Barbara L. Brush

Barbara L. Brush, PhD, is a Professor at the University of Michigan School of Nursing in the Department of Health Behavior and Biological Sciences. She received her BSN from Southeastern Massachusetts University (1979), MSN and PhD from the University of Pennsylvania (1982, 1994). Internationally recognized for historical and policy research on nurse workforce capacity, health worker migration, and health disparities, she employs community-based participatory research (CBPR) to address homelessness and intra-personal violence (IPV). Current work includes narrative and life story mapping interventions for IPV disclosure and co-leading an NIH-funded (RO1NR016123-01A1) study on CBPR partnership success. She serves on National Academies committees, NIH review panels, and is a Faculty Expert at Poverty Solutions and the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation (IHPI). Active as a nurse practitioner at Hope Clinic (Ypsilanti, MI), she has been a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN) since 1999.

• BSN, Southeastern Massachusetts University (1979)
• MSN, University of Pennsylvania (1982)
• PhD, University of Pennsylvania (1994)

Dr. Brush’s research focuses on community-based participatory research, health disparities, and nurse workforce policy, with a particular emphasis on homelessness and international nurse migration. Her work includes designing interventions to address intra-personal violence in homeless populations and developing validated tools like the MAPS Questionnaire to measure CBPR partnership success. Recent publications highlight trends in clinical trial equity, geriatric care models, and global nursing workforce dynamics, reflecting her commitment to health equity and policy reform.

Dr. Brush’s peer-reviewed articles and books, including Empire of Care and The Rockefeller Agenda for American/Philippines Nursing Relations, analyze historical and contemporary issues in nursing migration, health equity, and CBPR sustainability. She has advanced frameworks for measuring partnership synergy, trauma disclosure, and health service utilization among marginalized groups. Her NIH-funded research on long-standing CBPR partnerships has produced validated instruments for evaluating community-academic collaboration.

• Fellow, American Academy of Nursing (FAAN, 1999)
• Edna Mae Doyle Teacher of the Year Award (2010)
• RO1NR016123-01A1 NIH Grant (5-year)

Dr. Brush maintains an active clinical practice at the Hope Clinic in Ypsilanti, MI, and collaborates with the Detroit Urban Community-Academic Research Center (Detroit URC). Her work bridges academic research, policy advocacy, and direct community engagement, ensuring actionable outcomes for underserved populations.