A Healthier Tomorrow
Michigan State University College of Nursing researchers continue to excel and lead the way in innovations in nursing. From cancer to healthy eating and physical activity, our researchers are addressing today’s most pressing challenges. Learn more about some of our researchers in this series of animated videos, "A Healthier Tomorrow."
A new prescription for chemo-induced nausea: 20 mg of Mozart or Metallica?
Dr. Jason Kiernan, Assistant Professor
What if listening to music could make your pain, anxiety or nausea medication more effective? Assistant Professor Dr. Jason Kiernan is hoping to shed light on this issue. Here’s how it might work: When we listen to music we like, the brain releases many chemicals, like dopamine and serotonin, and that makes us feel good.
But when we undergo chemotherapy for cancer, we usually feel anything BUT good. We often get nauseous, and nausea is a neuro condition that one brain chemical, serotonin, plays a major role in. So, if we encourage patients to listen to their favorite music during treatment, then maybe music’s impact on serotonin could help drown out the nausea.
Setting healthy goals for kids and their parents
Dr. Lorraine Robbins, Professor; Dr. Jiying Ling, Associate Professor
How can we better understand children’s nutrition and health?
Stress can create negative eating habits, especially among today's youth. Dr. Lorraine Robbins and Dr. Jiying Ling hope to facilitate a new program that will instill healthy eating habits in underserved, low-income young children and families across Michigan.
A 14-week healthy eating program will aim to improve the health of children and their parents.
It's all in your mind
Dr. Tsui-Sui Annie Kao, Associate Professor
How can mindfulness and motivation strategies lead to healthier habits?
High levels of stress in parents and children can lead to ineffective parenting and unhealthy lifestyles. Dr. Tsui-Sui Annie Kao is researching the topic.
Dr. Kao is working with disadvantaged rural families to improve mindfulness and stress management. Kao utilizes motivational interviewing to get families to change in three areas: eating habits, physical activity and family interaction.
An en-"light"-ening idea for cancer survivors
Dr. Horng-Shiuann Wu, Associate Professor
Does light therapy help symptoms of cancer survivors?
Cancer alters the circadian rhythm functions, which results in fatigue and disrupted sleep/wake patterns. Dr. Horng-Shiuann Wu studies how using extremely bright light to “reset” a female breast cancer patient’s internal clock can help them sleep better.
Wu examines the effect the light therapy has on fatigue and poor sleep, cognitive dysfunction and depression. Therapeutic bright light has shown to be effective in treating conditions associated with circadian aberrations.
There's an app for that
Dr. Susan Buchholz, Professor and Associate Dean for Research; Dr. Pallav Deka, Assistant Professor
Can technology positively impact heart failure patients?
The number of heart failure cases has gone up by 1 million since 2015.
A lack of patient engagement in heart failure self-care remains challenging. Two Michigan State University College of Nursing researchers — Dr. Susan W. Buchholz and Dr. Pallav Deka — study how mobile applications and other technology can make a positive change.