This profile is part of a series to highlight the researchers who will be honored at a ceremony on Nov. 9 for UNMC’s Scientist Laureate, Research Leadership, Distinguished Scientist, New Investigator and Community Service to Research Award recipients.
New Investigator
The New Investigator Award is given to outstanding UNMC scientists who in the past two years have secured their first funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense or other national sources. New investigators also had to demonstrate scholarly activity, such as publishing their research and/or presenting their findings at national conventions.
- Name: Windy Alonso, PhD
- Title: Assistant professor, UNMC College of Nursing-Omaha Division
- Joined UNMC: 2017 as a post-doctoral research associate in the Center for Patient, Family and Community Engagement in Chronic Care Management
- Hometown: Curwensville, Pennsylvania
Please describe your research focus in three words or less:
Exercise, adherence, heart failure.
Why is research important in the world today?
Scientific research has led to significant advancements in health care by increasing our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of disease, developing and testing new interventions and fostering innovation. With the aggressive pace of today’s world, science and research are critical to develop dynamic solutions to our ever-evolving society.
My research will make a difference because:
Exercise makes most of us feel better. In fact, a study participant once told us, “The more I exercise, the better I feel about EVERYTHING.” Many adults with heart failure do not exercise because they are afraid or are not sure where to start. The HEART Camp Connect research team will make a difference by working closely with adults with heart failure to show them they can exercise and ultimately see the benefits of their long-term commitment to healthy behavior change.
The best advice I’ve ever received is:
When my first grant application, an F31 fellowship, was not selected for funding, my PhD chair told me to think of all feedback as an opportunity to grow. She said faculty, reviewers, peers – anyone providing critical feedback – all ultimately “want you to be successful and grow the science in the most rigorous way possible.” I think of this often, because sometimes feedback is unpleasant and difficult to swallow. Her advice grounds me in the big picture: Researchers are here to advance science in the most rigorous and meaningful way possible so that data we generate can be used to drive change. We need that feedback to grow and move forward.
Three things you may not know about me are:
- I am a wife and mom to three awesome kids and a loveable Rottweiler.
- I was born and raised in rural Central Pennsylvania. WE ARE – PENN STATE!
- I was the mascot for my high school’s football and basketball teams.
- This would be more fun if it was two truths and a lie. (All of mine are true, though.)
Congratulations Dr. Alonso!
Congratulations and well deserved, Windy!
So proud to call you a colleague and a friend. Congratulations Dr. Alonso!
Congratulations, Dr. Alonso!
Congratulations, Windy!