New faculty spotlight: Kristin Dickinson, Ph.D.

Kristin Dickinson, Ph.D., is a new faculty member at UNMC.

• Name: Kristin Dickinson, Ph.D.
• Hometown: Richmond, Va.
• Title and department at UNMC: Assistant professor, UNMC College of Nursing

Research/professional interests:

• Cancer-related fatigue;
• Mitochondrial function;
• Oxidative stress;
• Genetics; and
• Symptom management.

How I fell in love with nursing research and cancer-related fatigue:

My first job as a new registered nurse was on an inpatient oncology unit. Working on this unit and interacting with the patients and families there provided me with a deeper understanding of the clinical issues influencing the health-related quality of life of patients with cancer. I realized that I wanted to understand more about cancer symptoms and quality of life. Fatigue was of special interest to me because it is such a pervasive symptom, yet so little is known about it. Therefore, cancer-related fatigue became the focus of my program of research.

Degrees:

• B.S., nursing, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond
• Ph.D., nursing, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond
• Fellowship, National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md.

Memberships:

• Oncology Nursing Society
• Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer
• Midwest Nursing Research Society

Three things people may not know about me:

• I grew up a military brat and have lived all over, but never in the Midwest until now.
• I love the outdoors, especially camping and fishing.
• I enjoy cooking and trying new recipes.