Member profile

Title: Associate Professor, School of Nursing, University of Northern British Columbia, Canada

Specialist research area: Cardiovascular Health; Cardiac Surgery; Rural Health; Patient-Oriented Research

Research experience: Associate Professor

Summary: Prior to moving to Canada, I worked as a nurse within the cardiothoracic intensive care unit and was a cardiac surgery research specialist nurse. In addition, my PhD study explored women's experience of undergoing cardiac surgery, a multi-centre and longitudinal qualitative grounded theory study. I have also been engaged in arrhythmia and valve surgery research, including studies on TAVI and concomitant atrial ablation. In my later research, I have taken a more health services lens to the work. My research is still focused on cardiovascular health but has included a greater focus on rural and underserved populations. 

Interested in receiving mentorship: Yes

Contact for PhD/collaborative research opportunities: Yes

Email: Davina.Banner-Lukaris@unbc.ca 

Title: Associate Professor, Odense University Hospital, Denmark

Specialist research area: Cardiac surgery, heart valves

Research experience: Associate Professor

Summary: My research includes perspectives of patient-reported outcomes, frailty assessments and optimizations of clinical pathways (including reducing readmissions and health economics) among patients undergoing conventional heart valve surgery.

Also, I have been included in studies related to TAVI-patients, and studies of patients with ischemia. Other research areas include patient involvement, peer support, family perspectives and delirium assessments. 

I work as an Associate Professor in a joint position at Odense University Hospital and University of Southern Denmark. As part of my position I supervise PhD students, master students and clinical nurses and allied professionals.

Interested in receiving mentorship: Yes

Contact for PhD/collaborative research opportunities: Yes

Email: britt.borregaard@rsyd.dk 

Title: Clinical Research Fellow / Senior Lecturer in Cardiac Care, City, University of London, UK.

Specialist research area: Cognitive outcomes following adult cardiac surgery

Research experience: Doctoral

Research summary: I am the recipient of a Barts Charity Nurse / Allied Health Professional Clinical Research Fellowship, and currently a PhD student examining strategies to improve cognitive recovery in patients who have undergone cardiac surgery. My main areas of interest include cognitive recovery after cardiac surgery, and health related quality of life following cardiac surgery.

Interested in receiving mentorship: No

Contact for PhD/collaborative research opportunities: No

Email: Tracey.Gibson.1@city.ac.uk

Web: https://www.city.ac.uk/about/people/academics/tracey-bowden-nee-gibson 

Title: Assistant Professor, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada

Specialist research area: Cardiovascular Health Promotion, Risk Factor Management, Chronic Disease Management, Knowledge Translation.

Research experience: My current research interests and program of research is focused on cardiovascular health promotion, including women’s cardiovascular health risks, cardiac rehabilitation post CV surgery, CV risk factor management, chronic disease self-management, advanced practice nursing roles, and knowledge translation.

Interested in receiving mentorship: Yes

Contact for PhD/collaborative research opportunities: Yes

Email: jill.bruneau@66@gmail.com 

Title: Nurse Researcher/Lecturer, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia

Specialist research area: Cardiac nursing research, knowledge transition

Research experience: Post-doctoral

Summary: I am an early career researcher who is committed to bridging the ‘know-do’ gap to improve the short- and long-term outcomes of patients with cardiovascular disease. Although my current research is more involved in the non-surgery cardiac field, I am keen to be involved in nursing research related to cardiac surgery. I have had many years of working experience as a registered nurse in the cardiac field in Australia, including two years in the cardiothoracic unit. With my passion for knowledge translation, I will be dedicated to promoting evidence-based practice in cardiothoracic care through conducting cardiac surgery research in future.

Interested in receiving mentorship: Yes

Contact for PhD/collaborative research opportunities: Yes

Email: ychen@usc.edu.au 
Website: https://research.usc.edu.au/esploro/profile/output/all?institution=61USC_INST 

Title: Highly Specialist Physiotherapist, Barts Health NHS, UK

Specialist research area: Critical care; cardiac surgery; aortovascular surgery

Research experience: Pre-doctoral

Summary: Pre-doctoral planning for prehabilitation in cardiac surgery, interested in improving outcomes post-surgery; developing tools to measure postoperative pulmonary complications in cardiac surgery patients and mitigating icu acquired weakness.

