Understanding the PhD Degree: Perspectives from Faculty and a Recent Graduate

Dr. Osier is an Assistant Professor and new addition to the University of Texas at Austin faculty. She holds joint appointments in the School of Nursing (Division of Holistic Adult Health) and Dell Medical School (Department of Neurology). Dr. Osier also serves as the Director of the Biobehavioral Core of St. David’s Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research in Underserved Populations (CHPR). Dr. Osier’s training background includes dual bachelor’s degrees from Michigan State University (in Nutritional Science and Nursing), a PhD from the University of Pittsburgh (in Nursing with an emphasis on Molecular Genomics), and a post-doctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health (in Nursing with an emphasis on Protein Quantification). To-date, Dr. Osier’s program of research has centered on using both pre-clinical and clinical research to promote understanding the molecular and genomic underpinnings of health, disease, and injury recovery. Her current research focuses on understanding the pathology associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Her ultimate goal is to harness this information to predict individuals at highest risk for poor outcomes and ultimately to inform precision care initiatives.

In addition to her research, Dr. Osier is very passionate about teaching and mentoring the next generation of registered nurses and nurse scientists. She currently teaches the Genetics in Healthcare course in the School of Nursing. She also enjoys working with students outside of the classroom, both in the laboratory and on manuscripts, presentations, grants, and other professional development activities. Additionally. Dr. Osier is committed to promoting the nursing profession and health science research community through her service efforts. She currently serves as the Co-Chair for the International Society of Nurses in Genetics (ISONG)’s Educational Products Subcommittee and is a member of the Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science’s Awards Committee. She also reviews abstracts for numerous professional societies and manuscripts for a number of nursing, medical, and basic science journals. In 2017, the Michigan State University College of Nursing bestowed the Recent Graduate Achievement Award to Dr. Osier.

Patricia A. Tabloski, Ph.D., GNP-BC, FGSA, FAAN is an associate professor at the Connell School of Nursing. She has committed her career to the teaching, practice, administration and research of gerontology since 1978. Dr. Tabloski maintained a clinical practice as an advanced practice gerontological nurse in collaboration with two physician colleagues and a multi-disciplinary team for 20 years. Additionally, she established the first Geriatric Assessment Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center and arranged rotations for many nursing, medical and social work students over the years. Dr. Tabloski conducts research to improve sleep and reduce agitation using non-pharmacological interventions. She has numerous publications, presentations and citations that attest to her accomplishments as a scholar and a researcher. She has gained a national and international reputation as an expert in the area of sleep and care of the elderly. She has just completed a text book entitled Gerontological Nursing (2006) Prentice Hall, which has been well received. The text focuses on normal changes of aging and common diseases of aging as the basis of nursing assessment and planning. The text also incorporates clinical pearls, Best Nursing Practices, drug alerts, critical thinking exercises and care planning examples. These same features will support the growth and knowledge acquisition of the Brigham educator/clinical leader teams.

Dr. Tabloski was selected to serve as a faculty mentor and scholar at the John A. Hartford Foundation, Institute for Geriatric Nursing at New York University in June, 2002. Additionally, she was a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Leeds, School of Nursing in Manchester, UK. She has lectured on gerontology in Budapest, Hungary and Zhejiang Province, China. She serves on review panels for top-tier nursing journals, is a grant application reviewer, and maintains certification as an advanced practice gerontological nurse through the American Nurses Credentialing Center. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau, the national honor society of nursing, and the American Geriatric Society, serving on the Professional Education Committee for three years. She has been a member of the Gerontological Society of America since 1985 and was awarded fellowship status in 2002.