Alison Colbert

Dr. Alison Colbert is a Full Professor at the Duquesne University School of Nursing, specializing in public/community health nursing and forensic nursing. She holds leadership roles including past-president of the School of Nursing’s Sigma Theta Tau chapter and co-founder of the Criminal Justice, Trauma, and Violence Research Interest Group. Her research focuses on health equity for vulnerable populations, particularly incarcerated women and criminal justice-involved individuals, with an emphasis on care management interventions and policy advocacy.

Education:

• PhD in Nursing (University of Pittsburgh, 2007)
• MSN in Community/Public Health Nursing (University of Texas at Austin, 2002)
• BA in Journalism (University of Arizona, 1993)

Grants & Projects:

• Co-PI: $5,000 Loogman Grant (2023-2024) for Kenya healthcare violence research
• Project Director: $1.4M BSN-AID initiative (2022-2025) to support second-degree nursing students
• Academic Coordinator: $1.5M ANE-SANE program (2021-2024) expanding sexual assault nurse training

Research Interests: Her work addresses health disparities through interventions targeting incarcerated populations, forensic nursing innovations, and disability competency education. She focuses on HIV medication adherence, trauma-informed care, and urban greenspace access for adolescents.

Awards:

• Robert Wood Johnson Nurse Faculty Scholar (2010-2013)
• 2018 Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing
• 2021 Pittsburgh Magazine Excellence in Nursing Research

Labs/Teams: Leads the School of Nursing’s Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) training program and collaborates on interdisciplinary projects combining nursing with engineering to improve patient care technologies.