Soojung Ahn   PhD, RN

Postdoctoral Scholar

Bio

Dr. Soojung Ahn is a postdoctoral scholar under the mentorship of Dr. Mulubrhan Mogos and Dr. Mariann Piano at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. Her research interests include an emphasis on cardiovascular disease prevention, subclinical biomarkers, and lifestyle modification. She is particularly interested in the population of family caregivers of patients with chronic illness. Utilizing cardiovascular subclinical markers (e.g., arterial stiffness and blood pressure variability), her research aims to investigate the role of psychological and behavioral factors, such as depression, caregiver stress, sleep deprivation, and physical inactivity, in caregivers' cardiovascular health. Dr. Ahn earned her doctoral degree from the University of Virginia School of Nursing where she conducted a dissertation study that focused on the associations among psychological distress, sleep quality, and 24-hour blood pressure variability in family caregivers. Expanding her dissertation study, Dr. Ahn plans to conduct a pilot study that examines temporal associations and clustering patterns of psychological symptoms, sleep quality, and levels of physical activity in relation to cardiovascular disease risk among family caregivers of older adults with multiple health conditions.

Education

  • PhD, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
  • MSN, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
  • BSN, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea

Current Research/Scholarly Interests

  • Cardiovascular subclinical markers
  • Family caregiver health
  • Psychological symptoms
  • Health behaviors
  • Lifestyle modification

Grants

2023-2024: Soojung Ahn (PI). Understanding the Interplay of Psychological and Behavioral Factors in Relation to Cardiovascular Disease Risk among Family Caregivers of Older Adults. Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research Grant (Direct costs: $8,300).

2020-2022: Soojung Ahn (PI). Associations among Caregiving Stress, Sleep, and Subclinical Markers of Cardiovascular Disease in Caregivers of Patients with Chronic Illness. Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science/Southern Nursing Research Society Dissertation Research Grant (Direct costs: $5,000).

Representative Publications

Journals

Ahn, S., Lobo, J. M., Davis, E. M., Howie-Esquivel, J., Chung, M. L., & Logan, J. G. (2023). Characterization of sleep efficiency transitions in family caregivers. Journal of Behavioral Medicine. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-023-00461-3

Ahn, S., Chung, M. L., & Logan, J. G. (2023). Sleep deficiency by caregiving status: Findings from nationally representative data. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 45 (12), 1120-1129. http://doi.org/10.1177/01939459231208416

Mogos, M. F., Ahn, S., Muchira, J. M., Osmundson, S., & Piano, M. R. (2023). Pregnancy-associated takotsubo cardiomyopathy hospitalizations in the United States. American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology, 325(3), H468–H474. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.00262.2023

Ahn, S., Howie-Esquivel, J., Davis, E. M., Chung, M. L., Lobo, J. M., & Logan, J. G. (2023). Association of disrupted sleep with 24-hour blood pressure variability in caregivers. Heart & Lung, 60, 45-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrtlng.2023.02.024

Mattos, M. K., Gibson, J., Wilson, D., Jepson, L., Ahn, S., & Williams, I. C. (2023). Shared decision-making in persons living with dementia: A scoping review. Dementia (London, England), 22(4), 875–909. https://doi.org/10.1177/14713012231156976

Logan, J. G., Kim-Godwin, Y. & Ahn, S. (2023). Examining factors affecting self-care-self-regulation among registered nurses using path analysis. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 12, 123. https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_1090_22

Ahn, S., Springer, K., & Gibson, J. S. (2022). Social withdrawal in Parkinson’s disease: A scoping review. Geriatric Nursing. 48, 251-261. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gerinurse.2022.10.010

Ahn, S., Esquivel, J. H., Davis, E. M., Logan, J. G., & Chung, M. L. (2022). Cardiovascular disease incidence and risk in family caregivers of adults with chronic conditions: A systematic review. Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing. 37(3), E47-E60. https://doi.org/10.1097/JCN.0000000000000816

Ahn, S., & Logan, J. G. (2022). Perceived role overload and physical symptom experience among caregivers of older adults: The moderating effect of social support. Geriatric Nursing, 43, 197-205. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gerinurse.2021.11.021

Byon, H., Ahn, S., LeBaron, V., Yan, G., Grider, R., & Crandall, M. (2022). Demonstration of an analytic process using home health care electronic health records: A case example exploring the prevalence of patients with a substance use history and a venous access device. Home Health Care Management & Practice. 34(1), 35-41. https://doi.org/10.1177/10848223211021840

Byon, H., Ahn, S., Yan, G., Crandall, M. & LeBaron, V. (2021). Association of a substance use disorder with infectious diseases among adult home healthcare patients with a venous access device. Home Healthcare Now. 39(6), 320-326. http://doi.org/10.1097/NHH.0000000000001009

Ahn, S., Lobo, J. M., Logan, J. G., Kang, H., Kwon, Y., & Sohn, M. (2021). A scoping review of racial/ethnic disparities in sleep. Sleep Medicine, 81,169-179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2021.02.027

Ahn, S., Romo, R. D., & Campbell, C. L. (2020). A systematic review of interventions for family caregivers who care for patients with advanced cancer at home. Patient Education & Counseling, 103(8), 1518-1530. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2020.03.012

Representative Presentations

Sohn, M. W., Lobo, J., Ahn, S., Pasha, S., Farr, N., Kim, C. W., & Goldman, M. (October 2023). Effects of REM sleep and systolic blood pressure variability on five-year cardiovascular disease risk. World Sleep 2023, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Poster).

