Shannon L. Gillespie

Image

First Name

Shannon

Last Name

Gillespie

Credentials

PhD, RN, FAAN

Assistant Professor

gillespie.175@osu.edu

she/her/hers

Address

200F Heminger Hall

Address (Line 2)

1577 Neil Avenue

City

Columbus

State

Zip Code

43210

Dr. Shannon L. Gillespie brings unique perspective and expertise to her research into maternal-infant health. She pairs clinical experience with scientific expertise in translational psychoneuroimmunology, making her one of a handful of scientists working to optimize maternal-infant well-being and prevent maternal and infant morbidity and mortality from this unique perspective. More specifically, Dr. Gillespie’s expertise allows her to both scientifically discover and clinically optimize novel methods for psychoneuroimmune monitoring, transforming our ability to predict and prevent complications among antepartum, intrapartum and postpartum populations.

Dr. Gillespie used her 20 years of experience in various research settings to lead two NIH-funded projects as Principal Investigator, and she has filed two patents on her novel methods. She also provides consultation to teams incorporating psychoneuroimmune monitoring into their work among diverse populations (e.g., AHA SFRN) and is passionate about mentoring students of diverse disciplines and inspiring them to bravely tackle our nation’s most complex problems using their unique skillsets.

This decorated nurse scientist earned her BA in psychology from Ohio University and her MS and PhD in nursing from The Ohio State University. She has won several university, regional and national research honors and was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 2024.

Laboratory and study websites:

