VCU professor named Robert Wood Johnson Foundation ‘Nurse Faculty Scholar’

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Candace Burton, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Nursing, is one of just 12 nursing educators from across the United States to win a highly competitive grant this year from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Nurse Faculty Scholars program.  

Burton will receive a three-year, $350,000 award to promote her academic career and support her research. The Nurse Faculty Scholar award is given to junior faculty who show outstanding promise as future leaders in academic nursing.

“This award from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation provides a wonderful opportunity for me to grow as a nurse leader and scientist, as well as to explore the intersections of nursing science, epigenetics and the health impact of teen dating violence,” Burton said.

For her research project, Burton plans to combine epigenetic science with her passion for reducing the effects of intimate partner violence. Epigenetics is the study of changes that can occur in an individual’s genome as a result of outside influence — such as acute stress. In this case, the stress is that of experiencing teen dating violence, and Burton’s study will be the first to examine these changes in affected young women.

“The importance here is the fact that some of these changes have been shown in adult women following intimate partner violence, and in those women we see increases in problems like chronic pain, sleep disturbance and cardiovascular disease,” Burton said. “If we can identify these changes in younger women, we may be able to reduce or prevent their progression to chronic illness.”

By reducing the burden of chronic illness, Burton hopes her work will ultimately contribute to an overall reduction in health disparities among at-risk women.

“Current statistics suggest that as many as 65 percent of young women are affected by teen dating violence,” she said. “By learning more about what those experiences leave behind at the cellular level, we have a tremendous opportunity to enhance nursing practice and to better serve and support women’s health throughout the lifespan.” 

The RWJF Nurse Faculty Scholars program is strengthening the academic productivity and overall excellence of nursing schools by developing the next generation of leaders in academic nursing. Burton is part of the program’s sixth cohort. Supporting junior nurse faculty will help curb a shortage of nurse educators that could undermine the health and health care of all Americans. The Affordable Care Act is vastly increasing the number of people who can access health care in the United States. As the number of patients increases, there will be greater demand for skilled nurses as well as faculty to educate them. 

To learn more about the program, visit www.nursefacultyscholars.org.