PhD Student Profiles

The Pitt Nursing PhD Program currently has 34 students. Below are profiles for some of our students.

Population neonatal/pediatric/critical care. Type of problems (congenital malformations, prematurity, respiratory failure, persistent pulmonary hypertension, perinatal asphyxia, complex surgical problems, especially those with congenital diaphragmatic hernia and gastroschisis). Special services include high frequency ventilation, nitric oxide, hypothermia for perinatal asphyxia, and comprehensive neonatal health care. Provide direct patient care, influence care outcomes, provide expert consultation for nursing staff and implement improvements in health care. Interests are blood transfusion and related blood products, especially in the critically ill newborn.

Education: MBA, University of Phoenix
MSN, Case Western Reserve University
BSN, Kent State University School of Nursing
Advisor: Dr. Jill Demirci
Contact: cab566@pitt.edu

Katherine is a dedicated PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Nursing, focusing on improving healthcare outcomes for individuals with substance use disorders. With five years of experience in critical care, she has specialized in treating patients undergoing and recovering from cardiac surgeries related to IV drug use. Her current research investigates healthcare utilization among adults prescribed opioids, with a particular emphasis on the impact of social determinants of health. Katherine aims to develop interventions that enhance access to care and promote health equity, especially within the Appalachian region.

Areas of Study: Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), Harm Reduction, Social Determinants of Health (SDoH), Cardiac Critical Care
Education: BSN, West Virginia University, 2019
Advisors: Dr. Heeyoung Lee and Dr. Paul Scott
Contact: kmc294@pitt.edu

Bibliography

Ahmed Danquah is a PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing with a translational focus on aging, technology, and entrepreneurship. His current research centers on circadian rhythm disruptions and risk for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD).

With clinical training as a physician assistant in Ghana and graduate expertise in gerontology, Ahmed is developing a research and entrepreneurship career at the intersection of aging science and health technology—evaluating and building solutions that promote independent living for older adults. He is completing a medical product innovation certificate and is the founder of The Longevity Caucus (@thelongevitycaucus), a professional community at the intersection of aging, technology, and independent living.

Area of Study: ADRD, circadian rhythm, aging technology, independent living, medical product innovation
Education: MGS, Miami University
BSc, Presbyterian University College
Advisor: Dr. Yurun Cai
Contact: ahd54@pitt.edu

Bibliography

Sondos is a PhD candidate at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. Her main research interest is understanding caregivers health and disease through biopsychosocial pathways. Also, she is interested in the multidimensional layers of caregivers resilience that predict their long-term health outcomes.

Sondos’ current work investigates the complex interplay of psychological and social factors associated with stroke caregivers’ self-care behaviors during care transitions. Her ultimate goal is to identify best practices for fully engaging caregivers as integral partners in the healthcare discharge plans of stroke survivors, improving both stroke survivors’ and their caregivers’ health outcomes after discharge from neurocritical care settings.

Areas of Study: Caregivers Health, Mind and Body, Resilience, Care Transitions
Education: MSN, University of Jordan
BSN, University of Jordan
Advisor: Dr. Elizabeth Crago
Contact: sbe14@pitt.edu

Biblography

Fan Fei is a first-year PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing under the mentorship of Dr. Yvette Conley and Dr. C. Elizabeth Shaaban. She holds a Master of Public Health from Emory University and brings five years of clinical experience as an oncology nurse at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center in China.

Through her clinical practice and strong personal ties to the cancer community, Fan observed that patients often experience changes in cognition, such as memory and attention, after cancer treatment, while family caregivers face prolonged caregiving demands that may place their own cognitive health at risk. These experiences motivated her to explore how cognitive health changes over time not only in patients, but within the patient–caregiver dyad.

Her current interests center on the biological and psychosocial factors that shape cognitive health among cancer survivors and their caregivers, and on how risk in one member of the dyad may influence the other. Building on her training in nursing and public health, as well as her experience with longitudinal and population-based data analysis, she hopes to identify factors that place dyads at greater risk. Her long-term goal is to become an independent nurse scientist who translates these findings into dyadic interventions.

Areas of Study: Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment, Cancer Survivorship, Family Caregiving, Dyadic Intervention, Brain Health, Symptom Science
Education: MPH, Emory University, 2026
BSN, Tontji University, 2023
Advisors: Dr. Yvette Conley and Dr. C. Elizabeth Shaaban
Contact: faf100@pitt.edu

Jocelyn is a PhD in Nursing student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing and neuroscience registered nurse. Her undergraduate experiences as an URMP student in the SON, BPhil researcher, and Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics research trainee inspired her passion for nursing research. Jocelyn is excited to continue pursuing research at Pitt and hopes to focus on the neuropathological effects of chronic traumatic brain injuries in females and recovery predictors/outcomes.

