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

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

Representative Publications

Journals

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. https://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

Ahn, S., Jung, H., Kim, S., Shin, S. J., Park, C., & Chu, S. H. (2017). Quality of life among Korean gastrointestinal cancer survivors. European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 30, 15-21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejon.2017.07.002

Representative Presentations

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

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

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

Ahn, S., Esquivel, J. H., & Logan, J. G. (2021, March). 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. (2021, February). Self-reported sleep duration and quality in US adults by caregiving status: Analysis of the Health Information National Trends Survey. The 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. (2020, October). Remote but Together: Live-Video group exercise via Zoom for heart failure patients has high adherence and satisfaction. The 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. (2019, November). Sleep, blood pressure variability, and cardiovascular outcomes. The American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2019, Philadelphia, PA (Poster).

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

Ahn, S., Romo, R. D., & Campbell, C. L. (2019, July). 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. (2019, April). Sleep quality during in-laboratory polysomnography. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX (Poster).

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

Professional Organizations

  • 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

  • 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

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