Yale School of Nursing (YSN) faculty conduct research in a wide variety of clinical settings, geographical locations, and subject matter areas to advance the school’s mission of better health for all people. During Academic Medicine Week (June 10-14), YSN is highlighting a sample of faculty research projects to demonstrate the expertise of YSN nurse researchers.
Soohyun Nam
As a clinician, researcher, and nurse educator, Soohyun Nam, PhD, APRN, ANP-BC, FAHA, FAAN is committed to improving cardiovascular health and quality of life for high-risk, underserved populations. Dr. Nam found that adults of diverse races and ethnicities experience multiple barriers to accessing and navigating healthcare systems and managing chronic diseases that often require substantial health behavior change and self-management.
Dr. Nam’s current research addresses gaps in the development and implementation of type 2 diabetes (hypertension/T2D) screening and delivery of care in urban low-middle-income country settings where social determinants of health play a critical role in non-communicable disease disparities in Kenya. Her previous research includes assessing an evidence-based stress-reduction intervention for insomnia that has shown potential for addressing the underlying causes of sleep difficulty in a manner culturally sensitive to the needs of Black women.
Dr. Nam’s research is funded mainly by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Hermine Poghosyan
Hermine Poghosyan, PhD, MPH, BSN, focuses her research focuses on cancer epidemiology and survivorship research, with a particular interest in cancer health disparities, lung cancer screening, and tobacco use among cancer survivors and the members of their social networks. Her research produces evidence regarding how to maximize the health and well-being of cancer survivors and their family members.
Dr. Poghosyan has developed and managed multiple cancer-related and behavioral research studies and applied advanced quantitative analytical techniques to conduct large population-based studies. Her current 5-year project aims to understand how to better promote smoking cessation among patients with tobacco-related cancer and their social network members—families, friends, and others.
Dr. Poghosyan’s research is funded largely by the National Cancer Institute.
LaRon E. Nelson
LaRon E. Nelson, PhD, RN, RNP, FNAP, FNYAM, FAAN’s work in research and implementation science spans multiple countries. His work in the United States focuses on the use of multi-level (e.g., social, structural, behavioral, and clinical) interventions to reduce HIV infections among Black men who have sex with men by increasing HIV testing, uptake, and adherence to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among HIV-uninfected persons, and viral suppression rates among HIV-infected persons.
A global leader in this area, Dr. Nelson co-founded the Central and West Africa Implementation Science Alliance (CAWISA)—a collaboration of implementation scientists and implementing agencies from Cameroon, Congo, Ghana, and Nigeria aimed to improve HIV-related outcomes among adolescents in the region. He is also leading implementation science efforts to reduce racial disparities in HIV incidence, treatment, and viral suppression among African, Caribbean, and Black communities in Canada.
Dr. Nelson’s research has been funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the National Institute of Mental Health.
Zhao Ni
Zhao Ni, PhD, BMed, RN, FAAN research focuses on using mobile technologies and artificial intelligence-based interventions to prevent cardiovascular disease and HIV/AIDS. He has conducted international research at the interface of chronic diseases, infectious diseases, and mobile health in the United States, China, Nepal, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Cameroon. Dr. Ni adopted mobile technologies to eliminate health disparities in healthcare among HIV/AIDS key populations, such as sexual minorities and people who inject drugs.
Dr. Ni is currently a principal investigator on a grant to develop and pilot test an artificial intelligence chatbot to improve PrEP awareness and uptake based on the preferences of Black men who have sex with men in the American South. He also holds a pilot award where he aims to develop and test an augmented reality app to increase HIV testing and the awareness of PrEP among adolescent girls and young women in Cameroon.
Dr. Ni’s research is funded through NIH’s Fogarty International Center and Gilead Sciences.
Research at YSN
YSN’s Office of Research Administration is led by Associate Dean of Research Xiaomei Cong, PhD, RN, FAAN. To learn more about faculty research at YSN, visit the office website.