Letitia Y. Graves

Letitia Y. Graves, PhD, RN, serves as an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB), specializing in the PhD Program for Graduate Studies. Her academic profile integrates genomic medicine, spinal cord injury research, and symptom science with clinical nursing practice.

Her educational credentials include:

• PhD in Nursing, University of Pittsburgh
• MSN in Nurse Educator, Capella University
• BSN, Grambling State University
• Personalized and Genomic Medicine Certificate, Colorado University
• Fellow, Sealy Center on Aging

Dr. Graves' research focuses on genomic biomarkers in pressure injury recurrence, mitochondrial mechanisms of fatigue, and epigenetic influences on accelerated aging in spinal cord injury. Her work bridges genomic discovery with clinical symptom management, emphasizing personalized preventive healthcare for vulnerable populations through biomarker validation and multi-scalar predictive modeling.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a cohesive trajectory toward precision nursing interventions for complex symptom clusters. Her scholarship consistently addresses gaps in genomic applications for wound care, fatigue management in non-oncologic conditions, and spinal cord injury complications, demonstrating increasing NIH/VA-funded research maturity.

Major recognitions include:

• Beverly & FA Odom Endowment for Nursing Research (2024)
• ISONG Founders Award for Excellence in Genomic Education (2024)
• Good Samaritan Foundation Excellence in Nursing Bronze Medal (2023)
• RWJF FNS Travel Award (2022)
• UTMB School of Nursing Estalee Price Discretionary Fund Award (2021)

Her funded research portfolio demonstrates significant external support:

• UTMB SCOA grant on epigenetic mechanisms in SCI aging (2024)
• NIH-funded sleep phenotype development in SCI (2022)
• VA Office of Research biomarker projects for pressure injury risk (2021)

As a Fellow in UTMB's Sealy Center on Aging and active member of the International Society of Nurses in Genetics (ISONG), International Spinal Cord Society (ISCOS), and Wound Healing Society (WHS), she contributes to interdisciplinary research networks focused on aging, genomics, and regenerative medicine.