Grant Award
The American Diabetes Association awarded $600,000 to Dr. Julia Blanchette – former postdoctoral fellow, and Lead Nurse Scientist and Diabetes Care and Education Specialist at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center – for her project titled LANTERN-D: eHealth Literacy and Navigation Training for Enhanced Reach of Technology for Diabetes. Dr. Nancy Allen serves as a consultant on the project.
The National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Aging awarded a five-year R13 Conference Grant to Dr. Lee Ellington for her project titled Advancing Caregiving Science: A Transdisciplinary Research Conference. The grant will support three biennial national caregiving research conferences and an embedded training program for emerging caregiving scientists. Led through the Family Caregiving Collaborative, the conference series will bring together researchers, national caregiving organizations, health care systems, practitioners, and family caregivers to foster transdisciplinary collaboration, strengthen the caregiving research workforce, and accelerate translation of research into meaningful improvements for caregivers and care recipients. Support will focus particularly on mentorship, training, and travel for early-career investigators.
Academic Achievement
Dr. Heidi Favero earned the Graduate Nursing Education Certificate from the University of Utah. Through a 15-credit curriculum focused on teaching, curriculum development, assessment, and evaluation, the certificate prepares nurses for educator roles. Designed for nurses who hold or are pursuing a graduate degree, students can integrate the certificate into a Master of Science, Doctor of Nursing Practice, or Doctor of Philosophy plan of study.
Professional Service
The Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research (FNINR) elected Dr. Cathy Maxwell to serve on its Board of Directors. Dr. Maxwell will serve a two-year term that begins on January 1, 2027.
In the Media
Dr. Schola Matovu launched The Grand Experience – an innovative community-engaged podcast developed in partnership with the Children's Service Society of Utah GRANDfamilies Program. Through powerful storytelling, The Grand Experience brings visibility to the experiences of grandparent caregivers and kinship families across Utah, while fostering awareness and connection and providing access to valuable resources and support. The red-carpet premiere event at Megaplex Theatres honored the extraordinary dedication of grandparent caregivers and kinship families whose love, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment help children thrive, bringing together caregivers, advocates, community leaders, researchers, and supporters for an evening of recognition, storytelling, and community. Gabriel Mayberry wrote More Than a Podcast: The Grand Experience Debuts to Elevate Grandfamily Voices, Visibility, Support, and Advocacy to further describe The Grand Experience.
Dr. Michelle Litchman and Karissa Mirus delivered a webinar titled DeafDiabetesCan.org: The First Diabetes Education Website in American Sign Language for the National Library of Medicine Region 4 Connections Webinar Series.
Presentations
Adam Bress, Michelle Sorweid, Sarah Morimoto, Karen Schliep, and Dr. Kara Dassel spoke during the Implementation & Health Services session at the Neurodegeneration Symposium hosted by the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine Research Advisory Council. The symposium connected investigators across Utah's neurodegeneration research spectrum and laid the groundwork for future programmatic grants. Faculty attendees heard lightning talks spanning basic through translational neurodegeneration research, as well as an open discussion on how they can position Utah as a center of excellence for neurodegeneration research.
Dr. Caroline Stephens and mentees Rachael Alexander (PhD candidate and DNP student), Dr. Caroline Sariah Howell (Doctor of Nursing Practice [DNP] alumna), and Yo-Jen Liao (postdoctoral scholar in the University of Utah’s NIH HEAL T90 Program to Provide Pain Research Knowledge) presented Symptom Management and Goals of Care: How Can We Improve Quality of Life in Rural Nursing Homes? to rural nursing home residents and their families.
Community Engagement
Dr. Liz Greene, alumna Dr. Jenni Gonzalez, and Psychiatric-Mental Health Doctor of Nursing Practice students Melanie Davies-Simon, Laura Linton, and Ivy Zawalski volunteered on the Compassion Committee for the Salt Lake City Out of the Darkness Community Walk. The team provided emotional support to participants throughout the day. Sponsored by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the annual walk raises awareness about suicide, honors and remembers loved ones, offers emotional support to participants, and raises funds to support four focus areas – delivering effective suicide prevention education programs, discovering ways to prevent suicide through research, providing support through initiatives, and advocating for federal and state legislation. This year’s Salt Lake City Walk raised more than $162,000. Aaron Enz helped with coordination and planning for the team.
Publications
Jackson SG, Kirchhoff AC, Edwards SL, Herget KA, Carter ME, Codden RR, Ofori-Atta BS, Nagata M, Sweeney C, Millar MM. Ethnic differences in unmet care needs among cancer survivors in Utah using a mixed methods approach. Cancer Med. 2026;15(9):e72271. https://doi.org/10.1002/cam4.72271
Maxwell CA, Fick DM, Greenberg S, Liu W, Prevost S, Xu H, Wallhagen M. Geroscience: A call for nursing engagement. Nurs Outlook. Accepted.