Research Centers - University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing

“Our science, known
for influencing nursing
practice, is focused
on healthy living and
improving quality of life…”
contributing to weight gain and cardiovascular
disease in people of all ages.
Other conditions are associated with
sleep and may benefit from new treatments.
Assistant Professor of Nursing Norma
Cuellar, DSN, RN, examines the use of
Complementary and Alternative Medicine
in older adults with Restless Leg Syndrome
(RLS) associated with sleeplessness. In two
recently completed pilot studies examining
RLS in older adults, Dr. Cuellar found that
RLS has a significant impact on quality of
life and depression and that 45 percent of
type 2 diabetics have RLS symptoms. Her
research could impact the care of diabetics
and influence how diabetes educators teach
patients how to manage diabetes when RLS
is aggravated.
NUTRITION AND METABOLISM
From a paucity of sleep to a surplus of
calories, Americans seek a healthy balance.
The research agenda for Center researchers
has focused on issues of obesity, which
the Centers for Disease Control estimated
in 2005 would affect 20 percent of the
U.S. population. As the incidence of
obesity rises, BRC faculty are investigating
how diet, nutrition, medications, and
environment can impact weight and overall
well-being. Associate Professor of Nursing
Stella L. Volpe, PhD, RD, LD/N, FACSM,
who is exploring the effects of an exercise
program on the members of Penn Nursing
Science’s Living Independently for Elders
(LIFE) program, is also co-investigator of a
multi-site trial in middle schools to see if
changes to nutrition and food service and
physical education prevent type 2 diabetes
mellitus in children.
Managing obesity has repercussions
as well. Associate Professor of Nutrition
Science Charlene Compher, PhD, RD,
FADA, CNSD, also studies individuals
with severe obesity, as well as the energy
needs of vulnerable populations and
issues of malabsorption, exploring optimal
vitamin D requirements of patients with
gastrointestinal disease or if they have
had obesity surgery. Assistant Professor
of Nursing Karen Badellino, GNu ’82,
PhD, RN, examines the effect of dietary
and environmental factors that promote
inflammation and the development of
atherosclerosis. She is currently funded to
study the role of the enzyme endothelial
lipase in the development of vascular
disease among individuals with obesity and
features of metabolic syndrome.
GENETICS AND HUMAN
DEVELOPMENT
Child development is also a current focus
of BRC researchers. Parents are usually the
early observers of development variables,
but relinquish this role as the child matures.
Research Associate Professor Ellen
Giarelli, EdD, CRNP, CS, is the recipient of
a National Institutes of Health (NIH) R21
grant to fund her research on “Transition
to Self-Management of a Chronic Genetic
Disorder in Adolescents.” Dr. Giarelli’s
research addresses issues such as cancer
predisposition syndromes, genetics
disorders, and developmental disabilities.
Implications for Dr. Giarelli’s work include
developing guidelines for families living
with chronic genetic disorders, improving
access to healthcare, and providing
models of care for interdisciplinary teams.
Her interdisciplinary research model
incorporating “life-long self-surveillance”
is being used to inform the study of lifelong
care of congenital heart disease and
prevention and early detection of human
papillomavirus infection.
The behavior of infants, temperament
in low birth weight infants, premature
infants’ feeding behaviors, and transitioning
premature infants to open cribs are
research topics of Dr. Medoff-Cooper, the
first nurse to hold an endowed chair at The
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She
was the first author of the Early Infancy
Temperament Questionnaire, now used
widely to assess when to transfer premature
infants from isolettes to open cribs and
also developed Bioflow, a neonatal sucking
instrument measuring an infant’s ability to
suck. The sucking pattern measurements
help practitioners assess babies’ brain
metabolism in order to identify which
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