View publications

View NIH-funded research projects

Publications

*Jenkusky, L.M., Warren, B.J., Masciola, R.L., & Gillespie, S.L. (2021). Implementation
of the Maternal Mental Health Safety Bundle: Standardizing perinatal depression
Gillespie CV 4
screening and response in a federally qualified health center. Women’s Healthcare, 9(2),
48-51.
Rausch, J., Gillespie, S., Orchard, T., Tan, A., & McDaniel, J.C. (2021). Systematic
Review of the Effects of Marine-derived Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation on
Leptin, Adiponectin and the Leptin-to-Adiponectin Ratio. Nutrition Research, 85, 135-
152. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2020.11.002. PMID: 33482602.
^Nowak, A.L., Anderson, C.M., Mackos, A.R., Neiman, E., Gillespie, S.L. (2020). Stress
during pregnancy and epigenetic modifications to offspring DNA: A systematic review of
associations and implications for preterm birth. Journal of Perinatal and Neonatal
Nursing, 34(2), 134-145. doi: 10.1097/JPN.0000000000000471. PMC7185032.
*Gillespie, S.L., Anderson, C.M., Zhao, S., Tan, Y., Kline, D., Brock, G., Odei, J.,
O’Brien, E., Sims, M., Lazarus, S.A., Hood, D.B., Williams, K.P., Joseph, J.J. (2019).
Allostatic load in the association of depressive symptoms with incident coronary heart
disease: The Jackson Heart Study. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 109, 104369. doi:
10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.06.020. PMC7232849.
Gillespie, S.L., Hardy, L.R., Anderson, C.M. (2019). Patterns of DNA methylation as an
indicator of biological aging: State of the science and future directions in precision health
promotion. Nursing Outlook, 67(4), 337-344. doi:10.1016/j.outlook.2019.05.006.
PMC6679732.
Gillespie, S.L., Cole, S.W., Christian, L.M. (2019). Early adversity and the regulation of
gene expression: Implications for prenatal health. Current Opinion in Behavioral
Sciences, 28, 111-118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cobeha.2019.02.005. PMC6897329.
*Cifuentes, P., Reichard, J., Im, W., Smith, S., Colen, C., Giurgescu, C., Williams, K.P.,
Gillespie, S., Juarez, P.D., Hood, D.B. (2019). Application of the Public Health
Exposome Framework to Estimate Phenotypes of Resilience in a Model Ohio AfricanAmerican Women's Cohort. Journal of Urban Health. Advance online publication.
doi:10.1007/s11524-018-00338-w. PMC6430281.
Giurgescu, C., Nowak, A., Gillespie, S., Nolan, T., Anderson, C.M., Ford, J., Hood,
D.B., & Williams, K.P. (2019). Neighborhood Environment and DNA Methylation:
Implications for Cardiovascular Disease Risk. Journal of Urban Health. Advance online
publication. doi:10.1007/s11524-018-00341-1. PMC6430282.
*Ford, J.L., Anderson, C., Gillespie, S., Giurgescu, C., Nolan, T., Nowak, A., &
Williams, K.P. (2019). Social integration and quality of social relationships as protective
factors for inflammation in a nationally representative sample of Black women. Journal
of Urban Health. Advance online publication. doi:10.1007/s11524-018-00337-x.
PMC6430279.
*Gillespie, S.L. & Anderson, C.M. (2018). Racial discrimination and leukocyte
glucocorticoid sensitivity: Implications for birth timing. Social Science and Medicine,
216, 114-123. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.08.010. PMC6188674.
*Gillespie, S.L., Mitchell, A.M., Kowalsky, J.M., & Christian, L.M. (2018). Maternal
parity and perinatal cortisol adaptation: The role of pregnancy-specific distress and
implications for postpartum mood. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 97, 86-93.
doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.07.008. PMC6582962.
*#Anderson, C.M., #Gillespie, S.L., Thiele, D.K., Ralph, J.L., & Ohm, J.E. (2018).
Effects of maternal vitamin D supplementation on the maternal and infant epigenome.
Breastfeeding Medicine, 13(5), 371-380. doi:10.1089/bfm.2017.0231. PMC6004083.
Gillespie CV 5
+Wagner, C.L. & Eidelman, A.I. (2018). The impact of vitamin D on the maternal
and infant epigenome: The role of pregnancy and breastfeeding. Breastfeeding
Medicine, 13(5), 305-306.
~Tan, M.L., Abrams, S.A., & Osborn, D.A. (2020). Vitamin D supplementation
for term breastfed infants to prevent vitamin D deficiency and improve bone
health. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 12, CD013046. doi:
10.1002/14651858.CD013046.pub2. PMID: 33305822.
*Gillespie, S.L., Alston, A.D., Christian, L.M., & Salsberry, P.J. (2017). Childhood
stress and birth timing among African American women: Cortisol as biological mediator.
Psychoneuroendocrinology. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.06.009. PMC5550339.
*Gillespie, S.L., Neal, J.L., Christian, L.M., Szalacha, L.A., McCarthy, D.O., &
Salsberry, P.J. (2017). Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist Polymorphism and Birth
Timing: Pathway Analysis among African American Women. Nursing Research, 66(2),
95-104. doi: 10.1097/NNR.0000000000000200. PMC5334774.
*Christian, L.M., Mitchell, A.M., Gillespie, S.L., & Palettas, M. (2016). Serum brainderived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) across pregnancy and postpartum: Associations with
race, depressive symptoms, and low birth weight. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 74, 69-76.
doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.08.025. PMC5166606.
*Gillespie, S.L. & Christian, L.M. (2016). Body mass index (BMI) as a measure of
obesity: Racial differences in predictive value for health parameters during pregnancy.
Journal of Women’s Health, 25 (12), 1210-1218. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2016.5761.
PMID27487272.
+Chambliss, L.R. (2016). Body mass index as a measure of obesity: Racial
differences in predictive value for health parameters during pregnancy. Journal of
Women’s Health, 25 (12), 1198. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2016.6184.
*Gillespie, S.L., Porter, K., & Christian, L.M. (2016). Adaptation of the inflammatory
immune response across pregnancy and postpartum in Black and White women. Journal
of Reproductive Immunology, 114, 27-31. doi: 10.1016/j.jri.2016.02.001. PMC4808619.
~Parikh, N.I., Gonzalez, J.M., Anderson, C.A.M., Judd, S.E., Rexrode, K.M.,
Hlatky, M.A., Gunderson, E.P., Stuart, J.J., Vaidya, D., American Heart
Association Council on Epidemiology and Prevention; Council on
Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology; Council on Cardiovascular
and Stroke Nursing; and the Stroke Council. (2021). Adverse pregnancy outcomes
and cardiovascular disease risk: Unique opportunities for cardiovascular disease
prevention in women: A scientific statement from the American Heart
Association. Circulation, Online ahead of print. doi:
10.1161/CIR.0000000000000961. PMID: 33779213.
Gillespie, S.L., Christian, L.M., & Neal, J.L. (2015). A proposed bio-panel to predict risk
for spontaneous preterm birth among African American women. Medical Hypotheses, 85,
558-564. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2015.07.026. PMC4661115.
*Neal, J.L., Lamp, J.M., Lowe, N.K., Gillespie, S.L., Sinnott, L.T., & McCarthy, D.O.
(2015). Differences in inflammatory markers between nulliparous women admitted to
hospitals in pre-active versus active labor. American Journal of Obstetrics &
Gynecology, 212, 68.e1-68.e8. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2014.07.050. PMC4275404.
*Neal, J.L., Lamp, J.M., Buck, J.S., Lowe, N.K., Gillespie, S.L., & Ryan, S.L. (2014).
Outcomes of nulliparous women with spontaneous labor onset admitted to hospitals in
preactive versus active labor. Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health, 59(1), 28-34. doi:
10.1111/jmwh.12160. PMC4104945.

