News Release

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

NINR Welcomes Four New Members to the National Advisory Council for Nursing Research

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has appointed four new members to the National Advisory Council for Nursing Research (NACNR), the principal advisory board for the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR). Members of the council are drawn from the scientific and lay communities, embodying a diverse perspective from the fields of nursing, public and health policy, law, and economics. An important role of the council is to conduct a second level of review of grant applications that have been scored by scientific review groups. The council meets three times a year on the campus of the National Institutes of Health to provide recommendations on the direction and support of the nursing, biomedical, social, and behavioral research that forms the evidence base for nursing practice.

At the NACNR meeting on May 18, 2010, NINR Director Patricia A. Grady, Ph.D. R.N., formally welcomed the following new members:

Glenna A. Dowling, Ph.D., R.N., is a nationally recognized expert on gerontology nursing and chronic progressive neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. She is professor and chair of the Department of Psychological Nursing at the School of Nursing at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and director of the Institute on Aging Research Center in San Francisco. Dr. Dowling also serves as associate director of UCSF’s John A. Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence. She received bachelor’s degrees in psychology, physiology, and nursing from the University of California, Berkeley, and her master’s in physiological nursing and doctorate in nursing science from the University of Washington, Seattle. Dr. Dowling’s research focuses on the effects of chronic progressive neurological diseases on circadian and rest-activity rhythm function in older adults. She also explores how non-drug therapies can improve rest-activity rhythms and quality of life in older adults, especially those with dementia. She recently received NINDS funding to help adapt the popular Nintendo Wii platform into a therapeutic interactive game that can improve gait and balance in people with Parkinson's disease. Dr. Dowling was elected as a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 2006.

Everette J. Freeman, Ed.D., is president of Albany State University in Albany, Ga. An eminent scholar and admired strategist, he is a leader in higher education and is well-known for his commitment to equity in the academic community. Prior to his position at Albany State, Freeman served four years as senior vice president and provost at the University of Indianapolis. He previously served as the executive assistant to the president and as interim vice president for university relations and development at Tennessee State University, Nashville. In addition to his academic experience, he has held several corporate positions and has specialized interest in organizational development, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission compliance and industrial relations. Dr. Freeman serves on several community organization boards and has received many local, state, national and international awards and honors. He received his Ed.D. from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J., an M.A. in Labor and Industrial Relations from the University of Illinois, Champagne, and a B.A. in Sociology/Economics from Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio. He has written and published a number of monographs, professional journal articles, and book chapters.

Elaine Larson, Ph.D., R.N., is the associate dean for research and professor of pharmaceutical and therapeutic research at the Columbia University School of Nursing, New York City. She has served as a member of an NIH Study Section on HIV Infection, the president of the Certification Board for Infection Control, and a member of nine journal editorial boards. Dr. Larson received her doctorate in epidemiology, an M.A. in nursing and microbiology, and a B.S. in nursing from the University of Washington, Seattle. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, the Infectious Disease Society of America, the New York Academy of Medicine, the Institute of Medicine, and the National Academies of Practice. She is currently a member of the board of directors of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, and the Report Review Committee of the National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Larson has been editor of the American Journal of Infection Control since 1994. She has published more than 200 journal articles, four books, and a number of book chapters. Dr. Larson has served as a consultant in infection control and nursing across the globe.

Susan Reinhard, Ph.D., R.N., is the senior vice president for public policy with AARP. In that role, she directs the AARP Public Policy Institute. She also serves as the chief strategist for AARP with the Center to Champion Nursing in America, a joint initiative of AARP, the AARP Foundation, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. She holds a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Cincinnati, and a Ph.D. in sociology from Rutgers University. She was formerly a faculty member at the Rutgers College of Nursing, as well as chair of the Expert Panel on Aging at the American Academy of Nursing. She is committed to teaching nurses and other professionals how to better interact with consumers and their families. Dr. Reinhard is a nationally recognized expert in nursing and health policy, with extensive experience in translating research and developing coalitions to promote policy change.

NINR supports basic and clinical research that develops the knowledge to build the scientific foundation for clinical practice, prevent disease and disability, manage and eliminate symptoms caused by illness, and enhance end-of-life and palliative care. For more information about NINR, visit the Web site at www.ninr.nih.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health®

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