Lori Escallier, PhD, RN, CPNP-PC, FAAN is a Professor and Dean at the College of Nursing, Downstate Health Sciences University. With over 36 years of experience in nursing education, she is recognized nationally for developing innovative mentorship models and educational engagement strategies that have significantly impacted underrepresented and minority nursing students. Academic Qualifications BSN from Salve Regina College (1980) MSN from SUNY Stony Brook (1988) PhD from Adelphi University (1995) Her research focuses on diversifying the nursing workforce, addressing healthcare disparities, and leveraging veteran experiences in academic settings. She pioneered the Veteran to BS Program, translating military experience into academic credit, and co-authored the award-winning RWJF/AACN Transition to Practice Toolkit. Scientific Awards RWJF Innovation Award Above and Beyond Award (2015) Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN) Her publications emphasize nurse mentorship, veteran healthcare transitions, and digital tools for reducing disparities. She has secured over $9M in grants from RWJF and HRSA to support these initiatives.
Christopher Weidlich is an Assistant Professor of Clinical in the School of Nursing and Health Studies at the University of Miami. His academic focus includes psychiatric nursing, mental health education, and healthcare provider well-being. He is involved in research addressing simulation-based education, mental health disorders in occupational groups such as fire investigators, and interventions to improve resilience among healthcare providers. His research interests span simulation modalities in psychiatric nursing education, organizational stigma's impact on mental health service utilization, and substance abuse trends like xylazine adulteration. He has also contributed to studies on military healthcare, including resilience programs for providers and PEMF therapy for chronic pain. Dr. Weidlich’s work is supported by his affiliation with the University of Miami’s School of Nursing and Health Studies, leveraging resources such as the Simulation Hospital Advancing Research and Education (S.H.A.R.E.®) facility. His research emphasizes practical applications in clinical settings and improving patient outcomes through innovative educational and therapeutic approaches.
Dr. Hojjat Soofi is a Lecturer in Bioethics at Sydney Health Ethics within the University of Sydney's School of Public Health (Faculty of Medicine and Health). A pharmacist by training, he holds a PhD and MRes in Bioethics from Macquarie University and an Erasmus Mundus Master of Bioethics from a consortium of European universities. His research deploys philosophical ethics and empirical methods to address ethical challenges in dementia care and aged care settings. Research Focus: Soofi's work centers on ethical frameworks for vulnerable populations, specializing in: Dignity preservation in dementia care Autonomy and consent mechanisms Vulnerability in long-term care settings Non-clinical medication ethics Research ethics for cognitively impaired individuals His scholarship critically engages with concepts from philosophers like Nussbaum, Kitwood, and Beauchamp & Childress. Awards & Grants: Recognized with the 2022 Ramy Razavian Dean’s Award for research excellence and supported by a 2023 FMH Start-up Scheme grant for early career researchers. Teaching: Coordinates core bioethics units including Clinical Ethics (BETH5204) and Medicines Policy, Economics and Ethics (BETH5209). Student feedback highlights his exceptional course organization and ability to stimulate critical reasoning. Professional Engagement: Active member of the Australasian Association of Bioethics and Health Law (AABHL) and the Sydney Bioethics Program team.
Aleksander Madsen is a Researcher at the University of Oslo (UiO), affiliated with the Department of Sociology and Human Geography under the Faculty of Social Sciences. His primary research interests include social stratification, immigrant assimilation in labor markets, welfare state policies, and statistical methods. He holds a PhD from Oslo Metropolitan University and an MA from UiO. Education: PhD in Sociology, Centre for the Study of Professions, Oslo Metropolitan University (2014–2018) MA in Sociology, University of Oslo (2013) His research explores labor market integration of immigrants, gender disparities in male-dominated workplaces, and the impact of education-occupation mismatch on health outcomes. He has conducted longitudinal studies on long-term sickness absence and labor market trajectories using sequence analysis. Dr. Madsen has held postdoctoral and research positions at UiO and NIFU, and was a visiting scholar at Stanford University's SCANCOR (2024) funded by the Fulbright Foundation. His work spans interdisciplinary collaborations, including projects on workplace diversity, ethnic stratification, and policy evaluations. Awards: U.S. - Norway Fulbright Foundation Grant (2023–2024) His research group affiliations include the Social Inequalities and Population Dynamics team and the ORGMIGRANT project, investigating work organizations and immigrant assimilation. Recent publications address residential networks among immigrants, workplace ethnic diversity, and women’s attrition from male-dominated sectors.