Recent Research Activities

Summer Institute in Statistical Genetics (Trainee), 2016
Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington
F31NR014605 (Pre-doctoral Fellow), 2013 – 2015
National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health
“Pathways to Shortened Gestation among Black Women”
Summer Genetics Institute (Trainee), 2012
National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health
Immunologic Surveillance Laboratory (Research Resident), 2012
Center for Perinatal Research, Nationwide Children’s Hospital (PI M. Hall)
Biomedical Research Laboratories (Research Resident), 2012
College of Nursing, The Ohio State University (Director D. McCarthy)

Funded Research Grants

*Seed Grant (Gillespie PI) 6/1/18 – 5/31/21
SLEEP and Methylation of Maternal DNA in Preterm Birth (SLEEP-MOM)
Funder: Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS)
Role: PI (5% effort without cost)
Total Award: $10,000
*K23NR017902 (Gillespie PI) 7/20/18 – 6/30/21
Maternal Immune Responsiveness as Clinical Target for Preterm Birth Prevention (MIRACL)
Funder: National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
Role: PI (75% effort)
Total Award: $422,996
*Administrative Supplement (Gillespie PI) 7/1/20 – 6/30/21
Maternal Immune Responsiveness as Clinical Target for Preterm Birth Prevention (MIRACL)
Funder: NIH/NINR
Role: PI (0% effort)
Total Requested: $53,986
*Heilbrunn Nurse Scholar Award 7/1/20 – 6/30/22
Transcriptional Profiling in the Prediction & Prevention of Preterm Birth (TRANSCRIPT-PTB)
Funder: Rockefeller University
Role: PI (5% effort without cost)
Total Award: $25,000
Innovation Studio 4/16/21 – 4/15/22
Clinical Immunomonitoring Kit: From Bench to Bedside
Funder: CON, OSU
Role: Team Lead (0% effort)
Total Award: $250
*Nursing Research Grant (Gillespie PI) 9/1/16 – 8/31/18
DNA methylation markers of preterm birth risk among asymptomatic African American women
Funder: American Nurses Foundation (ANF) and Council for the Advancement of Nursing
Science (CANS)
Role: PI (5% effort without cost)
Total Award: $10,000
*15th Anniversary Nurse Scientist Research Grant 10/1/16 – 3/31/18
DNA methylation markers of preterm birth risk among asymptomatic African American women
Funder: CANS/Organizational Partners
Role: PI (5% effort without cost)
Total Award: $15,000
*F31 National Research Service Award (F31NR014605) 8/16/13 – 12/31/15
Pathways to Shortened Gestation among Black Women
Funder: NIH/NINR
Role: Pre-doctoral fellow (Dissertation)
Total Award: $85,901
*Research Scholarship 1/1/15 – 12/31/15
Pathways to Shortened Gestation among Black Women
Funder: Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI), Epsilon Chapter
Role: PI (Dissertation)
Total Award: $500
*Novice Researcher Award 6/1/13 – 11/30/15
Pathways to Shortened Gestation among Black Women
Funder: Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN)
Role: PI (Dissertation)
Total Award: $5,000
Graduate Research Grant 6/1/13 – 11/15/15
Pathways to Shortened Gestation among Black Women
Funder: Coca-Cola/Department of Women, Gender, Sexuality Studies, OSU
Role: PI (Dissertation)
Total Award: $1,000
Graduate Research Grant 6/1/13 – 11/15/15
Pathways to Shortened Gestation among Black Women
Funder: Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI), OSU
Role: PI (Dissertation)
Total Award: $500
Alumni Grant for Grad Research and Scholarship 3/15/13 – 6/15/15
Pathways to Shortened Gestation among Black Women
Funder: Graduate School, OSU
Role: PI (Dissertation)
Total Award: $2,000
*Dissertation Award 5/1/13 – 4/30/15
Pathways to Shortened Gestation among Black Women
Funder: Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS)
Role: PI (Dissertation)
Total Award: $2,500

