McKenzie K. Jancsura

Image

First Name

McKenzie

Last Name

Jancsura

Credentials

PhD, RN

Assistant Professor

jancsura.3@osu.edu

she/her/hers

Address

200F Heminger Hall

Address (Line 2)

1577 Neil Avenue

City

Columbus

State

OH

Zip Code

43210

Dr. McKenzie Jancsura has a passion for improving maternal health outcomes. Her research investigates immunological pathways associated with preeclampsia and leverages behavioral and social interventions to modulate the immune response in pregnancy. Her research has investigated cytokines and DNA methylation across pregnancy to identify prediction tools for preeclampsia. She also explores how factors like diet, physical activity and stress impact the immune milieu in pregnancy as possible intervention targets to prevent pregnancy complications. Her work has been supported by the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Nursing Research, the Heilbrunn Nurse Scholars Award, and the nuMoM2b Heart Health Study. Through this program of research, Dr. Jancsura hopes to develop clinically useful tools to predict risk of preeclampsia and develop interventions to mitigate the risk to improve outcomes for mothers and babies. As a faculty member in the College of Nursing, she teaches in undergraduate programs and mentors students at all levels.

Dr. Jancsura’s clinical experiences include labor and delivery, postpartum, well-women care and primary care in community health settings. Her clinical experiences informed her program of research as she watched families struggle with the uncertainty surrounding a preeclampsia diagnosis and the lasting health impacts. Dr. Jancsura completed her postdoctoral training in nursing and genetics at the University of Pittsburgh, PhD in nursing at Case Western Reserve University, and BSN and BA in international studies and global health at the University of Iowa. 

View publications

Publications: * indicates shared first authorship
*Magnus, M.C., *Wallace, M.K., Demirci, J.R., Catov, J., Schmella, M.J., Fraser, A (2023). Breastfeeding and later-life cardiometabolic health in women with and without hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Journal of the American Heart Association. https://doi.org/10.1161/jaha.122.026696
*Ray, M., *Wallace, M. K., Grayson, S. C., Cummings, M. H., Davis, J. A., Scott, J., Belcher, S. M., Davis, T. S., & Conley, Y. P. (2022). Epigenomic Links Between Social Determinants of Health and Symptoms: A Scoping Review. Biological Research for Nursing, 10998004221147300. https://doi.org/10.1177/10998004221147300
Wirth, M. D., Liu, J., Wallace, M. K., McLain, A. C., Turner-McGrievy, G. M., Davis, J. E., Ryan, N., & Hébert, J. R. (2022). Dietary Inflammatory Index and sleep quality and duration among pregnant women with overweight or obesity. Sleep, 45(12). https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsac241
Wallace, M. K., Jones, M. A., Whitaker, K., & Barone Gibbs, B. (2022). Patterns of physical activity and sedentary behavior before and during pregnancy and cardiometabolic outcomes. Midwifery, 114, 103452. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2022.103452
Whitaker, K. M., Jones, M. A., Wallace, M. K., Catov, J., & Barone Gibbs, B. (2022). Associations of objectively measured physical activity and sedentary time with pregnancy-specific health-related quality of life. Midwifery, 104, 103202. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2021.103202
Jones, M.A., Whitaker, K.M., Wallace, M.K., Barone Gibbs, B. (2021). Demographic, Socioeconomic, and Health-related Predictors of Objectively-measured Sedentary Time and Physical Activity during Pregnancy. Journal of Physical Activity and Health. 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.2021-0097
Tracy, E.M., Braxton, R., Henrich, C., Jeanblanc, A., Wallace, M., Burant, C.J., & Musil, C. (2021). Grandmothers raising grandchildren: Managing, balancing and maintaining family relationships. Journal of Women and Aging. 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/08952841.2021.1951114
Wallace, M. K., Shivappa, N., Wirth, M. D., Hebert, J. R., Huston-Gordesky, L., Alvarado, F., Mouzon, S. H., & Catalano, P. M. (2021). Longitudinal Assessment of Relationships Between Health Behaviors and IL-6 in Overweight and Obese Pregnancy. Biological Research for Nursing, 23(3), 481-487. https://doi.org/10.1177/1099800420985615
Wallace, M. K.,Still, C. H., Jeanblanc, A. B., & Musil, C. M. (2021). Successful and Cost-Effective Facebook Recruitment: Is It Possible? Results From a Longitudinal Randomized Clinical Trial in Grandmother Caregivers. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 91415020987667. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091415020987667
Musil, C. M., Wallace, M. K., Jeanblanc, A. B., Toly, V. B., Zauszniewski, J. A., & Burant, C. J. (2021). Theoretical and Operational Consideration of Mindfulness, Resilience, and Resourcefulness. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 43(3), 210-218. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193945920956684
Wallace, M K., Jeanblanc, A.B., Musil, C.M.(2020). Incidental findings: A practical protocol for reporting elevated depressive symptoms in behavioral health research. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing. 34: 96-99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2020.04.005
Jones, L.M., Wright, K.D., Wallace, M. K., Veinot, T.C. (2018). “Take an opportunity whenever you get it”: Information Sharing among African-American Women with Hypertension. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology. 69(1):168–171. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.23923
Wallace, M., Downing, N., Lourens, S., Mills, J., Kim, J. I., Long, J., Paulsen, J., Predict-Hd, I., & Coordinators Of The Huntington Study, G. (2016). Is There an Association of Physical Activity with Brain Volume, Behavior, and Day-to-day Functioning? A Cross Sectional Design in Prodromal and Early Huntington Disease. PLoS Currents, 8. https://doi.org/10.1371/currents.hd.cba6ea74972cf8412a73ce52eb018c1e

Funded Research Grants

Inflammatory potential of diet and cardiovascular health after pregnancy
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency- nuMoM2b Heart Health Study (NHLBI)
Funding Period: 03/2023-12/2023
Funding Amount: $20,000
Longitudinal Investigation of Inflammatory Marker Profiles in Overweight and Obese Women with and without Preeclampsia
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: Heilbrunn Nurse Scholar’s Award- Rockefeller Foundation
Funding period: 06/2021- 12/2022
Funding Amount: $20,900
Determinates of Inflammation in Pregnancy
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: Sigma Theta Tau International
Funding Date: 09/2017
Funding amount: $4,991

News

January 24, 2025

Pitzer Center spotlights emotion-filled artwork created by local high school students

Partnership with local STEM academy focuses on student social-emotional learning needs

The vibrant colors and inspirational messages adorning the walls of the Martha S. Pitzer Center for Women, Children and Youth at The Ohio State University College of Nursing originated from the minds, hearts and talents of students at Linden-McKinley STEM Academy in Columbus as part of a partnership through the college’s involvement in the school’s “Be The One” program.