Interested in receiving mentorship: No

Contact for PhD/collaborative research opportunities: No

Email: samantha.cook20@nhs.net 

Title: Clinical Nurse Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgery

Specialist research area: ACHD, CTSx

Research experience: Pre-doctoral - current PhD student USyd

Summary: I am an experienced Cardiothoracic + ICU nurse (>20years). I am passionate about evidence based cardiothoracic nursing/collaborative interventions and care delivery by staff with the knowledge and skills to achieve desired health outcomes. I have an interest in public health ( I have an MPH) , CT surgery, CT ICU and in particular ACHD surgery, outcomes and models of care. My current research activities as my PhD work are exploring barriers to Adult Congenital Heart Disease care – loss to follow-up, experiences in hospital, specialty workforce preparation, impact of outreach clinics. 

Interested in receiving mentorship: Yes

Contact for PhD/collaborative research opportunities: Yes

Email: cheryl.dickson@health.nsw.gov.au 

Title: Clinical Nurse Specialist, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark

Specialist research area: Cardiac and thoracic surgery

Research experience: Master of Clinical Nursing 

Summary: Surgical heart patients: Men’s health and health behaviour – CABG-patients; Surgery, nutrition and counselling – CABG-patients.

The need for psychological support after heart surgery – not prioritised due to nurses’ focus on instrumental nursing tasks (fast track/ERAS) – CABG-patients.

Contact for PhD/collaborative research opportunities: Yes

Email:  Pia.elbroend@rsyd.dk 

Title: ICU nurse, nurse anestehetist, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden

Specialist research area: Depression, Delirium, Cardiovascular and thoracic surgery

Research experience: Post-doctoral

Summary: My research area includes preoperative depression and postoperative delirium and outcomes following cardiac surgery using epidemiological methods as well as qualitative methods. I am also particularly interested in intensive care and postoperative care in patients with cardiac disease.

Interested in receiving mentorship: No

Contact for PhD/collaborative research opportunities: Yes

Email: Anna.falk.2@ki.se 

Title: Associate Professor, Dept of Public Health and Nursing, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway; Nurse Researcher, Dept. of Cardiology and Dept. of Cardiothoracic Surgery, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Norway.

Specialist research area: Cardiothoracic surgery; Postsurgical pain; Cardiovascular nursing

Research experience: Associate Professor

Summary: My main interests are patient-reported outcomes, palliative care, symptoms, and pain in different patient groups emphasizing the trajectory of elderly patients with cardiac disease. I am particularly interested in persistent postsurgical pain after cardiothoracic surgery and have published several papers on this issue.

Interested in receiving mentorship: Yes

Contact for PhD/collaborative research opportunities: Yes

Email: h.gjeilo@ntnu.no

Web: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kari-Gjeilo / https://www.ntnu.edu/employees/kari.h.gjeilo 

Title: Advanced Nurse Practitioner/Postdoc

Research experience: Post-doctoral

Summary: 

I am a seasoned clinical nurse practitioner and provide postoperative care and cure after cardiac surgery. My research focusses on management of postoperative complications. The main pillars are postoperative wound infections and the management of acute postoperative pain. Currently I am the chair of EACTS nurses and AHP committee. 

Interested in receiving mentorship: Yes

Contact for PhD/collaborative research opportunities: Yes

Email: r.nanvalen@qmul.ac.uk

LinkedIn

Title: Cardiothoracic CNS, Blackrock Clinic, Ireland

RGN, BNS, MSc (Clinical Practice), RANP, RNP, RNR (Rad), MSc (Advanced Practice), FFNMRCSI, FHFA, Honorary Teaching Associate RCSI, Adjunct Lecturer/Assistant Professor University College Dublin

Specialist research area: Cardiac Surgery & Prevention

Research experience: Pre-doctoral

Summary: Ms Maria Hayes is a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Cardiothoracic surgery at Blackrock Clinic, Dublin. She is currently developing this role into an Advanced Nurse Practitioner position and is a RANP.  During the past twenty-five years since qualifying her career pathway has been in the acute cardiac clinical setting.

She is President of the Irish Nurses Cardiovascular Association (INCA).  She is the European Nurse representative on the ESC HFA Heart Failure Association Study Group on Valvular Heart Disease.  Subjects of interest are Cardiac Surgery and Prevention.