Honors

2025 Innovator of the Year Nominee, ERIK, The Ohio State University
2024 Fellow, American Academy of Nursing
2023 and 2024 Outstanding Researcher Award, The Ohio State University College of Nursing
2023 March Inventor of the Month, Technology Commercialization Office, The Ohio State University
2023 New Investigator Award (Perinatal, Sexual and Reproductive Health RIIG), MNRS
2022 Early-Stage Investigator Award, Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research
2020 Finalist, Ohio Nurse of the Year Awards (Research), March of Dimes
2020 Outstanding Researcher Award, Ohio State College of Nursing
2019 Ruthmarie Mitsch Professional Development Award, Association of Staff and Faculty Women, Ohio State
2018 Outstanding Researcher Award, Ohio State College of Nursing
2018 New Investigator Award, Women’s Health & Childbearing (WHC), MNRS
2017 Research Publication Award (PMC5334774), WHC, MNRS
2016 American Academy of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Outstanding Dissertation Project Nominee, Ohio State College of Nursing
2016 Distinguished Podium Presentation, MNRS
2016 Distinguished Podium Abstract, MNRS
2016 Graduate Student Award, STTI, Epsilon Chapter
2016 Graduate Research Award, WHC, MNRS
2015 Best Research Article (PMC4104945), Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health
2014 Ray Travel Award, Ohio State
2012 Inductee, STTI, Epsilon Chapter
2010 Plum Endowed Fund Nursing Scholarship, Ohio State College of Nursing
2007 – 2008 Leuchtag Nursing Scholarship, Ohio State College of Nursing
2006 – 2009 Blessing Scholarship, Ohio State College of Nursing
2006 Mildred M. Nutting Nursing Scholarship, Daughters of the American Revolution
2006 George B. Boland Nursing Training Scholarship, American Legion
2005 Summa cum laude, Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, OU
2004 – 2005 Psychology Research Scholarship, OU
2004 – 2005 Dean’s Scholarship, OU
2004 Inductee, Psychology Honor Society, OU
2002 – 2005 Founder’s Award, OU

