Palmer highlights research growth
March 20, 2025
The Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing held its largest-ever Ruth K. Palmer Research Symposium this spring, highlighting the role of nursing science and interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing health disparities.
The 38th annual event showcased Loyola Nursing’s growing nursing research program and came one month after Loyola University Chicago was designated a “Research 1,” or R1, institution for 2025 by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
Meharvan Singh, vice provost for research at Loyola, said that ranking “is a direct reflection on all of you,” noting that Loyola Nursing’s research expenditures jumped a stunning 52 percent in five years.
“When people in my roles see high single digit growth, we get excited. When you see a 50 percent increase, it blows our minds,” he said.
The theme of the Palmer Symposium, held at the Health Sciences Campus on March 14, was “Promoting Inclusivity and Health Equity Through Nursing Research.”
The event featured two keynote speakers: Tené Lewis, a professor of epidemiology at Emory University who spoke on “Social Stressors and Indices of Cardiovascular Disease in At-Risk Women,” and Lenette Jones, the Nancy S. and Michael B. McLelland Professor of Nursing at the University of Michigan, who presented on “Working Toward Health Equity for All: Your Role as a Catalyst in Nursing Research.”
Podium presenters, all from Loyola Nursing, were:
- Assistant Professor Alexandra Nowak, "Molecular Pathways to Preterm Birth in African American Women"
- Associate Professor Lindsey Garfield, "Mindfulness for African Americans Postpartum (MAAP) Study"
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow Paula de la Pena, “Evaluating Symptom Clusters in First-Time Ischemic Stroke Survivors Who Discharge from the Hospital to the Home”
- Associate Dean of Innovative Partnerships and Faculty Practice Mary McNamara, "Advancing Inclusivity and Health Equity through Nursing Academic-Practice Partnerships"
The Palmer Symposium was endowed by former Loyola Nursing Dean Gladys Kiniery and draws experts in nursing, public health, and medicine. This year’s event included poster presentations from faculty and student researchers at Loyola and other institutions in the region.