Interested in receiving mentorship: Yes

Contact for PhD/collaborative research opportunities: Yes

Email: hayesm2@tcd.ide / maria.hayes1@ucd.ie 

Title: Clinical Nurse, Research Nurse, Tirol Kliniken GmbH, Austria

Specialist research area: Cardiac Surgery, Cardiovascular Nursing

Research experience: Longitudinal Study on cardiovascular risk factors

Summary: I am currently working as a clinical nurse on the cardiac surgery ward; also involved in a project "Preoperative Optimisation for Patients before Cardiac Surgery (CABG/Valves)" with home monitoring.  Particularly interested in prehabilitation in cardiac surgery and telehealth. I am on the committee board of the Austrian Society of Cardiology, where I also plan the annual congress for nurses and allied professions. 

Interested in receiving mentorship: Yes

Contact for PhD/collaborative research opportunities: Yes

Email: hibu001@gmx.at 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karin-hinterbuchner-4551651b9/ 

Title: Clinical Nurse Specialist, IMPACT - Research and Care, Department of Heart and Lung Hospital, Rigshospitalet, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Denmark

Specialist research area: Early rehabilitation after CABG.  Everyday life in patients with advanced heart failure treated with transplantation or LVAD.

Research experience: Post-doctoral

Summary: My research deals with comprehensive interventions in the early rehabilitation course after CABG to support patients' handling of everyday life after discharge. This led to a general curiosity about dealing with everyday life and redefining everyday life in patients with chronic illness including severe heart failure.

During the COVID-19 shutdown, we examined different aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic with patient and professional perspectives.

I supervise and teach Ph.D. students, clinical nurses and allied professionals.

Interested in receiving mentorship: Yes

Contact for PhD/collaborative research opportunities: Yes

Email: Ida.elisabeth.hoejskov@regionh.dk 

Title: Clinical Nurse Specialist, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority

Specialist research area: Post-intensive care syndrome (PICS), congenital care

Research experience: Pre-doctoral

Summary: I am a doctoral student interested in pursuing a nurse clinician scientist role focusing on cardiac critical care and patient-oriented research. My doctoral work is investigating the incidence of PICS post-cardiac surgery, outcomes used to measure PICS, engaging survivors to identify interventions to decrease the incidence of PICS, then implementing at least one of these interventions and measuring the impact on the incidence of PICS.

I am also engaging patients and caregivers in redeveloping the transition pathway from pediatric to adult congenial care.

Other interests include nurse retention, structural procedures, and heart failure.

Interested in receiving mentorship: Yes

Contact for PhD/collaborative research opportunities: Yes

Email: e.hyde@sbgh.mb.ca 

Title: EMR Research Nurse Consultant and PhD Student, Monash Health, Australia

Specialist research area: Impact of electronic medical record system implementations on nurses and their work

Summary:  I am a Critical Care Registered Nurse who previously specialised in Cardiothoracics and am currently completing my PhD. My research interests include nurses’ well-being, cardiothoracic surgery nursing, nurse workforce retention, and electronic medical record system implementations and their effect on nurses and their work.

Research experience: Doctoral (currently completing PhD)

Interested in receiving mentorship: Yes

Contact for PhD/collaborative research opportunities: Yes

Email: rebecca.jedwab@monashhealth.org 

Title: Associate Dean of Health Research, University of New Brunswick, Canada

Specialist research area: Cardiovascular and Chronic Disease Management

Research experience: Associate Professor 

Summary: Dr. Keeping-Burke’s program of research includes the management of adult chronic diseases and treatments, with a focus on cardiac illnesses, mainly cardiac surgery, myocardial infarction, and therapeutic hypothermia. For her doctoral research she investigated the effects of a virtual interactive telehealth home monitoring program on recovery for CABG surgery patients and their caregivers (https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.21571). Currently, she is Director of the UNB Saint John Collaboration for Evidence-Informed Healthcare: A JBI Centre of Excellence for the conduct of systematic reviews.

Interested in receiving mentorship: Yes

Contact for PhD/collaborative research opportunities: Yes

Email: l.keeping@unb.ca 

Web: https://www.unb.ca/faculty-staff/directory/science-ase-nhs/keeping-burke-lisa.html 

Title: Research Fellow, The Hospital for Sick Children, Canada

Specialist research area: Congenital heart disease & cardiac surgery, heart failure, transitional care, qualitative health research, virtual care, shared decision making.

Research experience: Post-doctoral

Summary: My program of research is focused on supporting patients living with chronic cardiovascular disease as they transition across the lifespan, with a focus on three key priority areas: 1) enhancing autonomy and decision making; 2) technology and transitions: virtual care and digital health solutions; and 3) evaluating transitions: assessment and measurement. I am currently conducting research across all three domains, using my background in adult cardiovascular surgery and interventional cardiology to inform my research on youth with congenital heart disease as they recover from cardiac surgery and as they move from pediatric to adult care settings, and examine how digital health interventions can be used to improve this experience.

