faculty profile

Mariann R. Piano PhD, RN, FAAN, FAHA

Nancy and Hilliard Travis Professor of Nursing
Senior Associate Dean for Research, Postdoctoral Fellowship Director

Bio

Dr. Piano has a distinguished career in substance abuse research focusing on understanding the adverse effects of unhealthy alcohol drinking patterns on the cardiovascular system. Studies are underway to determine the effects of binge drinking on cardiovascular function and risk factors in young adults. Young adulthood is when binge drinking is the highest and currently, more young adults consume 6-7 drinks per binge drinking episode, black out and choose hard liquor over beer. Compared to previous generations, the pervasiveness, intensity (i.e., 6-7 drinks) and regularity (several times per week) of binge drinking may place today's youth at greater risk for more profound rates of alcohol-related harm. Another area of research includes heart failure pathophysiology, symptoms and patient self-management. In particular, her research has focused on strategies (e.g. diuretic self-adjustment) to prevent frequent hospital admissions in heart failure patients and to identify mechanisms that underlie heart failure symptoms. Her research has been supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the National Center for Research Resources. She also holds the title of Professor Emerita at the University of Illinois at Chicago where she was Collegiate Professor of Nursing.

Learn about why alcohol consumption and COVID-19 do not mix: "COVID-19 and alcohol consumption"

Education

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Rush University
PhD, University of Illinois (Nursing Science)
MS, University of Illinois (Medical-Surgical Nursing)
BS, Loyola University of Chicago (Nursing)

Current Research/Scholarly Interests

Adverse effects of alcohol on the cardiovascular system and biomarkers of unhealthy alcohol consumption.

Academic Interests

Dr. Piano's primary teaching expertise and experience is in the area of physiology, pathophysiology and cardiovascular nursing. Areas of physiology expertise include: signal transduction, smooth muscle, skeletal and cardiac muscle, and gastrointestinal physiology. Within the area of cardiovascular nursing, her areas of expertise include: heart failure and alcoholic cardiomyopathy.

Current Projects

The effects of binge drinking on cardiovascular function and risk factors in young adults.
Biomarkers of heavy alcohol consumption.

Representative Publications

Journals

Mogos, M. F., Ahn, S., Muchira, J. M., Osmundson, S., Piano, M. R. Pregnancy-Associated Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy Hospitalizations in the United States. American Journal of Physiology Heart and Circulatory Physiology. 2023;10.1152/ajpheart.00262.2023. doi:10.1152/ajpheart.00262.2023

Delaney, K., Dietrich, M. S., Corte, C., Akard, T. F., Piano, M. R. Hazardous alcohol use, drinking motives and COVID-19-related anxiety in college students. Journal of American College Health. 2023;1-10. doi:10.1080/07448481.2023.2198022

Muchira, J. M., Gona, J. M., Mogos, M. F., Stuart-Shor, E., Leveille, S. G., Piano, M. R., Hayman, L. L. Association of parental cardiovascular health with disability-adjusted life years in the offspring: Results from the Framingham Heart Study. Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. 2023 Jan;16(1):e008809. doi: 10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.121.008809. Epub 2022 Dec 9. PMID: 36484252.

Testai, F. D., Gorelick, P. B., Aparicio, H. J., Filbey, F. M., Gonzalez, R., Gottesman, R. F., Melis, M., Piano, M. R., Rubino, T., Song, S. Y., Stroke, C., Council Arteriosclerosis, T., Council Cardiovasc Stroke, N., Council Lifestyle Cardiometab, H., & Council Peripheral Vasc, D. (2022). Use of marijuana: Effect on brain health: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Stroke, 53(4), E176-E187. https://doi.org/10.1161/str.0000000000000396

Stolldorf, D. P., Schirle, L., Kleinpell, R., Akard, T. F., & Piano, M. R. (2022). Assessing postgraduate outcomes of research-intensive nursing science phd programs: Methods and metrics. Nursing Outlook, 70(3), 506-512. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2022.02.012

Muchira, J. M., Mogos, M. F., Park, C., Logan, J., & Piano, M. R. (2022). A mother-child dyadic approach to evaluating subclinical cardiovascular disease in young children: A feasibility study. Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1097/jcn.0000000000000944

Muchira, J. M., Gona, P. N., Mogos, M. F., Stuart-Shor, E., Leveille, S. G., Piano, M. R., & Hayman, L. L. (2022). Parental cardiovascular health predicts time to onset of cardiovascular disease in offspring. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 29(6), 883-891. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjpc/zwaa072

