Heidi Collins Fantasia

Heidi Collins Fantasia is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Susan and Alan Solomont School of Nursing at the University of Massachusetts Lowell's Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences. She holds a PhD in Nursing from Boston College and is a board-certified Women's Health Nurse Practitioner with over 25 years of clinical experience. Her research focuses on the intersection of violence and reproductive health, including intimate partner violence, sexual consent, and human trafficking. Fantasia has led numerous grants on violence screening in healthcare settings and HPV vaccination strategies. She has authored over 70 peer-reviewed publications and serves as editor for Nursing for Women’s Health and co-author of Protocols for Nurse Practitioners in Gynecologic Settings. Her teaching spans advanced health assessment, family health nursing, and evidence-based practice.

Education:

• PhD, Nursing, Boston College (2009)
• MS, Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner, Boston College (1997)
• BS, Nursing, Salem State College (1990)

Research Interests: Dr. Fantasia’s work explores violence-reproductive health intersections, including screening practices, sexual consent, and human trafficking. Recent studies include HPV vaccination barriers among men who have sex with men and human trafficking victim screening tools. Her projects are funded by NIH, the National Association of Nurse Practitioners, and the University of Massachusetts.

Awards:

• 2016 Women’s Health Research Award
• 2015 Journal of Forensic Nursing Research Article of the Year
• 2011 National Academies of Practice Distinguished Practitioner

Teaching & Mentorship: Teaches advanced practice nursing courses including research methodology, health assessment, and women’s health pharmacology. Mentorship includes leading a research network for nursing students through grants and co-op programs.

Labs & Collaborations: Collaborates with interdisciplinary teams on violence prevention and reproductive health initiatives. Currently developing an LGBTQAI-specific human trafficking screening tool funded by UMass Lowell.