Associate Professor Laurie Connors, DNP, FAANP, has received a five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health National Human Genome Research Institute to train doctoral nurses—doctors of nursing practice and PhD nurses—in the translation and integration of genomics into academics, research and clinical practice.
Genomics, the study of all of a person’s genes, is a growing field within health care and the burgeoning health technology space. With the vast amount of information made available by genetic testing, data science and advanced sequencing technologies, there is an increased need for nurses trained in genomics who can interpret the information and translate it in a way that patients can understand.
“We will deploy a ‘train the trainer’ model,” Connors said. “Our participants will take their skills back to their universities to serve as champions to incorporate genomics into curriculum, research, scholarship and clinical practice.”
Totaling nearly $700,000, the TIGER grant will enable Connors and her collaborators at Clemson University and Loyola University Chicago to increase the capacity and capability of doctoral nurses in genomics over the course of the grant’s timeline.