Lorraine S. Evangelista, Ph.D., RN, FAAN
Associate Dean of Research
Biography
Lorraine is recognized internationally for her investigation into the care of patients with heart disease and the effects of this disease on the patients and family members. She has over 125 publications on adherence, self-care, quality of life, and health literacy and has received over 10 million dollars from the National Institute of Health for her research. Lorraine brings significant experience in research, funding, publishing, and mentoring. She comes to us from the University of Texas Medical Branch School of Nursing where she served as Associate Dean for Research & Scholarship and Professor Lena Finke Distinguished Chair for Nursing.
Expertise
Dr. Evangelista specializes in cardiovascular nursing and treating patients with heart failure, working to improve patient and caregiver outcomes.
Education Background
Dr. Evangelista earned a Master’s Degree in June 1993 and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Nursing in June 2000, both from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Research or Scholarship
Dr. Evangelista’s research involves studying the biobehavioral, psychosocial, and biological factors that may impact the health of adult cardiovascular patients, such as cardiometabolic risks and negative psychological states. She was the first nurse researcher to test the effects of home-based intervention on death and hospitalization of cardiovascular patients through a walking program and study the benefits of digital health technology in improving the self-efficacy of patients’ chronic heart failure management. She was also the only nurse researcher to evaluate the impact of transitioning heart-failure patients to remote monitoring in order to reduce all-cause readmissions.
Awards, recognitions, or group affiliations
She has received several recognitions including being a fellow of both the American Heart Association and the American Association for Nursing, the JV Sotejo Award for Distinguished alumni of the U.P. College of Nursing, and the Shannon Mentorship Award and the Distinguished Research Lectureship Award from the Western Institute of Nurses in 2017 and 2020, respectively.