Tamar Rodney is an Assistant Professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing , specializing in psychiatric mental health. She serves as the DNP Advanced Practice Psych Mental Health Track Coordinator and is affiliated with the Center for Community Programs, Innovation, and Scholarship (COMPASS) and the Center for Infectious Disease and Nursing Innovation . Dr. Rodney’s research focuses on PTSD and traumatic brain injury (TBI) in military personnel and veterans. Her work explores biomarkers , inflammatory responses , and meaning theory to improve diagnosis and treatment planning for mental health conditions. She also investigates telehealth , dementia care , and social isolation in vulnerable populations. Recent publications highlight her expertise in PTSD prevalence among nurses, telehealth applications , biomarker analysis , and community-based interventions for cognitive impairments. Her work bridges neurobiology and psychiatric nursing to inform military health policy . 2022 Coeur de Catherine – St. Catherine University 2021 AMERSA Marianne Marcus Award Multiple scholarships/fellowships (2010–2022) Dr. Rodney’s clinical practice, research, and advocacy address substance use disorders , resilience , and global health challenges. She actively contributes to policy development and education in psychiatric nursing.
Professor Roberta Fida is the Head of the Leadership and Management Department at Aston Business School, part of Aston University in the UK. She holds a Professorship in Organisational Behaviour and Organisational Psychology, with prior roles including Professor of Work Psychology at the University of East Anglia and Chair of the Ethics Committee there. A Chartered Occupational Psychologist with the British Psychological Society, her research focuses on unethical workplace behaviors, moral disengagement, and workplace stress, particularly in healthcare contexts. She specializes in advanced data analytics like structural equation modeling and has led major grants including EDI initiatives and studies on workplace aggression policy mapping. Her work bridges academic research with practical applications to foster ethical and inclusive organizational cultures. Education: Laurea (5-year degree in Work and Organizational Psychology) from Sapienza University of Rome (2002) MA in Organizational Training (2004–2005) PhD in Psychology from Sapienza University (2006) Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Practice (UEA, 2017) Italian National Qualifications as Full Professor (2017) and Associate Professor (2013) Research Interests: Her core areas include moral disengagement, counterproductive workplace behaviors, stress resilience, healthcare leadership, and EDI. She has published over 60 articles and is listed in Stanford's Top 2% Scientists globally. Awards & Grants: NIHR Work & Health Development Award (2023–2024) for EDI Smart-Dash (£95,855) INAIL grants totaling over €1.1 million for psychosocial risk studies and work-related stress analyses ESRC funding for workplace wellbeing research (£659,540) Research Council of Canada grant for nurse leadership studies ($202,852) Teaching & Supervision: She has taught across undergraduate to postgraduate levels, including modules on organizational psychology, multivariate analysis, and conflict management. She supervises PhD students and has led course design for programs focusing on organizational wellbeing and research methods.
Mark de Rond is Professor of Organisational Ethnography at Cambridge Judge Business School and Fellow of Darwin College, University of Cambridge. His work focuses on immersive ethnographic studies of human behavior in extreme contexts including war zones, high-stakes sports, and controversial social movements, revealing how individuals navigate challenging circumstances through compromise and sensemaking. His educational background includes a DPhil from the University of Oxford alongside advanced degrees in management and economics, photojournalism, documentary photography, biography, creative nonfiction, and prose fiction. This multidisciplinary training informs his unconventional methodological approach. De Rond's research centers on extreme context ethnography, examining how pressure-cooker environments expose fundamental organizational dynamics. His work spans military medicine (Camp Bastion fieldwork), elite sports (Cambridge Boat Race), Amazon river expeditions, and controversial practices like paedophile hunting. Key contributions explore negotiation, conflict resolution, serendipity, institutional persistence, and the emotional toll of fieldwork, often employing innovative methods like enactive ethnography and linguistic analysis of digital communities. His recent publications reveal a growing focus on digital vigilantism and the societal implications of extreme practices, with increasing interdisciplinary reach across organizational studies, criminology, medical anthropology, and sociology. The work demonstrates methodological creativity through linguistic analysis of Facebook groups, embodiment studies in extreme environments, and dream-based reflexive techniques. Scientific recognition includes: BEST ARTICLE AWARD FOR 2016 Favorite MBA Professor honors from Poets & Quants (2021, 2022) Guinness World Record for first unsupported Amazon row De Rond advises MBA students and delivers executive education to top law firms (Slaughter and May, Allen & Overy), professional services (McKinsey, KPMG), corporations (Sky, BT, Diageo), and NGOs (UNICEF, NHS). His negotiation training from Harvard Law School informs both academic work and university mediation practice. Current research involves collaborative teams studying paedophile hunting (featured in Sundance-nominated documentary Predators ) and high-performance sports organizations, with fieldwork requiring deep immersion in challenging environments. His research methodology involves embedded collaboration with diverse teams including medical personnel in conflict zones, elite rowers, and controversial activist groups, often pushing methodological boundaries through photojournalism and creative nonfiction approaches.