Areas of Study: Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury, Genomics
Education: BSN-H, University of Pittsburgh, 2026
Advisors: Dr. Elizabeth Crago
Contact: jdf102@pitt.edu

Avital Zehava Gazit (preferred name V) is a PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing’s Department of Acute and Tertiary Care. Her research focuses on examining healthcare delivery, workforce optimization, and patient outcomes. Her doctoral research seeks to identify the characteristics of patients, care providers, and practice environments associated with improved patient outcomes and to develop data-driven, machine-learning approaches for optimizing patient assignment and care delivery. Her broader interests include health services research, implementation science, healthcare workforce design, chronic disease management, and the application of informatics to improve quality, access, and efficiency in healthcare systems.

Prior to beginning doctoral studies, V worked in clinical and private industry settings, where she developed her expertise in healthcare technology implementation, evaluation of digital health technologies, informatics, and the translation of evidence into practice.

Areas of Study: Health services research, health informatics, implementation science, workforce optimization, healthcare delivery
Education: MHI, Jerusalem College of Technology, 2025
BSN, Jerusalem College of Technology, 2014
Advisor: Dr. Andrew Dierkes
Contact: avg91@pitt.edu

Emily is a first-year PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. Her experiences working as a registered nurse and seeing disparate patient outcomes led to her research interests in understanding the disparities among older adults with blood cancer and how technological innovations can promote equity. Her current research interests are in health information seeking behavior, medical distrust, and digital health literacy. Emily is interested in developing and implementing technological interventions for blood cancer patients.

Areas of Study: Health equity, hematologic malignancies, older adults, technology, digital health literacy, health information seeking behavior, medical distrust, health policy
Education: BSN, University of Pennsylvania, 2019
Advisors: Dr. Sarah Belcher and Dr. Heidi Donovan
Contact: esh87@pitt.edu

Reza is a PhD student in Nursing at the University of Pittsburgh. He holds a Graduate Research Certificate and a Master of Science in Medical-Surgical Nursing from Tehran University of Medical Sciences. His dedication to the field has been recognized with honors such as Iran’s Top Student Researcher (2018, 2023) and Outstanding Student Awards (2019, 2023).

With experience as an ICU nurse, research assistant, and instructor, Reza has developed a strong foundation in clinical practice, nursing education, and research. His research is dedicated to supporting patients with chronic illnesses and their caregivers, with a focus on digital health solutions and self-management interventions to improve health outcomes.

Areas of Study: Chronic Illness Management, Digital Health, Caregiver Support
Education: GRC, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, 2021-2023
MSN, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, 2019-2021
BSN, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, 2014-2019
Advisor: Dr. Heidi Donovan
Contact: Reza.Heidari@pitt.edu

Bibliography

Cameron is a PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Nursing under the mentorship of Drs. Margaret Rosenzweig and Yvette Conley. His background spans clinical laboratory science (including FISH and immunohistochemistry), inpatient medical oncology and hospice care, and nursing education.

Cameron’s research examines how social, structural, and environmental exposures become biologically embedded to influence metastatic breast cancer outcomes. He aims to translate this knowledge into precision symptom management and advocate for policies which promote health equity. Cameron has experience teaching undergraduate nursing students and remains in part-time clinical practice at Allegheny General Hospital.

Areas of Study: Oncology, Environmental Health, Epigenomics, Health Equity, Symptom Science
Education: MSN, Capella University, 2024
BSN, University of Pittsburgh, 2021
BS Biology, Pennsylvania State University, 2016
BS Immunology & Infectious Disease, Pennsylvania State University, 2016

Advisor: Dr. Margaret Rosenzweig
Contact: csh41@pitt.edu

Bibliography

Yoon Joo is a PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing under the mentorship of Dr. Elizabeth A. Crago. She holds a background in critical care nursing, with clinical experience in the surgical intensive care unit (SICU) and COVID-19 ICUs, where she cared for critically ill patients through demanding conditions in acute care. Witnessing the fragile and often unpredictable trajectories of these patients inspired her to pursue a research career dedicated to improving patient outcomes in critical care.

