Kathy D. Wright
Dr. Kathy D. Wright serves as a tenured associate professor at The Ohio State University College of Nursing Center for Healthy Aging, Self-Management, and Complex Care. She also holds a faculty position at Ohio State’s Discovery Themes: Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Brain Injury Institute.
Dr. Wright focuses on interventions that address the complex interplay of hypertension and chronic stress. Specifically, she examines strategies for reducing the risk of cognitive decline through stress management, cardiovascular risk reduction, and blood pressure control among Black/African American caregivers of individuals living with dementia. Dr. Wright has spearheaded or collaborated on NIH-funded projects nationwide, exploring topics such as self-care, hypertension, and aging.
Her current research, supported by the National Institutes on Aging and the Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development-Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, highlights a mind-body intervention tailored for Black women caregivers of dementia patients. Moreover, Dr. Wright has been instrumental in pioneering the use of hair cortisol as a novel biomarker of chronic stress in Black/African American older adults. Her published protocol for culturally-tailored hair cortisol collection among Black/African American populations is widely utilized both nationally and internationally, spanning across 50 countries.
Recognized for her groundbreaking contributions, Dr. Wright was honored with the inaugural Midwest Nursing Research Society Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award (Early/Mid-Career). She has shared her research findings at prestigious venues, including a National Institutes of Nursing Research webinar and various national conferences.
Dr. Wright's impact extends beyond research. Her advocacy within the Sigma Theta Tau International Research and Scholarship Advisory Council has led to more equitable funding procedures for nurses from low-income countries. Additionally, she served as The Ohio State College of Nursing's inaugural Chief Diversity Officer, leading initiatives that garnered the college consecutive Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Awards.
Dr. Wright earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing with a major in psychology from Youngstown State University. She then completed her master’s in geriatric health and minority mental health at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University before earning her PhD from The University of Utah in Salt Lake City.
Dr. Wright's research on blood pressure self-management was featured by Ohio State in a special "Minute Professor" video in July 2020. She is also a member of the Monroe Lab.
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