The Pitt Nursing PhD Program currently has 31 students. Below are profiles for some of our students.
Larissa Allen, BSN, RN, CEN, TCRN, SANE-A
Larissa is a fourth year PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Nursing, with experience in emergency nursing, forensic nursing and education, and research in minority populations. Larissa has primarily worked clinically as an emergency nurse in both level 1 adult and pediatric trauma centers and as a sexual assault nurse examiner. Her current research interests include the impact of sexual violence victimization on suicidal thoughts and behaviors in gender diverse youth populations. Larissa is interested in developing, testing, and translating population-specific suicide prevention methods for gender diverse youth who have experienced sexual or dating violence.
Areas of Study: Suicide research, forensic nursing, emergency care
Education: BSN, University of Pittsburgh, 2020
BS Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, 2018
Advisors: Dr. Jamie Zelazny and Dr. Teresa Thomas
Contact: lca16@pitt.edu
Bibliography: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/karen.alsbrook.1/bibliography/public/
Carol Bennett, MSN, MBA, APP, PCNS-BC, CPN
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, Phoenix, Arizona
MSN, Case Western Reserve University, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Cleveland, Ohio
BSN, Kent State University School of Nursing Kent, Ohio
Advisor: Dr. Jill Demirci
Contact: cab566@pitt.edu
Katherine Cahir, BSN, RN, CCRN
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: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-6302-038X
Myeong-ga Cho, MSN, RN
Myeong-ga is a nursing PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing science from Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. With a focus on biobehavioral mechanisms of cognitive decline, she currently employs an epigenetic approach in her research, particularly in postmenopausal women with breast cancer. Her long-term research goal is to inform and develop precision interventions based on underlying mechanisms to optimize cognitive function.
Her studies aim to identify predictive biomarkers for cognitive decline and individuals at higher risk for cognitive decline, contributing to the development of precision interventions.
Areas of Study: Cognitive decline, Accelerated aging, Biobehavioral mechanisms, Epigenetic approach
Education: MSN, Korea University, 2022
BSN, Korea University, 2017
Advisors: Dr. Catherine Bender and Dr. Yvette Conley
Contact: myc23@pitt.edu
Alice Curtis Cline, MSN, CNM
Alice is a nurse midwife and doctoral student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. Her research focuses on maternal health and public policy. She has extensive clinical experience, in addition to teaching and research. Her research thus far includes analysis of large data sets, conducting small pilots, qualitative data, and reviews. She has conducted studies in a variety of methodologies, and has a special interest in using big data and microeconometrics to answer clinical questions.
Areas of Study: Maternal health, public policy, health equity
Education: MSN, Frontier Nursing University, 2015
BSN, Georgetown University, 2010
BA, University of Chicago, 2006
Advisor: Dr. Grant Martsolf
Contact: alice.cline@pitt.edu
Meredith Cummings, BSN, RN, OCN
Meredith is a PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Nursing. As a staff nurse, she has experience in both inpatient and outpatient oncology, with her most recent position as an infusion nurse administering chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and supportive care agents to patients with cancer and other benign hematological illnesses.
Her current research interests include improving the ability of clinicians to predict symptoms of cancer and its treatment to better manage severe symptoms proactively. She studies patients with head and neck cancer to better understand the possible disease, treatment, social, and genetic predictors of severe symptoms throughout treatment.
Areas of Study: Cancer survivorship, Symptom management
Education: BSN, University of Pittsburgh, 2015
BS, University of Pittsburgh, 2013
Advisor: Dr. Catherine Bender
Contact: mhc13@pitt.edu
Bibliography: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=2xvXZlUAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra
Sondos B. Eqylan, MSN, RN
Ms. Eqylan is a former critical care nurse with eight years of experience providing care to adults with neurological disorders and their family caregivers. During her clinical experience, she recognized the profound impact of unstructured care transitions on both neurological survivors’ and their caregivers’ health and overall well-being. This experience inspired her to pursue a career as a nursing scientist specializing in caregiving. She is currently a PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, having earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Jordan.
