Suzanne Thoyre, PhD, RN, FAAN

Suzanne Thoyre, RN, PhD is a Professor of the School of Nursing. Her nursing research and clinical interests are in the area of development, taking both a physiological and behavioral approach to understanding the feeding problems of preterm infants. She has experience in the use of physiological measures (data collection and analysis), which include pulse oximetry, EKG recording, plethysmography, capnography, sucking, and swallowing. In addition she has experience in the collection and analysis of observational data, which include behavioral coding using computer programs such as Observer. Her area of consultation is in the area of observational methods and integration of physiologic and behavioral measures.

Student Opportunities

I offer an apprenticeship style of mentoring for doctoral students interested in pediatric feeding. Our lab focuses on physiologic data collection during infant feeding measuring sucking, swallowing, breathing, oxygenation, and heart rhythm; observational data collection and coding of infant and feeder behavior; measurement of young child feeding behaviors; and family management of pediatric feeding problems. If you are interested in working with us in these topic areas please contact Dr. Suzanne Thoyre at thoyre@email.unc.edu.

Current Funded Studies:

• International Collaborator Representing the United States. Tailored care for optimizing the development of preterm infants: Enhancing the expertise of care professionals. Netherlands RAAK-International (Regional Attention and Action for Knowledge Circulation), Luinge (PI), 7/2012-7/2015.
• Co-Director. Pre- and Post-Doctoral Training Program. Interventions for preventing and managing chronic illness. NIH, NINR, Santacroce (PI), T32 NR070901 9/1/01-8/31/16.

•  2015  Visiting Scholar, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
•  2014  Appointed as a Frances Hill Fox Distinguished Term Professor, 2014-2019
•  2013  Induction in the American Academy of Nursing
•  2012  Helen Denne Shulte Visiting Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Nursing
•  2012  Recipient of the annual Faculty Award for Excellence in Doctoral Mentorship and Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Nursing
•  2011  Selected for BRIDGES – Academic Leadership for Women Program
•  2011  Selected for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Entrepreneurial Boot Camp: Entrepreneurial Mindset: Maximizing Faculty Impact
•  2010  Recipient of the annual Faculty Award for Excellence in Doctoral Mentorship and Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Nursing
•  2008  Recipient of a Carrington Leave Award, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Nursing
•  2006  Harris Visiting Professor, University of Illinois School of Nursing

• Pados, B., Park, J., Thoyre, S., Estrem, H., & Nix, B. (in press). Milk flow rates from bottle nipples used for feeding fragile infants after hospital discharge [Abstract]. Advances in Neonatal Care.
• Pados, B.F., Park, J., Thoyre, S., Estrem, H., & Nix, B. (2015, in press). Milk flow rates from bottle nipples used after hospital discharge. Manuscript accepted for publication. MCN: American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing.
• Pados, B. F., Park, J., Thoyre, S. M., Estrem, H., & Nix, W. B. (2015). Milk flow rates from bottle nipples used for feeding hospitalized infants. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. released July 13, 2015. doi:10.1044/2015_AJSLP-15-0011
• Park, J., Knafl, G., Thoyre, S., & Brandon, D. (2015). Factors associated with feeding progression in extremely preterm infants. Nursing Research, 64(3). 159-167. doi: 10.1097/NNR.0000000000000093
• Park, J., Thoyre, S., & Knafl, G. J. (2015). Four measures of change in physiologic state during the feeding period of very preterm infant. Biological Research for Nursing. Epub Ahead of Print. DOI: 10.1177/1099800414566229
• Thoyre, S., Pados, B., Park, J., Estrem, H., Hodges, E. McComish, C., Van Riper, M., & Murdock, K. (2014). Development and content validation of the Pediatric Eating Assessment Tool (Pedi-EAT). American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 23, 1-14. doi: 10.1044/1058-0360(2013/12-0069)
• Park, J., Thoyre, S., & Knafl, G., Hodges, E.A., & Nix, B. (2014). Efficacy of side-lying positioning on bottle feeding outcomes in very preterm infants. Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing, 28(1), 69-79.
• Thoyre, S., Park, J., Pados, B., & Hubbard, C. (2013). Developing a co-regulated, cue-based feeding practice: The critical role of assessment and reflection. Journal of Neonatal Nursing, 19(4), 139-148. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jnn.2013.01.002
• Thoyre, S., Holditch-Davis, D., Schwartz, T.A., Melendez, C., & Nix, W. (2012). Coregulated approach to feeding preterm infants with lung disease: Effects during feeding. Nursing Research, 61, 242-251.
• Miles, M.S., Thoyre, S., Beeber, L., Engelke, S., Weaver, M.A., & Holditch-Davis, D. (2011). Process evaluation of a nursing support intervention with rural African American mothers with preterm infants. In A. Lemelle, W. Reed, & S. Taylor, Handbook of African American health: Social and behavioral interventions. New York, NY: Springer Science & Business Media, LLC.
• Holditch-Davis, D., Miles, M. S., Weaver, M., Black, B., Beeber, L., Thoyre, S. & Engelke, S. (2009). Patterns of distress in African American mothers of preterm infants. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 30, 193-205.
• Brown, L., Thoyre, S., & Pridham, K. (2009). The mother-infant feeding tool. Journal of Gynecological, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nursing, 38, 491-503.
• Thoyre, S. (2007). Feeding outcomes of extremely premature infants after neonatal care. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing, 36(4), 366-76. *Nominated “2007 Best of JOGNN Writing Award.”
• Pridham, K., Steward, D., Thoyre, S., Brown, R., Brown, L. (2007). Feeding skill performance in premature infants during the first year. Early Human Development, 85(5), 293-305.
• Thoyre, S. M., Shaker, C., Pridham, K. F. (2005). The Early Feeding Skills assessment for preterm infants. Neonatal Network, 24(3), 7-16.
• Miles, M., Holditch-Davis, D., Beeber, L., Thoyre, S., & Wong, S. (2005). Rural African-American mothers parenting prematurely born infants: An ecological systems perspective. Newborn and Infant Nursing Reviews, 5(3), 142-148.
• Pridham, K.F., Bhattacharya, A., Thoyre, S. M., Stewart, D., Bamberger, J., Wells, J., Green, C., Greer, F., Green-Sotos, P., & O’Brien, M. (2005). Exploration of the contribution of biobehavioral variables to the energy expenditure of preterm infants. Biological Research for Nursing, 6(3), 216-229.
• Thoyre, S. M., & Brown, R. (2004). Factors contributing to preterm infant engagement during bottle feeding. Nursing Research, 53(5), 304-313.
• Thoyre, S. & Carlson, J. (2003). Preterm infants’ behavioral indicators of oxygen decline during bottle feeding. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 43, 631-641.
• Thoyre, S. & Carlson, J. (2003). Occurrence of oxygen desaturation events during preterm infant bottle feeding near discharge. Early Human Development, 72, 25-36.

• Prevention and management of pediatric feeding problems
• Development of feeding skills during infancy and childhood
• Measurement of behavior and physiology