Her research interests include identifying prognostic biomarkers in neurocritical care, with a current focus on cardiac markers in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage and their potential as indicators of neurological recovery and clinical deterioration. Through this work, she aims to strengthen early risk stratification and support more informed clinical decision-making at the bedside. Yoon Joo's long-term goal is to become an independent nurse scientist who translates biomarker discoveries into interventions that support earlier recognition of clinical deterioration. Through this work, she hopes to contribute to how critical care nursing anticipates and prevents complications in high-risk patients.

Areas of Study: Neurocritical Care, Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage, Prognostic Markers, Patient Outcomes
Education: MSN, Seoul National University, 2025
BSN, Korea University, 2021
Advisor: Dr. Elizabeth A. Crago
Contact: yoj45@pitt.edu

Bibliography

Namsu is a PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. His research focuses on cognitive decline in patients with traumatic brain injury, drawing on five years of combined clinical experience as a nursing officer in the neurosurgery ward of a military hospital and as a nurse in the neurosurgical intensive care unit at Samsung Medical Center. He aims to examine, from a molecular neurobiology perspective, the cognition-related biological changes. In particular, he seeks to determine whether associations exist among this cognitive decline, epigenetic mechanisms, and patients' lifestyle. Through this, his research goal is to develop precise, lifestyle-based personalized interventions that prevent cognitive decline and improve quality of life.

He is also interested in identifying the biological mechanisms underlying traumatic brain injury symptoms by integrating diverse biological information—including neuroscience-based epigenetics as well as brain imaging, transcriptomics, and single nucleotide polymorphisms.

Areas of Study: Traumatic Brain Injury, Cognitive Decline, Molecular Neurobiology, Epigenomics, Personalized Intervention
Education: MSN, Korea University, 2024
BSN, Hallym University, 2020
Advisor: Dr. Yvette Conley
Contact: namsu.kim@pitt.edu

Bibliography

Soyoung Kim is a PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. Her research focuses on identifying biomarkers to improve the prediction and early detection of ICU delirium. She is particularly interested in the biological mechanisms underlying delirium.

During her clinical practice as an intensive care unit nurse, Soyoung observed the heterogeneous presentation and outcomes of delirium among critically ill patients. These experiences inspired her interest in understanding the biological mechanisms underlying delirium and the factors that contribute to differences in patient vulnerability and recovery.

Her long-term research goal is to advance precision nursing by integrating biological and clinical data to improve delirium risk stratification, early detection, and personalized prevention strategies for critically ill adults.

Areas of Study: Critical Care Nursing, ICU Delirium, Genomics, Biological mechanisms
Education: MSN, Korea University, 2024
BSN, Sungshin Women’s University, 2018
Advisor: Dr. Sheila Alexander
Contact: sok175@pitt.edu

Bibliography

Woonkyung is a PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. She has a master’s degree in nursing and experience in clinical trials as a medical writer.

Woonkyung’s research focuses on improving health outcomes and healthcare utilization among older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. She is particularly interested in how social, environmental, and biological factors influence health trajectories among people living with dementia. Her current research uses data from the NIH All of Us Research Program to examine multidimensional risk factors for hospital readmission among individuals with dementia. Her long-term goal is to develop clinically meaningful and equitable approaches to reduce potentially preventable hospitalizations and improve care transitions.

Areas of Study: Dementia, Healthcare Utilization, Big Data Analytics
Education: MSN, Korea University, 2022
BSN, Korea University, 2016
Advisor: Dr. Theresa A. Koleck
Contact: wok29@pitt.edu

Biblography

Emmanuel Komladzah is a PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. His research focuses on cancer health disparities, chemotherapy tolerance, symptom science, and the influence of biological and social determinants of health on cancer treatment outcomes. His work integrates biomarkers of chronic stress, including allostatic load, with neighborhood deprivation and psychosocial factors to better understand disparities in cancer care and improve outcomes among diverse patient populations.

Prior to beginning his doctoral studies, Emmanuel earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Nursing from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. He practiced as a registered nurse with the Ghana Health Service for three years, primarily in medical-surgical nursing. He also served as a nursing educator at the School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Cape Coast, and at Twifo Praso Nursing and Midwifery Training College. His research has contributed to studies on cancer care, maternal and child health, adolescent health, and health disparities, resulting in peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.

At the University of Pittsburgh, Emmanuel's research seeks to advance precision nursing by identifying biological, psychosocial, and neighborhood-level factors that influence chemotherapy tolerance and treatment outcomes. His long-term goal is to become an independent nurse scientist whose interdisciplinary research informs evidence-based interventions and health policies aimed at reducing inequities in cancer care and improving outcomes for diverse populations.

