Publication and presentation roundup — Summer 2026
The latest scholarly work from the UNC School of Nursing
Carolina Nursing faculty, staff, and students are actively sharing their research findings on critical health care topics through publications in academic journals, presentations at national and international conferences, and features in various media outlets, including articles, podcasts, and more.
Take a look at the selection of publications, presentations, and media features below to learn more about how Carolina Nursing experts are advancing health for all by addressing the greatest health care challenges of our time.
Please note that the following list was compiled based on information submitted by our researchers and is categorized into presentations and publications.
Have a publication, presentation, or media feature to share to share? School of Nursing faculty, students and staff can submit information here to be included in the next roundup.
Publications
Risk and Protective Factors of Perinatal Depression in Perinatal Latinas: a Systematic Review
Alyssa A. Portes, Lisa N. Mansfield, PhD, RN, Taleah Frazier, and Yamnia I. Cortés recently published a systematic review examining the prevalence, risk factors, and protective factors associated with perinatal depression (PND) among Latinas in the United States.
Following PRISMA guidelines, the review analyzed studies published between 1987 and 2025 that assessed depressive symptoms during pregnancy through 12 months postpartum among Latina adults. Across the 17 studies included, reported rates of perinatal depression varied widely, with higher risk linked to factors such as socioeconomic disadvantage, discrimination, history of depression, and acculturative stress. Protective factors included social support, familismo, spirituality, resilience, and other culturally rooted sources of support.
The review also found that Latinas remain underrepresented in perinatal mental health research despite experiencing some of the highest rates of perinatal depression and the lowest rates of screening and treatment.
This work highlights the need for culturally tailored, bilingual screening and family-centered interventions to better support perinatal mental health and reduce disparities in care for Latina mothers and families.
Parent feeding strategies for infants and young children at developmental risk in the first 24 months and their relationship to feeding stage and outcomes
Anxiety trajectories in cancer patients during active treatments: Clusters, influencing factors, and impact on quality of life and health service utilization
Understanding developmental transitions of fear learning circuits: Insights from behavioral neuroscience
Prenatal Sleep Quality, Neonatal Brain Volume, and Infant Emotion at 6 Months of Age
International Learning Initiative Part 1: A Protocol for Developing a Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Module on Racism in Healthcare
Neuro‑Based Teaching: A Practical Strategy Nurse Educators Can Use Tomorrow
Managing Nutrition After Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (CRS-HIPEC): A Qualitative Study of Colorectal Cancer Survivors’ and Caregivers’ Experiences
Stage of Disease Among Hospitalized Persons Living With Dementia: A Multisite Study
Assessing the quality and performance of synthetic data augmentation to identify stigmatizing language in obstetric clinical notes
Conceptualizing and measuring integration of telehealth and in-person services from the provider’s perspective: development of the integration of telehealth and in-person services (ITIPS) survey
A health policy analysis of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in medical products and devices
Julie Jacobson Vann, PhD, MS, RN, teamed up with a Duke School of Nursing graduate student, Dr. Christeanna Richardson, and three faculty members, Drs. AnnMarie Walton, Valerie Sabol, and Malinda Teague, on a health policy analysis. Dr. Richardson completed this Doctor of Nursing Practice project as part of our larger health policy advocacy plan aimed at banning select plastic medical supplies made with di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and 11 related phthalate plasticizers from use in North Carolina health care delivery. The paper, A health policy analysis of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in medical products and devices, Brief report, was accepted in The Journal for Nurse Practitioners on May 19, 2026.
Dr. Julie Jacobson Vann began working on this advocacy plan in May 2024, at the request of a North Carolina legislator’s wife. This project is relevant and important because of the importance of educating nurses about conducting health policy analyses and the need to promote safe and healthy workplaces for nurses and the patients or clients they serve. Many medical supplies are made with polyvinyl chloride, which is softened and made more flexible by adding phthalates, such as di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). Patients, nurses, and other health care workers are exposed to these toxins through dermal, inhalation, ingestion, and/or parenteral administration. Phthalates are classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic, reprotoxic, and endocrine-disruptors. On March 31, 2025, NC House Bill 592, Toxic-Free Medical Devices Act of 2025, was introduced in the NC General Assembly. The Senate version was signed into law on July 3, 2025 by Governor Josh Stein.
Presentations
Media Features
Nutrition after CRS-HIPEC: Cancer Survivor and Caregiver Experiences
Kea Turner, PhD, MPH, MA, was recently featured in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (JAND) Editor’s Podcast in an episode titled, “Nutrition after CRS-HIPEC: Cancer Survivor and Caregiver Experiences”. In the episode, JAND Editor-in-Chief Linda Snetselaar, PhD, RDN, LN, FAND, interviews Dr. Turner about her research exploring how colorectal cancer survivors and caregivers manage nutrition after cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy, or CRS-HIPEC.