Sohn, M. W., Farr, N., Ahn, S., Goldman, M., Pasha. S., Shin, H., & Lobo, J. (October 2023). Racial/ethnic disparities in objective sleep measures from polysomnographic studies in the U.S. World Sleep 2023, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Poster)

Ahn, S., & Logan, J. G. (March 2023). Associations of psychological symptoms and sleep quality with cardiovascular disease risk in caregivers. Southern Nursing Research Society 37th Annual Conference, Orlando, FL (Poster).

Ahn, S., Howie-Esquivel, J., Davis, E. M., Chung, M. L., Lobo, J. M., & Logan, J. G. (November 2022). Disrupted sleep is associated with increased 24-hour systolic blood pressure variability in caregivers. American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2022, Chicago, IL (Podium).

Ahn, S., Lobo, J. M., & Logan, J. G. (September 2022). Characterization of sleep quality transitions in family caregivers using a Markov chain model. 2022 State of the Science Congress on Nursing Research, Washington, D.C. (Podium).

Ahn, S., Springer, K., & Gibson, J. S. (September 2022). Social withdrawal in Parkinson's disease: A scoping review. International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders, Virtual (Poster).

Mattos, M. K., Gibson, J., Jepson, L., Ahn, S., & Williams, I.C. (July 2022). Shared decision-making in Alzheimer's disease and related dementia: A scoping review. Alzheimer's Associations International Conference, San Diego, CA (Poster).

Ahn, S., Esquivel, J. H., & Logan, J. G. (March 2021). Cardiovascular disease risk in family caregivers of adults with chronic conditions: A literature review. 2021 Barbara J. Parker Research Symposium, Charlottesville, VA (Poster).

Ahn, S. & Logan, J. G. (February 2021). Self-reported sleep duration and quality in US adults by caregiving status: Analysis of the Health Information National Trends Survey. Southern Nursing Research Society 35th Annual Conference, Virtual (Poster).

Platz, K., Ahn, S., Toledo, G., Miller, J., Chung, M., Malin, S., Mazimba, S., & Howie Esquivel, J. (October 2020). Remote but Together: Live-Video group exercise via Zoom for heart failure patients has high adherence and satisfaction. Heart Failure Society of America Annual Scientific Meeting 2020, Virtual (Poster).

Ahn, S., Kwon, Y., Logan, J. G., Lobo, J. M., Kang, H., & Sohn, M. (November 2019). Sleep, blood pressure variability, and cardiovascular outcomes. American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2019, Philadelphia, PA (Poster).

Liu, X., Ahn, S., & Logan, J. G. (November 2019). Acute psychological stress, autonomic function, and arterial stiffness among women. American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2019, Philadelphia, PA (Poster).

Ahn, S., Romo, R. D., & Campbell, C. L. (July 2019). Effectiveness of support programs for family caregivers of palliative patients with advanced cancer. The 30th International Nursing Research Congress of Sigma, Calgary, Alberta, Canada (Poster).

Harrison, E., Lobo, J., Sohn, M., Kang, H., Logan, J., Lu, G., Ahn, S., Kwon, Y. (April 2019). Sleep quality during in-laboratory polysomnography. American Academy of Sleep Medicine Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX (Poster).

Liu, X., Ahn, S., Liu, J., & Logan J. G. (September 2018). Psychological stress and anxiety in Korean Americans. The Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science, Washington, D.C (Podium).

Professional Organizations

  • Society of Behavioral Medicine
  • The Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science
  • American Heart Association
  • Global Korean Nursing Foundation
  • Southern Nursing Research Society
  • Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing

Honors/Awards

  • Phyllis J. Verhonick Dissertation Award, University of Virginia School of Nursing, 2023
  • Martha N. Hill Early Career Investigator Award, American Heart Association Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing, 2022
  • Barbara Parker Dissertation Funding Award, University of Virginia School of Nursing, 2020
  • GKNF-USA Scholarship Award, Global Korean Nursing Foundation-USA, 2020
  • Nancy Ballard Scholarship Award, Beta Kappa Chapter of Sigma, 2020
  • Inducted to Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, 2016

CONNECT WITH #VUSN