Fellow of the American Psychological Association’s Leadership and Education and Advancement Program for Diverse Scholars, a Forge AHEAD Center Scholar and a UABSON Dean Scholar Awardee.