Kate Marie Bryan is a Clinical Assistant Professor (Part-Time) in the Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences at the University of Southern California. She holds advanced degrees including a Master of Public Health (MPH), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), and is a Board-Certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC). Her work focuses on clinical practice and behavioral health integration within healthcare systems. Education: MPH, MSN, PMHNP-BC certification Her professional interests span mental health advocacy, evidence-based psychiatric care, and improving access to behavioral health services. While no specific awards or grants are listed, her role emphasizes practitioner-oriented contributions to academic medicine.
Janani Thillainadesan is an NHMRC Senior Research Fellow at the Sydney Medical School/Concord Clinical School and the Centre for Education and Research on Ageing, affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney. She is also a member of the Charles Perkins Centre. Her research focuses on optimizing healthcare delivery for older adults, particularly in geriatric surgery, perioperative care, and dementia interventions. Key research areas include frailty assessment, deprescribing strategies, collaborative care models, and leveraging technology (e.g., mobile health) in geriatric medicine. She has contributed to multidisciplinary studies involving clinical datasets, quality indicators, and mixed-methods analyses of patient experiences and care expectations. Awards: 2023 RACP Vincent Fairfax Research Fellowship 2021 ANZSGM Career Investigator Prize 2021 UK Age Anaesthesia Association Best Oral Presentation Prize 2019 Evidence Based Perioperative Medicine Asia Congress Runner Up Prize Her work bridges clinical practice, education, and policy through grants like the 2024 electronic frailty index project. Media engagement includes a 2019 Studio 10 segment highlighting her contributions to aging-related healthcare innovations.
Christin A. Knowlton, MD, MA serves as Associate Professor of Therapeutic Radiology at Yale School of Medicine, where she holds dual leadership roles as Vice Chair for Accreditation in Therapeutic Radiology and Medical Director of Smilow Cancer Hospital Care Center-Hamden. Her clinical practice focuses on delivering high-quality, patient-centered radiation oncology services with specialization in breast cancer, lung cancer, bone metastases, and thymoma treatments. Dr. Knowlton's educational background includes a BA from Oberlin College (1994), MA from New York University (1998), MD from SUNY at Stonybrook (2006), and residency training at Hahnemann University Hospital/Drexel University College of Medicine (2011). Her research program centers on optimizing radiation therapy protocols, with particular emphasis on hypofractionation techniques, stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), and management of radiation-related toxicities including pneumonitis and esophagitis. Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals a consistent research trajectory focused on improving outcomes in thoracic and breast radiation oncology through dose optimization, toxicity prediction modeling, and innovative treatment approaches for oligometastatic disease. Her work frequently addresses the balance between therapeutic efficacy and radiation-induced complications, with growing emphasis on molecular risk assessment and personalized treatment planning. Smilow Luminary Award of Excellence in Patient Care (2019) National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Fellows Recognition Program As a clinician-educator, Dr. Knowlton emphasizes the importance of patient communication and multidisciplinary teamwork, collaborating closely with nursing, physics, dosimetry, and therapy staff to deliver comprehensive cancer care. Her leadership in accreditation reflects her commitment to maintaining the highest standards in radiation oncology practice and education. Dr. Knowlton's clinical trial involvement, including the DD3 trial of dose-deescalated SBRT for centrally located lung cancer, demonstrates her active contribution to advancing evidence-based radiation oncology practice.
