Research
Research by faculty and staff in the College of Nursing focuses on cutting-edge design and methodologies that support clinical and translational research in individual and population health. National and local policy offers an overarching frame for research and translation of the science into practice.
To support the research endeavors in the College of Nursing, the Office of Research supports:
- Mentoring for faculty
- Pre-award application development
- Consultation, compliance, and submission processes for Human Subjects Review by the Institutional Review Board
- Daily operational management including proposal development and submission
- Pre- and post-award financial management for sponsored projects & related compliance
- Sponsored travel and reimbursements
- Prospecting funding sources and mechanisms
- Ensuring compliance with UT/federal policies and sponsor guidelines
- Offer internal awards for pilot work
- Organize Research Advisory Council (RAC)
- Biostatistical work
- Methodology assistance
- Graphic design
- Editing
$7.9M
Final Funding dollars in FY25
9
Members of the American Academy of Nursing
91
Peer-reviewed Articles Published by Faculty
Research Model
Research and scholarship by faculty and staff in the College of Nursing focuses on cutting-edge design and methodologies that promote health equity, population wellness, quality of life and health policy. Within an interconnected process that flows between research, discovery, translation and evidence, the faculty value innovation, team science, community engagement and understanding social drivers of health. Through these lenses, we work with underserved Appalachia populations across the lifespan to advance biobehavioral sciences, health services and policy research and by advancing health care delivery.
Focus Areas
Bio Behavioral Science
Faculty engaged in biobehavioral research and scholarship aim to tackle health problems by better understanding the body’s response to conditions or interventions and the way persons might behave to a problem or intervention. The College of Nursing researchers’ areas of interest range across the lifespan, often engage the community, and require interdisciplinary team science.
- Family and Caregiving
- Cancer
- Genomics
- Microbiome
- Chronic Disease
- Substance Use
- Mental Health
Advancing Health Care Delivery
Faculty are engaged in evidenced based simulation and research, telehealth services, school-based care, care to the global community, and most recently computational precision health.
- Simulation
- Telehealth
- School-based health care
- Global engagement
- Computational Precision Health
Health Services and Policy Research
Faculty in the College of Nursing are invested in health services and policy research and scholarship. Teams of researchers and clinical experts examine pediatric concurrent and end-of-life care, health equity in women’s health and reproductive care, especially in rural Appalachia, preventive care, and the well-being of those who offer care—nurses.
- Pediatric End of Life Care
- Reproductive Care
- Health Care Workforce
- Preventive Care
Labs, Centers, and Services
Center for Precision Health
The Precision Health and Environment (PHE) cluster will focus on links between exposure to environmental conditions and human health outcomes at multiple levels.
VolBiome Lab
The Groer Family VolBiome Lab is a state-of-the-art biobehavioral research space that supports scientific discovery aimed at improving human health. The lab’s work in nursing, biology, and behavior, explores how the body and mind interact and how these pathways influence health across the lifespan.
Up and Up Mobile Mental Health Clinic
The Up & Up Program is a HRSA-funded initiative dedicated to expanding access to mental health care in rural East Tennessee. Through our mobile mental health van, we proudly serve five counties, bringing high-quality support directly to communities where reliable care can be difficult to access.
Featured Projects
Pediatric End of Life Care
Lisa Lindley
The Pediatric End-of-Life (PedEOL) Care Group is centered at the College of Nursing. A team science approach guides the scholarship with several interdisciplinary teams operating at a distance from multiple institutions with research focused on understanding the end-of-life care needs of children and adolescents with serious, advanced illness.
Healthy Families Lab
Patricia Roberson
The Healthy Families Lab is directed by Patricia Roberson and is housed in the College of Nursing. Here we examine the impact of marital and family relationships on the mental and physical health of both estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer and diabetes patients in rural Appalachia.
Recruitment
Join us in advancing nursing science and improving health outcomes. The following research studies are currently seeking participants. Explore the links below to learn more about each project and how you can get involved.
Survey for Women Between Ages 18-25
Our Researchers
Select a focus area below to see which of our researchers have work centered in that area.
Bio Behavioral Science
Advancing Health Care Delivery
Jennifer Patrick
Health Services and Policy Research
Jennifer Patrick
Megan Savery
Shelia Swift