Areas of Study: Cancer Health Disparities, Oncology Nursing, Chemotherapy Tolerance, Allostatic Load, Social Determinants of Health, Precision Health, Symptom Science
Education: MN, University of Cape Coast, Ghana
BSN, University of Cape Coast, Ghana
Advisors: Dr. Margaret Rosenzweig and Dr. Mitali Ray
Contact: emk267@pitt.edu

Bibliography

Abigail is a PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. With strong personal ties to the cancer population, Abigail has always been passionate about the experiences of individuals living with and beyond cancer. Particularly, Abigail is interested in understanding the social and biological factors that influence and underly late and long-term effects and aging processes in adolescent and young adult (AYA) and early-onset cancer survivors. Her long-term goals include developing and implementing equitable clinically-informed interventions to optimize the health and well-being of AYA and early-onset cancer survivors. Abigail is excited to continue learning at Pitt Nursing and hopes to advocate for and support this understudied and rapidly expanding cancer survivorship group with her research.

Areas of Study: Cancer Survivorship, Genomics
Education: BSN, University of Pittsburgh, 2024
Advisors: Dr. Yvette Conley and Dr. Sarah Belcher
Contact: aal71@pitt.edu

Bibliography

Rezvaneh is a dedicated PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh's School of Nursing. With over six years of experience as a nurse and lecturer, her research interests span several areas of mental health, including maternal and child mental health, caregiver burden, personality and religiosity, and suicide. Currently, she is particularly focused on suicide intervention and prevention, especially among adolescents, as she aims to address all aspects related to this preventable issue.

Areas of Study: Mental health, caregiver burden, suicide
Education: MSN, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, 2020
BSN, Esfarayen University of Medical Science, 2017
Advisor: Dr. Jamie Zelazny
Contact: rem302@pitt.edu

Bibliography

Bernard is a PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, where his interest in cancer survivorship and self-management science developed. His research now focuses specifically on self-management readiness among gynecologic cancer survivors during the surveillance phase of care, with the goal of understanding the factors that shape this readiness and identifying survivors at risk of being underprepared. At Pitt, Bernard is building the research skills needed to develop and test approaches that strengthen self-management readiness, with the broader aim of improving long-term outcomes and quality of life for cancer survivors.

Areas of Study: Cancer Survivorship, Self-Management Science
Education: BSN, University of Cape Coast, Ghana, 2022
Advisor: Dr. Heidi Donovan
Contact: ben76@pitt.edu

Bibliography

Mercy is currently a PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. As a dedicated nurse and midwife, she has extensive experience working in various maternal and child health settings, including antenatal clinics, obstetrics and gynecological wards, and postnatal care units. Her work has also focused on supporting pregnant women in managing the challenges of labor. Mercy has actively engaged in community initiatives aimed at improving the health outcomes of women and children. Her current research interests center on enhancing breastfeeding uptake among newborns and infants by identifying factors that may cause delays, beginning from the third trimester of pregnancy.

Education: RM, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Nigeria 2022
BSN, Babcock University School of Nursing, Nigeria, 2022
RN, Baptist School of Nursing, Saki, Nigeria, 2016
Advisors: Dr. Jill Demirci and Dr. Nancy Niemczyk
Contact: mao268@pitt.edu

Biblography

Reindolf is a dedicated PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Nursing, with experience in nursing education and emergency nursing practice.

His interest focuses on understanding how clinical data mining as a tool can identify hidden patterns, predict patient outcome though social (epi)genomic mechanisms influencing the prevalence of Breast Cancer.

Areas of Study: Breast Cancer (TNBC), Genomics and Digital Health
Education: BSN, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ghana
Advisors: Dr. Theresa Koleck and Dr. Susan Wesmiller
Contact: reo43@pitt.edu

Bibliography

Xueying is a PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. Her research focuses on breast cancer survivorship, with a particular interest in weight gain following the completion of treatment among women with early-stage breast cancer. She studies the complex factors contributing to weight gain and related health outcomes, with an emphasis on the broader sociocultural contexts that shape breast cancer survivors' experiences.

Before pursuing doctoral training, Xueying worked as a medical-surgical nurse, caring for patients with a wide range of acute and chronic illnesses. Her clinical experience inspired a strong interest in oncology nursing and motivated her to pursue research that addresses the long-term health and quality of life of cancer survivors.

Through her research, Xueying aims to advance understanding of weight management in breast cancer survivorship and to develop personalized, patient-centered nursing interventions that address cancer survivors' unique needs. She is committed to translating research into clinical practice to improve cancer survivorship care and support better health outcomes for women living with and beyond breast cancer.