Vicki L. Plano Clark is a Professor in the Research Methods area of the School of Education at the University of Cincinnati, where she advises students in the Quantitative and Mixed Methods Research Methodologies (QMRM) concentration of the Educational Studies doctoral program and the Applied Research Methods (ARM) track of the Educational Studies master's program. She joined the University of Cincinnati in 2012 after serving as the director of the Office of Qualitative and Mixed Methods Research at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Dr. Plano Clark earned her Ph.D. in Quantitative and Qualitative Methods in Education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (2005), M.S. in Physics from Michigan State University (1993), and B.A. in Physics from Kalamazoo College (1990). Her academic journey transitioned from physics education to research methodology, bringing a unique interdisciplinary perspective to her work. As a leading methodologist specializing in mixed methods research, Dr. Plano Clark's scholarship focuses on delineating useful designs for conducting mixed methods research, examining procedural issues associated with these designs, and exploring the contexts for the adoption and use of mixed methods. Her research spans diverse application areas including cancer pain management, STEM graduate student identity development, teacher professional development, and the well-being of rural low-income families. Her work demonstrates how mixed methods approaches can effectively address complex research questions across multiple disciplines. Dr. Plano Clark has made significant contributions to the field through her editorial leadership and publications. She was the founding Managing Editor for the Journal of Mixed Methods Research and currently serves as an Associate Editor. In 2011, she co-led the development of Best Practices for Mixed Methods in the Health Sciences for NIH's Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research. In 2012, she became a founding co-editor of the Mixed Methods Research Series with Sage Publications. She has authored numerous influential books including 'Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research' (now in its 3rd edition) and 'Mixed Methods Research: A Guide to the Field.' Founding Managing Editor for the Journal of Mixed Methods Research Co-developer of NIH's Best Practices for Mixed Methods in the Health Sciences (2011) Founding co-editor of the Mixed Methods Research Series with Sage Publications (2012) Chair of the Mixed Methods Research Special Interest Group of AERA As an active researcher, Dr. Plano Clark has secured multiple grants including a Department of Education grant evaluating Ohio Network of Education Transformation (ONET) Schools (as Principal Investigator) and a UC University Research Council grant on reducing mass incarceration by improving public defense (as Collaborator). Her recent publications continue to advance methodological understanding in mixed methods research, with a focus on integration techniques, terminology challenges, and applications across health sciences and education. Dr. Plano Clark maintains an active role in the research community through invited presentations and workshops worldwide, helping to train the next generation of researchers in mixed methods approaches and contributing to the ongoing development of methodological standards and practices.
Dr. Brenda Douglass (DNP, APRN, FNP-C, CDCES, CNE, CTTS) is an Assistant Professor and Associate Director of the DNP-AP Program – Project Focus at Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. Her work bridges clinical expertise in endocrinology, primary care, and chronic disease management with leadership in competency-based education (CBE) and nursing policy. Research Focus: Competency-Based Education in DNP programs Evidence-based practice and healthcare transformation Leadership development and professional identity in advanced nursing Chronic disease management, diabetes care, and aging Innovation in nursing education and technology Scientific Contributions: She has published extensively on DNP curriculum redesign, interprofessional education, and primary care workforce challenges. Her work emphasizes systems thinking, academic-practice partnerships, and quality improvement. Awards & Honors: Maryland Higher Education Commission Academic Nurse Educator Certification Award (2024) New Nursing Faculty Fellowship (2023) Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society inductee (2006, 2011) Teaching Excellence Awards at Drexel University (2018, 2021, 2023) Mentorship & Leadership: Dr. Douglass serves as a mentor for DNP students and faculty, leads national committees on nursing education, and has developed initiatives to strengthen academic-practice partnerships.
Dr. Pammla Petrucka is a Professor at the University of Saskatchewan's College of Nursing and affiliated with the School of Public Health. A USask graduate with degrees in Nursing (BScN, MN, PhD), she focuses on marginalized populations' health through innovative methodologies like qualitative and mixed methods. Her research emphasizes Women’s Health, Global Health, Menstrual Hygiene Equity, and One Health initiatives. Current projects include improving healthcare accessibility in developing regions and addressing menstrual hygiene disparities. She teaches courses on leadership in nursing, rural nursing practices, and evidence-based health care. Dr. Petrucka’s work has been nationally and internationally funded, supporting collaborative research teams across disciplines. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications addressing global health challenges and cultural barriers to healthcare access. Her honors and fellowships reflect recognition for advancing nursing science and public health equity. Grants & Funding: Successfully secured funding at local, provincial, national, and international levels for research projects. Advising: Mentors a large cohort of graduate and undergraduate students in nursing and public health. Labs/Teams: Leads interdisciplinary groups focused on global health equity and maternal-child health interventions. Her sabbatical (July 2024–June 2025) will likely expand her work on One Health innovations and menstrual hygiene advocacy.
