Ty Borders

Ty Borders, PhD, FACE Professor is a leading expert in rural health services research and policy at the University of Kentucky College of Nursing. He directs the federally-funded Rural and Underserved Health Research Center, one of only seven U.S. rural health policy research centers, and serves as Editor of The Journal of Rural Health, the nation's sole scholarly journal focused on rural health issues.

• Education: PhD in Health Administration (University of Iowa, 1999), MA in Health Administration (University of Iowa, 1995), MS in Epidemiology (University of Iowa, 2001), BA in Psychology (University of Kansas, 1993)

Research interests center on rural population health, rural cancer services, rural addiction health services, and consumer/patient-reported outcomes. His work examines disparities in health care access and quality between rural and urban populations, particularly among vulnerable groups like elderly Hispanic individuals, rural stimulant users, and Medicaid enrollees with chronic conditions.

Scientific awards include the University of Iowa College of Public Health's Outstanding Alumni Award for Career Achievement, Fellow status in the American College of Epidemiology, and recognition as a Honorary Kentucky Colonel. He has also received writing and research awards from the University of Kentucky and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

Grant funding as Principal Investigator spans multiple federal agencies (NIH, CDC, HRSA) and foundations (RWJF, AHRQ), with total awards exceeding $15 million. Notable grants include studies on medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder, telehealth adoption during the COVID-19 pandemic, and disparities in diabetes care among Kentucky Medicaid enrollees.

Mentorship extends to undergraduate and graduate nursing students, with active involvement in teaching applied epidemiology and research methods in the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program.