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Nursing students during lab at Loyola University Chicago

Advancing nursing science and improving health

Learn more about the School of Nursing's research program and its four focus areas:

Social Context, Stress, and Epigenetic Determinants of Health

Discoveries in epigenetics have transformed our understanding of how environmental factors, including diet, physical activity, psychological stress, and social context, influence gene expression and affect individual and community health.

Faculty engaged in epigenetics research integrate social context, early life adversity, and cumulative life stress to understand phenotypic variation in biological and behavioral stress reactivity and resilience, symptom expression in cancer, pregnancy outcomes, and risk for cardiovascular disease, depression, and diabetes.

Health Disparities and Vulnerable Populations

We partner with communities and engage students to explore new inter-professional care models that address health disparities among several populations, including African-American men and women, Filipino women, Asian Indians, at risk youth, and veterans.

Prevention and Self-Management of Chronic Disease

Investigators at the School of Nursing are pursuing symptom science research that seeks to improve the self-management of chronic diseases and better understand how symptoms impact individuals and their families. Chronic diseases include diabetes, cancer, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and the perinatal period.

Optimizing Outcomes in Education and Practice

Faculty research how to optimize the learning environment for our students, as well as inter-professional teams. This involves developing and implementing new models of care to address the health care needs of individuals with chronic conditions in underserved areas.

Student Research Opportunities

At Loyola Nursing, we encourage students to get involved in nursing research. Explore our students’ research and learn more about research funding and programs.

Active Research

Loyola Nursing faculty lead research initiatives, securing grant funding to continuously explore new ways to improve health outcomes. 

Facilities and Centers

Center for Translational Research & Education (CTRE)
This 225,000-square-foot facility on Loyola's Health Sciences Campus houses state-of-the-art labs and learning spaces open to the Stritch School of Medicine, Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health, the Graduate School, and Loyola University Health System. Inside the CTRE, more than 500 researchers, students, and staff collaborate to accelerate the translation of fundamental science discoveries into real treatments for human health.

Research Events 

Ruth K. Palmer Research Symposium
Each year, nurses and health professionals gather at Loyola's Health Sciences Campus to share the latest information in research at the Ruth K. Palmer Research Symposium. For decades, this event has addressed matters seminal to nursing research, education, administration, policy, and clinical practices.

The 2024 37th Ruth K. Palmer Research Symposium will be held in-person on April 5, 2024. Details about abstract submission and registration are coming soon.  

Midwest Nursing Research Society Annual ConferenceThe School of Nursing is proud to collaborate with the Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS), where scientists, innovators, and clinical practitioners gather to share ideas and grow the field of nursing through innovative research. 

The 47th annual MNRS Research Conference, “Leading the Way: The Critical Importance of Nursing Science and Implementation in a New Era," will be held in-person in Des Moines, Iowa, from March 29 to April 1, 2023.

For more information about School of Nursing research, contact Karen Saban, PhD, RN, CNRN, FAHA, FAAN, Associate Dean for Research and Scholarly Innovation, at ksaban@luc.edu.