Jacob D. Leshno is an Associate Professor of Economics and Robert H. Topel Faculty Scholar at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. His research employs game theory, applied mathematics, and microeconomic theory to study allocation mechanisms and marketplace design, with applications spanning school choice systems, patient assignments to nursing homes, and decentralized cryptocurrency protocols. Professor Leshno's academic background includes: PhD in Economics from Harvard University, completed under Nobel laureate Alvin Roth M.Sc. in Pure Mathematics from Tel Aviv University B.Sc. in Pure Mathematics from Tel Aviv University His research program centers on market design theory with two primary strands. The first focuses on matching markets, where he developed tractable cutoff characterizations that clarify market structures for college admissions and medical residency matching (NRMP). His work demonstrates how price discovery mechanisms can streamline inefficient processes like college applications and subsidized housing allocation. The second strand examines cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology, investigating how open-source computer code functions as market rules in decentralized systems. This research explores both the economic security of permissionless consensus and fundamental limitations of proof-of-work protocols. Professor Leshno's publications reveal a cohesive research trajectory applying economic theory to increasingly complex market structures. His work consistently bridges theoretical rigor with practical implementation, evolving from traditional matching markets to the frontier of decentralized digital systems. Publications in top journals like American Economic Review and Journal of Political Economy demonstrate both analytical depth and real-world relevance across education, healthcare, and financial technology sectors. Professor Leshno has received significant recognition for his contributions: ACM SIGecom Test of Time Award for foundational work in matching markets INFORMS Frederick W. Lanchester Prize for outstanding contributions to operations research Prior to Chicago Booth, Professor Leshno served as Assistant Professor at Columbia Business School and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Microsoft Research New England, following industry experience at Yahoo! and IBM. He teaches MBA courses in Competitive Strategy and Market Design, and developed a PhD seminar bridging computer science theory with economic principles for distributed systems. His research continues to influence both academic theory and practical implementations of market mechanisms across multiple sectors. Professor Leshno maintains active collaborations with leading researchers including Itai Ashlagi, Irene Lo, and Gur Huberman, advancing the theoretical foundations of market design while addressing contemporary challenges in digital marketplaces and allocation systems.
Aida Maria de Oliveira Cruz Mendes is a distinguished academic and researcher at the Coimbra School of Nursing, where she has maintained a continuous appointment since 1987. With over three decades of academic service, she has established herself as a leading expert in nursing science with particular specialization in mental health, occupational health, and sleep quality among healthcare professionals. She currently serves on the Scientific Council for Life and Health Sciences at the Foundation for Science and Technology, demonstrating her significant contribution to Portuguese scientific policy. Education background: PhD from University of Minho (1996-2000) Master's in Occupational Health and Hygiene from University of Coimbra Medical School (1992-1995) License in Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing (1990-1991) Bachelor's degree in Nursing (1977-1980) Multiple specialized certifications in psycho-oncology, cognitive therapy, and qualitative research Dr. Mendes' research program demonstrates remarkable consistency in addressing critical issues in nursing practice and healthcare delivery. Her work spans mental health services evaluation, occupational health challenges faced by nursing staff, sleep quality determinants in healthcare settings, and innovative programs for healthy aging and retirement transition. She has developed expertise in both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, with numerous systematic reviews and intervention studies to her credit. Her research bridges clinical practice with health promotion initiatives, creating tangible impacts on nursing education and healthcare policy. Analysis of her recent publication trajectory reveals a sophisticated evolution in research focus. While maintaining consistent attention to nursing staff wellbeing (particularly regarding sleep quality and stress biomarkers), she has expanded into developing and evaluating health promotion programs, most notably the REATIVA program for retirement transition. Her work increasingly incorporates international collaborations and demonstrates methodological sophistication, with publications appearing in multiple languages (Portuguese, English, and Spanish) across diverse healthcare contexts. Research funding highlights: Active Retirement: study of a healthy ageing promotor program (2013-2015) funded by Foundation for Science and Technology Mental Health Education and Sensibilization: A School-based Intervention Program for Adolescents and Young (2011-2014) funded by Foundation for Science and Technology Dr. Mendes has supervised numerous graduate students and collaborated extensively with international research teams, particularly in European nursing education contexts. Her work on nurse professional competence assessment among newly graduated nurses demonstrates her commitment to advancing nursing education standards. She maintains active research partnerships with institutions across Portugal and internationally, contributing to both clinical practice improvements and healthcare policy development.