Areas of Study: Oncology Nursing, Cancer Survivorship, Weight Change, Body Image
Education: MSN, University of Miami, 2021
BSN, Winston-Salem State University, 2018
BSN, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, 2017
Advisor: Dr. Margaret Rosenzweig
Contact: xup7@pitt.edu

Bibliography

Jamie is a certified acute and primary care pediatric nurse practitioner, certified school nurse, and a PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. She currently practices in the Department of Anesthesiology at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Same Day Surgery. Her clinical and research interests center on pediatric pain management, perioperative outcomes, health disparities, and precision health approaches to symptom management. As part of the omics track within the PhD program, she is exploring the role of inflammation, genomics, and other biological mechanisms in pediatric pain outcomes.

Areas of Study: Pediatric Pain Management, Perioperative Outcomes, Pediatric Obesity, Precision Health, Symptom Science, Omics
Education: DNP, Capella University
MSN, University of Pittsburgh
CSN, Slippery Rock University
BSN, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Advisor: Dr. Susan Wesmiller
Contact: jlr236@pitt.edu

Bibliography

Morty is a dedicated PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Nursing, with experience in nursing education, clinical instruction, and research on chronic diseases in acute and critical care settings. With over a decade of experience as a registered nurse and clinical instructor, his practice emphasizes patient and family-centered care in critical settings, particularly within ICUs.

His current research interests include improving outcomes for critically ill patients and their family members, understanding family engagement, and exploring interventions that foster a patient and family-friendly atmosphere in hospitals. Morty is interested in developing, testing, and translating palliative-based interventions for family caregivers of patients experiencing serious illnesses.

Areas of Study: Palliative care, Family engagement in ICU, Critical care
Education: MSN, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, 2012
BSN, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, 2010
Advisors: Dr. Jennifer Seaman and Dr. Sheila Alexander
Contact: mortyzadeh@pitt.edu

Bibliography

Ms. Hanyue Zhang has clinical experience in mental health nursing in China, where she worked with individuals experiencing psychiatric and psychological challenges. Through her clinical practice, she became increasingly aware of the emotional, psychological, and health-related burdens experienced by family caregivers, particularly those caring for individuals with serious or chronic illnesses. These experiences inspired her interest in caregiver health and psychosocial intervention research.

Ms. Zhang is currently a PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. She earned her Bachelor of Nursing degree from Nanjing Medical University and her Master of Science in Nursing from Universiti Sains Malaysia. During her master’s training, she conducted a randomized controlled trial examining the effects of group cognitive-behavioral hypnotherapy on psychological and physiological outcomes among individuals with anxiety disorders.

Her current research focuses on emotional distress, sleep health, and psychosocial adaptation among family caregivers of individuals with cancer. She is particularly interested in understanding the psychological and behavioral mechanisms that influence caregiver outcomes and in developing evidence-based interventions that promote caregiver resilience, well-being, and quality of life.

Ms. Zhang’s long-term goal is to develop and evaluate innovative psychosocial interventions that reduce distress and improve quality of life among cancer caregivers. Ultimately, she hopes to advance family-centered supportive care in oncology and improve health outcomes for both caregivers and the individuals they support.

Areas of Study: Cancer Caregiving Science, Psychosocial Oncology, Symptom Science, Emotional Distress and Mental Health, Sleep Health, Intervention Development and Evaluation
Education: MSN, Universiti Sains Malaysia
BSN, Nanjing Medical University
Advisor: Dr. Kelly Tan and Dr. Heidi Donovan
Contact: haz314@pitt.edu

Bibliography

Yuchen Zhang is a PhD candidate at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing who is passionately committed to enhancing the quality of life of individuals living with dementia by integrating a dignity-focused palliative-oriented care approach in dementia care. Drawing from her academic exploration and clinical background, Yuchen aspires to both improve the overall well-being of those living with dementia and alleviate burdens associated with their care throughout the progression of the disease.

Yuchen’s current dissertation project focuses on comprehensively describing the timing and indications for palliative care services in people living with dementia and co-occurring comorbidities, while leveraging innovative machine learning methodologies to identify comorbidity phenotypes in managing distressing symptoms in this vulnerable population

Areas of Study: Dementia Care, Palliative Care, Data Science
Education: BSN-H, University of Pittsburgh, 2021
Advisors: Dr. Jennifer Seaman and Dr. Jennifer Lingler
Contact: yuz152@pitt.edu

Bibliography