UTHealth Houston has established a nursing research institute to expand nurse-led research efforts that directly affect patient care.
The Cizik Nursing Research Institute will unite faculty and resources from across the university's schools, including the medical school and school of public health, and collaborate with outside organizations, according to a Sept. 19 news release.
"The designation as an institute provides more formalized infrastructure and support from the university in developing nursing science," Carolyn Pickering, PhD, RN, who will serve as the institute's first executive director, said in a news release. "It will help us develop and grow research teams with other schools and institutes to lead clinical and community-based innovations."
Clinical innovations, health disparities and behavioral disorders are among the institute's research priorities. The effort builds on the Cizik School of Nursing's growing portfolio of NIH-funded studies, and aims to attract faculty, PhD students and postdoctoral fellows to UTHealth Houston.
In 2017, Jane and Robert Cizik laid the groundwork for the institute with a $25 million gift to the nursing school, which was renamed after the couple.