Ms. Eqylan’s primary research interest lies in investigating the psychoneuroendocrinological mechanisms underlying caregivers’ resilience and their impact on health outcomes. Her current research focuses on exploring resilience among caregivers of stroke survivors, particularly examining potential resilience trajectories during the transition of care phase. She is also investigating the complex interplay of psychological and social factors associated with these trajectories, and the role resilience plays in mitigating the physical and mental health risks associated with caregiving.
Ms. Eqylan’s future research aims to translate these findings into targeted interventions designed to enhance caregivers' resilience as a protective factor during care transitions. Her ultimate goal is to engage caregivers as integral partners in the health care plans of neurological survivors, improving both caregivers’ quality of life and the health outcomes of neurological survivors after discharge from clinical care settings.
Areas of Study: Caregiving Science, Resilience, Psychoneuroendocrinology Rehabilitation, transitions of care
Education: MSN, University of Jordan
BSN, University of Jordan
Advisor: Dr. Elizabeth Crago
Contact: sbe14@pitt.edu
Biblography: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=_X8TbJEAAAAJ
Emily He, BSN, RN
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 Heidari-Soureshjani, GRC, MSN, BSN
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: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=1r68ULkAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
Cameron S. Herbst MSN, RN, OCN
Cameron is a PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Nursing under the mentorship of Drs. Yvette Conley and Margaret Rosenzweig. He holds a background in clinical laboratory science (FISH, IHC), inpatient medical oncology nursing, and nurse education.
Supported by The Targeted Research and Academic Training Program for Nurses in Genomics (T32NR009759), his research interests include understanding the epigenetic drivers of cancer metastasis. Through this knowledge, he aims to improve treatment guidance and decisions through better predictive modeling of brain metastasis risk. He has experience teaching undergraduate nursing students and remains in part-time clinical practice at Allegheny General Hospital.
Areas of Study: Oncology, -omics, epigenetics, clinical decision making
Education: MSN, Capella University, 2024
BSN, University of Pittsburgh, 2021
BS (Biology), Penn State, 2016
BS (Immunology & Infectious Disease), Penn State, 2016
Advisor: Dr. Margaret Rosenzweig
Contact: csh41@pitt.edu
Abigail Lustyik, BSN, RN
Abigail is a PhD student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. Abigail was thrilled to have 2 years of valuable research experience on Dr. Sarah Belcher’s team while completing her undergraduate nursing degree at Pitt. With a commitment to health equity and 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 epigenetic underpinnings of post-cancer morbidity in underserved populations. Abigail is excited to continue learning at Pitt Nursing and hopes to advocate for and support the cancer community with her research.
Areas of Study: Cancer Survivorship, Health Equity, Genomics
Education: BSN, University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, 2024
Advisors: Dr. Sarah Belcher and Dr. Yvette Conley
Contact: aal71@pitt.edu
Bibliography: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Abigail-Lustyik
Rezvaneh Manzour, MSN, BSN
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: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=cPY2LSoAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
Mercy Opateye, RN, RM, BSN
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: https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=author:%22Opateye%20Mercy%22
Reindolf Oppong, BSN
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: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/maura.mccall.2/bibliography/public/
Morteza "Morty" Shamsizadeh, MSN, BSN
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: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=hlNIQDUAAAAJ&hl=en
Kai-Lin You, PhD Candidate, MSN, RN
Kai-Lin You is a doctoral candidate at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. Her research interests include cancer survivorship care and digital health. Her dissertation research explores the impact of cancer on work and well-being among nurses diagnosed with cancer. She conducted a scoping review and a focus group study to identify knowledge gaps, map key concepts, and provide deep understanding of this phenomenon. Kai-Lin was awarded a predoctoral to postdoctoral fellowship from the NCI (F99CA294268) and has received funding through Margaret E. Wilkes Scholarship from the School of Nursing, Sigma/CANS Science grant, and ONF Doctoral Scholarship. She currently serves as a Graduate Nursing Student Academy liaison.
Areas of Study: Cancer Survivorship
Education: MSN, National Taiwan University, 2018
Advisors:Dr. Teresa Hagan Thomas and Dr. Catherine Bender
Contact: kailinyou@pitt.edu
Bibliography: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/18S54XB9UeDIgi/bibliography/public/
Yuchen Zhang, BSN, RN
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: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/yuchen.zhang.5/bibliography/public/