Research Interest Areas at the Capstone College of Nursing
Students & faculty interested in participating and/or collaborating with a research project should contact the principal investigator. Please click on the research interest area to view the faculty engaged in that subject.
Research Interest Groups
Contact: Dr. Mudasir Andrabi or Dr. Aylin Akca Sumengen
The Behavioral and Prevention Research Core is an interprofessional team of researchers and scholars at the Capstone College of Nursing. The Research Core is designed to promote collaboration among faculty and students with an interest in behavioral and prevention research across the lifespan. Several core efforts to support collaborative research engagement and scholarly productivity include monthly core meetings, scheduled individual and group writing sessions, the annual CCN writing retreat, the CCN internal manuscript review, and community-driven education initiatives in surrounding rural counties.
Contact: Dr. Heather Cole
The Capstone College of Nursing Simulation and Clinical Practice Laboratory (CPL) offers a variety of resources to support faculty in the development of scholarly products, grant proposals, and innovative teaching initiatives in alignment with simulation best practices. Our team can assist with simulation-based research design, integration of simulation methodologies into grant proposals, and consultation on study implementation within simulated learning environments. We provide access to a range of modalities including high-fidelity simulation, standardized patients, skills-based training, immersive technologies such as virtual reality, and audio/video capture for data collection and debriefing analysis. The simulation team can also support logistical planning for pilot testing, instrument implementation, learner assessment strategies, and the collection of simulation-based outcome data. Faculty are encouraged to partner with the simulation center early in the proposal or manuscript development process so that we can collaboratively design meaningful learning experiences and maximize the impact of simulation within educational research and scholarly dissemination.
Contact: Dr. Jessica Johnson
The Education Research Core (EdU-Core) at the Capstone College of Nursing serves as the central hub for advancing education scholarship and research within the college. Its mission is to strengthen the science of teaching and learning in nursing education by building faculty research capacity, fostering mentorship, and supporting collaborative projects and funding opportunities.
EdU-Core focuses on key areas including artificial intelligence in nursing education, simulation and experiential learning, clinical readiness and transition to practice, and teaching innovation and curriculum design. Through mentorship, collaboration, and research support, the initiative helps faculty develop Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) projects, expand their educational research programs, and increase the visibility, funding, and impact of their work in nursing education.
Contact: Dr. Kathy Dudding
The goal of the AI Team at the Capstone College of Nursing is to serve as a collaborative nursing informatics resource for faculty and students in the responsible and innovative use of artificial intelligence across education, research, practice, and academic workflows. The team provides guidance, consultation, and solutions that support effective AI use while emphasizing evaluation, verification, ethics, evidence-based application, and the strengthening of nursing judgment and workflow. This work aligns with the College’s academic mission, professional standards, and commitment to innovation in nursing.
Contact: Dr. Daniel Gibson
Molecular biology holds that biological behaviors are fundamentally controlled and reflected by molecular mechanisms. As such, modern health sciences have created an ever-expanding list of biomarkers to aid in clinical judgment and care. In research, biomarkers are utilized as objective primary evidence to bolster observed behavioral evidence. Molecular Nursing is at the forefront of Translational Nursing Science where nurse scientists seek molecular evidence for improved understanding of clinical and behavioral phenomena. This workgroup is envisioned to be a home for those of us whose work touches molecular biology, molecular genetics, molecular microbiology, chemistry, or biochemistry. The key goal is to create a culture of molecular evidence generation and molecular diagnostic education and usage in all endeavors of nursing practice and research. To do so, the group will 1) support students and faculty with curating nursing problems from a molecular perspective, 2) pool resources for proposal development, and 3) begin designing a curriculum for graduate, post-baccalaureate, and continuing education courses.