Lorraine B. Robbins

Professor
PhD Program Director

About Me:

I am interested in testing interventions that include parental support to promote physical activity and healthy eating among children and adolescents to assist them in attaining or maintaining a healthy weight. I have served as the PI of 3 NIH/NHLBI-funded research grants (2 successfully completed; 1 ongoing).

Education:

Post-master's-Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, University of Michigan
National Institutes of Health Post-Doctoral Fellowship, University of Michigan, Health Promotion/Risk Reduction
PhD, Widener University
MSN, Emory University
BSN, Penn State University

Interest Areas:

Physical activity
Nutrition
Adolescent health
Obesity
Parent/guardian support

Publications:

My Bibliography

Funding:

09/01/2019 – 08/31/24 (PI)
Guys/Girls Opt for Activities for Life (GOAL) Trial (R61HL144896/R33)
Funder: NIH/NHLBI $3,861,456

04/01/2019 – 03/31/2021 (Co-I)
Using Facebook and Participatory Learning in an Intergenerational Intervention to Prevent Obesity in Head Start Preschoolers (R21NR017958)
Funder: NIH/NINR (J. Ling, PI) $426,132

01/01/2020 – 12/31/2021 (Co-PI)
FirstStep2Health: An Intergenerational Program to Promote Healthy Eating Habits (R-1904-144322)
Funder: Michigan Health Endowment Fund (J. Ling, PI) $425,618

08/01/2018 – 5/31/2023 (Consultant and Motivational Interviewing Trainer)A Randomized Controlled Trial to Reduce Hopelessness through Enhanced Physical Activity in Adults with Ischemic Heart Disease (R01NR017649)
Funder: NIH/NINR (Dunn, PI)

09/01/2018 – 08/31/2023 (Consultant)
Managing Fatigue Using Virtual Reality for Post-Operative Lung Cancer Patients (R01CA205025)
Funder: The University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Nursing, Omaha Division (Hoffman, PI)

Honors & Awards:

2025 MSU Community Engagement Scholarship Lifetime Achievement Award. University Outreach and Engagement.
2024 MSU College of Nursing Graduate Teaching Award
2022 Expertscape's PubMed-based algorithms place you in the top 1% Of scholars writing about Obesity over the past 10 years, a level labeled as "Expert." Expertscape tweeted the following on Twitter on Wednesday, January 19, 2022: “In keeping with Healthy Weight Week (Jan 16-22, 2022), congratulations to Dr. Lorraine B Robbins of Michigan State University -- Recognized as an Expertscape Expert in Obesity. Reaching this level of expertise is a tremendous achievement.”
2020 Chang, M. W., & Robbins, L. B. (2020, May). Inspiring stories from women like themselves helped these moms improve their diet, Ohio State News MEDIA FEATURES.
2020 Recipient, MNRS Honor-A-Researcher Award for outstanding mentoring
2020 Featured in article titled “Ending Childhood Obesity” in Michigan State University College of Nursing Spartan News Magazine Spring 2020.
2019 Recipient, Senior Nurse Researcher Award from the Health-Promoting Behaviors Across the Lifespan research section, Midwest Nursing Research Society 43^rd Annual Research Conference, Kansas, MO.
2016 Featured in 2016 book titled Shaping Nursing Science and Improving Health: The Michigan Legacy in section on Building a Healthy Nation Through Nursing Science and chapter on Advancing the Science of Health Promotion for Children, Adolescents, and their Families. Shake Ketefian (editor). Michigan Publishing Services.
2016 Featured in Capital Area Women’s Lifestyle Magazine. Careers for Consideration: Taking Nursing to the Next Level (page 9).
2014 Featured on East Lansing billboard for Jump-Starting Healthy Futures - SpartansWill.msu.edu
2014 Featured in the Michigan Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine September 2014 Newsletter in Member Highlight section.
2014 Inducted as a Fellow in the prestigious American Academy of Nursing, Washington, DC.
2012 Robbins (PI) and colleagues’ research related to the NIH/NHLBI-funded R01 (2011-2016) was featured in The Engaged Scholar E-Newsletter. Article titled Girls on the Move in Michigan can be accessed at:http://engagedscholar.msu.edu/enewsletter/volume5/issue1/default.aspx#story2
2012 Robbins (PI) and colleagues’ research related to the NIH/NHLBI-funded R01 (2011-2016) was featured in the Michigan State University President’s Report 2011: Spartans Will. Article titled Nurses Put Girls on a Path to Fitness and a Better Future. The study was 1 of 9 selected at MSU for inclusion in the President’s Report. Report and related video can be accessed at: report.president.msu.edu
2011 Recipient, The Journal of School Nursing (JOSN) SAGE Scholarly Writing Award for JOSN (Feb. 2010 issue) publication titled Sixth Grade Boys’ Perceived Benefits of and Barriers to Physical Activity and Suggestions for Increasing Physical Activity. Recognized in June 2011 JOSN issue & at June 29, 2011 JOSN meeting with the Editorial Advisory Board, Washington, DC.
2009 Recipient, Midwest Nursing Research Society Honor-An-Adolescent-Health-Research-Section-Member Senior Researcher Award for Outstanding Research in the Area of Adolescent Health. Recognized March 28, 2009 at the Midwest Nursing Research Society Conference, Minneapolis, MN.
2002 Recipient, Midwest Nursing Research Society Honor-An-Adolescent-Health-Research-Section-Member New Investigator Award for Outstanding Research in the Area of Adolescent Health. Recognized March 2002 at the Midwest Nursing Research Society Conference, Chicago, IL.
1996-present Charter Member, Eta Beta Chapter, Sigma Theta Tau, International Nursing Honor Society.
1999 Recipient, University of Michigan School of Nursing Award for New Investigators, Ann Arbor, MI.
1995 Recipient, Program Education Award, American Heart Association.
1994-1996 The Fund for the Improvement of Undergraduate Instruction, The Pennsylvania State University, $1,000.