Interested in receiving mentorship: Yes

Contact for PhD/collaborative research opportunities: Yes

Email: tieghan.killackey@sickkids.ca  

Web: tieghankillackey.com 

Dr Irene Lie. Photo: Ingar Sørensen

Title: Critical Care Nurse, Senior Researcher and Associate Professor II, FESC, Oslo University Hospital and NTNU, Norway

Specialist research area: Follow-up after discharge from hospital. Symptom monitoring. Heart surgery, heart failure and PCI patients.

Research experience: Associate Professor

Summary: As a clinical critical care nurse, head of a research centre and supervisor for master and PhD students in international collaboration, we mainly focus our mixed method studies on follow-up of heart disease (heart surgery, PCI, Heart failure) patients after discharge from hospital. Foremost, symptom monitoring for early intervention, reduce readmissions, PROM, PREM.

In a national (Norway) COVID-19 study on health care professionals (nurses, physicians and leaders) working in ICU we are focusing on preparing for working in COVID-ICU, daily working condition and psychological reactions

Interested in receiving mentorship: Yes

Contact for PhD/collaborative research opportunities: Yes

Email:  Irene.lie@ous-hf.no

LinkedIn

Title: Clinical Doctoral Research Fellow / Senior Sister, Queen Mary University of London / St Bartholomew’s Hospital, UK

Specialist research area: Cardiac surgery, aortovascular surgery, surgical site infection (SSI), atrial fibrillation (AF)

Research experience: Doctoral

Summary: I am interested on research related to cardiac surgery particularly on aortovascular surgery, AF and SSI after cardiac surgery. I am also interested in doing studies on health-related quality of life and development/validation of risk prediction as well as studies on Marfan syndrome patients. 

Interested in receiving mentorship: Yes

Contact for PhD/collaborative research opportunities: Yes

Email: r.magboo@qmul.ac.uk 

Title: Advanced Nurse Practitioner - cardiac surgery, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, UK

Specialist research area: Prehabilitation 

Research experience: Pre-doctoral and ERAS

Summary: Prehabilitation and optimisation of patients prior to adult care surgery. Introduction of ERAS to improve patient experience and outcomes post operatively. 

Interested in receiving mentorship: Yes

Contact for PhD/collaborative research opportunities: Yes

Email: jo.murfin@uhs.nhs.uk 

Title: Associate Professor, Brock University, National Research Director for the Canadian Council of Cardiovascular Nurses, Canada

Specialist research area: Cardiovascular Pain, Symptom Recognition and Management

Research experience: Associate Professor 

Summary: Sheila is a Nurse Scientist at the Centre for Research Across the Life Span and the Brock-Niagara Centre for Health and Wellbeing at Brock University. Sheila’s Heart Innovation Research Program contains three inter-related areas of focus: 1) to examine and describe cardiovascular disease (CVD) related pain and associated symptoms, 2) through the use of digital health technology, design, develop, and evaluate interventions to screen for and/or manage pain and other symptoms and 3) create/provide meaningful education and knowledge mobilization through use of integrated arts-based approaches for research and dissemination.

Interested in receiving mentorship: Yes

Contact for PhD/collaborative research opportunities: Yes

Email: sokeefemccarthy@brocku.ca 

Web: sokeefemccarthy.ca / https://brocku.ca/applied-health-sciences/nursing/faculty-research/faculty-directory/sheila-okeefe-mccarthy/ 

Title: Operating Theatre Nurse, Sahlgrenska Academy, Inst. of Medicine, Dept. of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Sweden

Specialist research area: Cardiovascular epidemiology

Research experience: Associate Professor

Summary: My mainly research interest are cardiovascular epidemiology including secondary prevention in cardiothoracic surgery. I am also involved in studies related to TAVI-patients and quality of life. 

Interested in receiving mentorship: Yes

Are you open to being contacted for PhD/collaborative research opportunities:  Yes

Contact for PhD/collaborative research opportunities: Yes

Email: susanne.nielsen@gu.se 

Web: https://www.gu.se/en/about/find-staff/susannenielsen               https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Susanne_Nielsen7 

Title: Cardiothoracic ICU Nurse, Barts Health NHS Trust, UK

Specialist research area: Cardiothoracic ICU

Research experience: Pre-doctoral

Summary: I am interested in acute and critical care, with special attention for cardiothoracic nursing which is my area of work and competencies.

