Meet our Researchers

Karen Davis, MS, RN, NEA-BC
Sharon L. Kozachik, PhD, RN
Deborah Gross, DSNc, RN, FAAN
Devid A. Boley II, MS, ANP-BC


Karen Davis, MS, RN, NEA-BC
PhD Candidate

Areas of Specialty:
Intensive Care and Nursing Administration

Why is Nursing Research Important?
The results from nurse-led research studies have been the impetus for a transformation in nursing practice and have provided the foundation for evidence-based nursing.

Latest Project:
My dissertation research is aimed at helping heart failure patients experiencing subtle cognitive impairment improve their self-care behaviors through a targeted hospital discharge intervention. The results will help us keep individual patient needs at the center of the interventions and improve health.


Sharon L. Kozachik, PhD, RN
Assistant Professor
Department of Acute and Chronic Care

Areas of Specialty:
Pain, Sleep Disturbance

Why is Nursing Research Important?
My entire career in nursing, from bedside nurse to nurse scientist, is driven by my desire to ease suffering. The discovery is very exciting and energizing.

Latest Project:
My current projects use a rat model to determine how chronic sleep loss impacts pain due to cancer treatment and the mechanisms that link together pain and sleep disturbance.

How will your research help others?
My work will help to provide a foundation upon which to develop improved clinical care for persons who endure persistent pain.


Deborah Gross, DSNc, RN, FAAN
Leonard & Helen R. Stulman Professor in Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing
Department of Acute and Chronic Care

Areas of Specialty:
Parenting and Early Childhood Mental Health

What do you like about being a nurse researcher?
Like all nurses, I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. As a clinician, I could do this by helping one patient or one family at a time. As a researcher, I found I could do more and make a greater impact, even helping people I’m never going to meet.

Latest Project:
I’m working on projects in Chicago, Baltimore, and New York City to help parents and improve children’s mental health.

How will your research help others?
The research we are doing is designed to help millions of parents charged with raising happy, healthy, and competent children.


David A. Boley II, MS, ANP-BC
PhD Student
National Institute of Nursing Research Intramural Research Fellow

Areas of Specialty:
Skeletal Muscle Adaptation to Exercise, Nursing Education

Why is nursing research important?
We have to keep up with the times! Every day, nurses use the knowledge base we’ve established through research to make evidence-based decisions that impact patients’ health outcomes.

Why did you choose this specialty?
My dad suffered a fatal heart attack at the age of 54.  Ever since then I’ve striven to keep myself active and healthy and to help others learn how to do the same.  That’s what led me to be a Personal Trainer and Nurse Practitioner.

How will your research help others?
I hope my research program will lead to improved methods of measuring physical activity and the establishment of a national surveillance program to monitor health-realated fitness changes over time.