Research Areas of Interest and Current Projects

The purpose of this research program is to investigate chronic stress and psychosocial factors that may contribute to obesity among young Black adults. This includes examining both psychosocial and biobehavioral factors, as well as determinants of health through cross-sectional and longitudinal evaluations. Funding has been obtained from Sigma Theta Tau International, UNCG internal funds, and a collaborative NHLBI study. 

This program to examines biomarkers of stress, inflammatory cytokines, and their effects on chronic disease progression and understanding factors that might contribute to black Americans being diagnosed with chronic illnesses more often and disproportionately dying of these diseases when compared to white Americans.  

This program includes cross sectional and longitudinal examination of women’s health, postpartum cardiovascular health, biobehavioral and lifestyle outcomes and interventions. Immunologic, inflammation, pulse wave stiffness and risk factors and lifestyle are evaluated for impact on outcomes. This research is funded by the Betty Irene Moore Fellowship from UC Davis and a NHLBI Diversity Supplement with UNC Chapel Hill.    

This research is focused on the health and safety of the registered nursing workforce as well as quality of care and healthy aging. This includes occupational health, job satisfaction, a just work culture, back injuries, presenteeism and age-related burnout and retention. The work has been funded by the American Nurses’ Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the CCI foundation, Sigma Theta Tau, and internal sources. 

The purpose of this program is to examine nurse’s understanding and practices about how failure to rescue occurs for inpatient units and CLAUDI, CLEBSI and nurse satisfaction as related to patient outcomes. Duke Endowment, Cone Health and Forsyth Medical Center have assisted with or funded this program.  

Dr. Vermeesch, colleagues, and her students have focused on the three main areas noted.  She has included Integrative Health Interventions and Ethical Care in her research and scholarship.  Recently, she utilized the All of Us Data to focus on wellness among communities of color. A second All of Us Data study examined associations between perceived healthcare and everyday discrimination, its association with gender, and physical markers of wellbeing for Black individuals living in USA. She has received funding in several states from universities, Centers, foundations, and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. 

Colleen McGovern focuses on child health intervention through school & community settings using qualitative and quantitative methods. Major foci are childhood asthma, chronic illness and stress.  This research is funded by internal monies and a collaborative NIH R01 with the University of Rhode Island and Michigan State University.  

Dr. Epstein’s program of research focuses on the long-term impact of childhood adversity and chronic stress on mental health during pregnancy, especially via physiologic stress pathways and disrupted circadian rhythms.  Her research leverages both quantitative and qualitative methods using diverse data such as biomarkers, wearables, surveys, electronic health records, and interviews. She leads the RHYTHMS study (Research on Heart and Hormones during Pregnancy), has ongoing projects using the NIH All of Us Research Program, and collaborates internationally with perinatal researchers in the Netherlands.   

Communication, relational coordination, intent to stay, and job satisfaction are major foci. The influence of Surgical team structure and spatial topology on surgical team performance is a recent project. A relational coordination intervention study is in process at a military hospital. This program has received funding from the TriService Nursing Research Program and the CCI foundation. 

This program has included activities related to maternal health research in prenatal care and breastfeeding. Also, nursing education research has included dealing with failing nursing students, clinical evaluation, and measurement of competence in graduating nursing students and new graduate RNs. Funding has been obtained from the National League for Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau, and internal sources. 

Dr. Anders program focuses on women’s need for information, knowledge, support and appropriate equipment for breastfeeding. She has received internal funding for her collaborative work. 

This program examines and evaluates care provided to children and adults with the chronic illness of asthma. Recent studies include access to medications in the emergency department and primary care, and the interaction of asthma and socioeconomic factors. She has received internal funding.