College ranks #13 among all nursing colleges, #6 among public institutions
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State University College of Nursing has made a significant leap in National Institutes of Health (NIH) ranking, placing it among the top 15 nursing colleges in the country. NIH rankings released this week show the College of Nursing at #13 overall and #6 among public institutions, with approximately $4.3 million in NIH research funding.
The College of Nursing ranked #20 last year and #31 two years ago.
“The NIH’s continued and increasing investment in our research at the College of Nursing demonstrates the outstanding quality of our research leadership, faculty and the staff who support them,” said Bernadette Mazurek Melnyk, PhD, RN, APRN-CNP, FAANP, FNAP, FAAN, vice president for health promotion, chief wellness officer and dean of the College of Nursing. “We are dreaming, discovering and delivering a healthier world with our faculty’s innovative and cutting-edge research that is truly transforming care and improving lives in real-world settings. I am deeply inspired by their work.”
“Our researchers are incredibly dedicated and passionate in their pursuit of science to prevent or relieve suffering, improve illness recovery, and help people live healthier lives,” said Mary Beth Happ, PhD, RN, FGSA, FAAN, associate dean for research and innovation at the College of Nursing. “It is not only rewarding to receive this level of investment from the NIH, but it is also motivating for us to keep exploring what we are capable of delivering to improve health and well-being across the life-span.”
College of Nursing research newly funded by the NIH this year includes:
Interdisciplinary study of Alzheimer’s patients
A five-year grant from NIH and the National Institute on Aging (NIA) is funding the study, “Sex Differences in Pain Reports and Brain Activation in Older Adults with Alzheimer’s Disease.” The grant was awarded to Todd Monroe, PhD, RN-BC, FNAP, FGSA, FAAN, associate professor in The Ohio State University College of Nursing. Monroe’s interdisciplinary team includes faculty from the College of Nursing, the Departments of Neurology and Geriatrics, and the Wright Center of Innovation in Biomedical Imaging at Ohio State, as well as collaborators from Vanderbilt University. The study is examining gender and Alzheimer’s-related differences in verbal pain reporting patterns and how they are displayed in regional and network brain function, with an aim to lead to better pain management.
Improving the health and well-being of older adults
A five-year grant from NIH and NIA is funding the interdisciplinary study, “Impact of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Oral Therapy on Healing of Chronic Venous Leg Ulcers in Older Adults.” The grant was awarded to Jodi McDaniel, PhD, RN, who is an associate professor and the graduate studies committee chair at The Ohio State University College of Nursing. Co-investigators include Alai Tan, MD, PhD, of the College of Nursing, and College of Medicine faculty Guibin Li, MD, PhD, Narasimham Parinandi, PhD, and Sashwati Roy, PhD. This project is testing a new oral nutrient therapy, and the project’s findings are expected to advance wound healing science.
Caring for infants with Down Syndrome and congenital heart disease
Tondi Harrison, PhD, RN, FAAN received an award to fund an administrative supplement to the study, “Behavioral and physiological responses to oral feeding in infants with complex congenital heart disease.” The supplement, from NIH’s INCLUDE program (INvestigation of Co-occurring conditions across the Lifespan to Understand Down SyndromE), will support the addition of infants who have both Down syndrome and congenital heart disease to the study. Harrison is an associate professor in the College of Nursing.
Helping pregnant women at-risk for complications
A three-year career development grant was awarded to Shannon Gillespie, PhD, RN, assistant professor, Martha S. Pitzer Center for Women, Children and Youth. Her study, “Maternal Immune Responsiveness as Clinical Target for Preterm Birth Prevention” (The MIRACL Study) is testing a novel method of identifying women at risk for inflammatory preterm birth and determining whether specific preventive interventions are likely to offer benefit during the pregnancy.
Examining the role of fathers in birth outcomes
A grant entitled “Paternal Role in Adverse Birth Outcomes in Black Families” is a multi-university project awarded to: Carmen Giurgescu, PhD, RN, WHNP, associate professor in The Ohio State University College of Nursing; Cleopatra Caldwell, PhD, of University of Michigan; and Dawn Phillips Misra, PhD, at Wayne State University. The study aims to add another dimension to efforts to reduce racial disparities in successful birth outcomes.
The College of Nursing is currently hiring new faculty who are committed to transforming health and transforming lives. You can find job openings in the college here.