Presentations

Maternal Cytokine Production Capacity as a Novel Indicator of Readiness for Labor: A Pilot of Intrapartum Medical Intervention among Low-Risk Black Women
Early Pregnancy DNA Methylation in Stress-Related Genes and Birth Outcomes in Mothers with Mental Health Diagnoses
Maternal Cytokine Production Capacity as a Novel Indicator of Readiness for Labor: A Pilot Study among a Prospective Cohort of Low-Risk Black Women
Early Pregnancy DNA Methylation in Stress-Related Genes and Birth Outcomes in Mothers with Mental Health Diagnoses
Maternal Cytokine Production Capacity as a Novel Indicator of Readiness for Labor: A Pilot Study among a Prospective Cohort of Low-Risk Black Women
Disturbed sleep, DNA methylation, and spontaneous preterm birth among a low-risk prospective cohort of African American women
DNA methylation of HSD11B2 and maternal mental health in early pregnancy
DNA methylation markers of preterm birth risk among asymptomatic African American women
Standardizing perinatal depression screening and response in an FQHC: Implementation of the maternal mental health patient safety bundle
Biomarker Science among Prenatal Populations: Opportunities and Challenges
Maternal toll-like receptor 4 signaling as a function of parity and offspring sex
Epigenetic age: Applications in precision health
Maternal sleep, depressive symptoms, and risk for spontaneous early birth: Implications for racial disparities in birth outcomes
Maternal sleep, depressive symptoms, and risk for spontaneous shortened gestation in Black and white women
Racial discrimination and inflammation among pregnant African American women
Maternal sleep, depressive symptoms, and risk for spontaneous shortened gestation among Black and white women
Methodological approach to a systematic review of placental DNA methylation and histone modification markers in preeclampsia
Predicting preterm birth risk: From the laboratory to the prenatal clinic
Epigenetic indicators of biologic age: State of the science and future directions in precision health promotion
Epigenetic age as predictor of spontaneous preterm birth risk: A pilot study
Maternal blood DNA methylation markers across pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia: A systematic review
Maternal sleep, depressive symptoms, and risk for spontaneous shortened gestation among African Americans and White women
Systemic versus functional markers of inflammatory status in human subjects’ research: A critical comparison in a sample of pregnant women
Dietary fat intake and endothelial dysfunction among hypertensive women
Identification of DNA methylation markers of preterm birth risk using banked whole blood specimens: Methodological insights
Factors affecting recruitment and consent to biological specimen banking in an observational cohort study of pregnant women
Dietary status and DNA methylation in endothelial dysfunction: A pilot study
African American women’s experiences of discrimination modify associations between extracellular heat shock protein 70 and birth outcomes
Associations among antioxidant intake and cardiovascular health in women
Maternal psychosocial stress, leukocyte cortisol responsiveness, and timing of birth in African American women
Greater childhood stress predicts earlier birth among African American women
Genetic and cytokine inflammatory response biomarkers improve prediction of early birth among asymptomatic African American women
An IL1RN polymorphism predicts early delivery among African American women
Influence of protein intake on maternal weight gain and infant birth weight across pregnancy
Vitamin D and birth outcomes in pregnancy
Racial differences in the predictive value of maternal body mass index for serum interleukin-6 and infant birth weight
Longitudinal changes in stimulated cytokine production across pregnancy and postpartum
Racial differences in the relationships among prepregnancy overweight/obesity, serum interleukin-6, and birth weight
Sociodemographic, obstetric, & behavioral predictors of prenatal distress
Sleep quality and serum proinflammatory cytokines as predictors of length of gestation

Professional Society Memberships

2024 - American Academy of Nursing (AAN)
2021 – Society for Reproductive Investigation (SRI)
2019 – International Society of Nurses in Genetics (ISONG)
2017 – Association for Clinical and Translational Science (ACTS)
2016 – American Nurses Association (ANA)
2016 – Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science (CANS)
2012 – Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI), Epsilon Chapter
2011 – Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS)

News

April 09, 2025

Gunther named as an inaugural Fellow of the American Society for Nutrition

College of Nursing community engagement leader recognized for research excellence

The American Society for Nutrition (ASN) has named Carolyn Gunther, PhD, RDN, LD, who serves as senior associate dean for community engagement and associate professor at The Ohio State University College of Nursing, as part of its inaugural class of “Excellence in Nutrition” Fellows.

April 08, 2025

College of Nursing’s traditional Master of Science program retains #1 ranking among public institutions

Doctor of Nursing Practice program vaults into nation’s top 10 overall