Interested in receiving mentorship: Yes

Contact for PhD/collaborative research opportunities: Yes

Email: dinapaoloni.79@gmail.com 

Web: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dina-paoloni-955b199/  

Title: Lead Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, UK.

Specialist research area: Post-operative delirium in Cardiac Surgery.

Research experience: Doctoral

Summary: 

I have worked within the Cardiothoracic specialty for almost three decades. In 2023, I completed my PhD on post – operative delirium.

In 2019, I was appointed in the role of Clinical Nurse Manager for Advanced Practice. In this role, I oversee specialist teams in Cardiothoracic Surgery, Cardiology and Respiratory Medicine.

Besides leading groups of enthusiastic and driven specialist nursing teams, I am keen to continue providing evidenced based clinical care at an advanced level. In order to undertake this role efficiently, I strive to engage in relevant research and educational opportunities thereby supporting all four pillars of advanced practice.

Interested in receiving mentorship: n/a

Contact for PhD/collaborative research opportunities: n/a

Email: d.v.sandeman@sms.ed.ac.uk  

Title: Assistant Professor (Tenured), School of Nursing, University of Campinas, Brazil

Specialist research area: Cardiology

Research experience: Professor

Summary: Dr. Pedrosa is interested in cardiac surgery research and her goal is to establish partnerships with international researchers to develop future studies that address effective interventions to reduce complications related to cardiac surgery. Currently, Dr. Pedrosa develops research in Brazil related to heart transplantation and involves the evaluation of nursing interventions to reduce complications at all stages of cardiac surgery.

Interested in receiving mentorship: Yes

Contact for PhD/collaborative research opportunities: Yes

Email: rpedrosa@unicamp.br 

LinkedIn Profile

Title: NIHR Pre-Doctoral Clinical Academic Fellow & CICU Staff Nurse, Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust/Hull York Medical School, UK

Specialist research area: Cardiothoracic intensive care; palliative care

Research experience: Pre-doctoral

Summary: I am a pre-doctoral clinical academic fellow, with an interest in palliative and end-of-life care in cardiothoracic intensive care, and clinical academic careers. I am also a member of the End of Life and Palliative Care in the ICU Research Network (EPCIN). 

Interested in receiving mentorship: Yes

Contact for PhD/collaborative research opportunities: Yes

Email: e.skipsey@nhs.net 

Title: Theatre Nurse, Korlinska Institutet, Sweden

Specialist research area: Depression, Cardiovascular and thoracic surgery

Research experience: Associate Professor

Summary: My research area includes both preoperative and postoperative depression and outcomes following cardiovascular surgery using epidemiological methods and cross-linking of national Swedish registers. I am also particularly interested in sex and gender research.

Interested in receiving mentorship: No

Contact for PhD/collaborative research opportunities: Yes

Email: malin.senman@ki.se 

Job title: Professor and Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

Institution: Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary 

Country: Canada

Specialism: Open Heart Surgery, Cardiology

Research areas/interests: Dr. Then’s focus and primary research program is on the development, testing and implementation of surveys and mixed method research. Dr. Then research involves a mixed methods approach (e.g., survey, web surveys, questionnaire development and testing, focus group). She has been involved in numerous research projects including studies related to: risk reduction, acute myocardial infarction, cardiac surgery (valvular, aortic, TAVI and CABG) and quality of life, heart failure and tobacco policy and cessation strategies, triage and on-line learning and data entry. She is presently the PI of a QOL and cognition study in patients 75 years and above undergoing CABG surgery. She also is involved in a CIHR grant with colleagues in the Cummings School of Medicine. She has been a supervisor with numerous students at both Masters, post-Masters NP and doctorate levels.

Interested in receiving mentorship: No

Open to be contacted for PhD/collaborative research opportunities: Yes

Email: kthen@ucalgary.ca

Title: Intensive Care Charge Nurse, Barts Health NHS Trust, UK

Specialist research area: Muscle wasting in critical illness

Research experience: Doctoral

Summary: Muscle wasting post AVR surgery and critical illness. The effects of surgery and critical illness on muscle size, physical function, strength and HRQoL. Currently completing my PhD and in the write up phase.

Interested in receiving mentorship: Yes

Contact for PhD/collaborative research opportunities: Yes

Email: ashleythomas@nhs.net