Khair, S., Brenner, L. A., Koval, M., Samuelson, D., Cucinello-Regland, J. A., Anton, P., Piano, M. R., Simon, L., Crotty, K., Sharieh, F., Travers, J. B., Singh, V., Cannon, A., Kim, A., McCullough, R. L., Yeligar, S. M., Wyatt, T. A., McMahan, R. H., Choudhry, M. A., & Kovacs, E. J. (2022). New insights into the mechanism of alcohol-mediated organ damage via its impact on immunity, metabolism, and repair pathways: A summary of the 2021 alcohol and immunology research interest group (airig) meeting. Alcohol, 103, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.alcohol.2022.05.004

Hwang, C. L., Phillips, S. A., Tu, M. H., & Piano, M. R. (2022). Time to promote the awareness of unhealthy alcohol use among women. Journal of Women's Health, 31(1), 1-3. https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2021.0546

Representative Presentations

Piano, M.R. Trends and effects of energy drinks, vaping and binge drinking on health and well-being. General Sessions of the Cardiovascular Nursing Symposium, Preventative Cardiovascular Nurses Association. Denver, CO, April 6-9, 2021.

Piano, M.R. Graduate research in cardiovascular disease. The 15th Annual Heart Failure Holiday Symposium. Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, December 2019.

Piano, M.R. Panelist Leader. Navigating Life and Professional Paths as a Scholar. Vanderbilt University Office of Faculty Development, October, 2019.

Piano, M.R. Alcohol and consumption and cardiovascular disease: It?s Complicated. Keynote UCLA Health Research and Evidence-Based conference, Los Angeles, CA, Sept 20, 2019.

Piano, M.R. Binge drinking in young adults: A dangerous Combination. Sigma Theta Tau 30th International Nursing Research Congress in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, July 28, 2019.

Piano, M.R. Cardiovascular risk associated with binge drinking in young adults. Gordon Conference ? Alcohol End Organ Disease. Sponsored by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Ventura, CA, March 24-29, 2019.

Piano, M.R. Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy: How much is too much? Nursing Heart Failure Journal Club, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, August 2018.

Reviewer

NIH, Center for Scientific Review, Ad Hoc Reviewer

2018, Member, Center for Scientific Review Special Emphasis Panel, RFA Panel: Tobacco Control Regulatory Science Program. ZRG1 BST-T (October).
2014, Chair, Center for Scientific Review Special Emphasis Panel, RFA Panel: Tobacco Control Regulatory research. ZRG1 AARR G 56 (June and December meeting).
2013, Member, Center for Scientific Review Special Emphasis Panel, RFA Panel: Tobacco Control Regulatory research. ZRG1 AARR G 56 (November meeting)
2016-present, Consulting Editor, European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing
2003-present, Editorial Board, Cardiovascular Toxicology
2001-2016, Editorial Board, Circulation
1997-2015, Editorial Board, Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing

Manuscript Reviewer for: Alcohol, Clinical and Experimental Research, American Journal of Physiology, American Journal of Critical Care, Alcohol, Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Journal of Pharmacology and Toxicology

Professional Organizations

2020-2021: Co-Chair, Program Committee, Heart Failure Society of America
2019: Member, Search Committee for the Director of the National Institute of Nursing Research
2018: Member, American College of Cardiology Patient Reported Outcomes Forum-Planning Committee
2018-2022: Member, Joint American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines
2017-2018: Member, Nominating committee, Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing, American Heart Association
2016-2018: Member, Nominating Committee, American Academy of Nursing
2015-2017/; Immediate Past Chair, Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing, American Heart Association
2015-2017: Co-Chair, Diversity Task Force, Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing, American Heart Association
2015-2017: Chair, Nominating committee, Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing, American Heart Association
2013-2015: Chair, Council on Cardiovascular Nursing Council, American Heart Association

Honors/Awards

International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame, Sigma Theta Tau International, 2019
UIC College of Nursing Distinguished Alumni Award, 2019
UIC College of Nursing Distinguished Researcher Award, 2018
UIC College of Nursing Distinguished Researcher Award, 2017
Invited Speaker, Gordon Research Conference on Alcohol-Induced End Organ Diseases, National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2017
University Scholar, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2016
Nursing Collegiate Professor, University of Illinois College of Nursing, 2016
Fellow, The Institute of Medicine Chicago, 2014
University of Illinois Graduate Mentoring Award, 2010
Katharine A. Lembright Distinguished Scientist Award, Council on CV Nursing, American Heart Association, 2008
Distinguished Alumnus Award, Loyola University of Chicago, 2007
Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN), 2006
Fellow of the American Heart Association, 2000
American Heart Association Young Investigator Award, Council on Cardiovascular Nursing, 1994