SCHOLAR DIRECTORY

Kyra Waligora graduated summa cum laude from high school with an AA degree and subsequently graduated summa cum laude from Florida Atlantic University with a BSN. She has been employed as a registered nurse in an oncology-hematology unit for approximately two years and is ONS/ONCC chemotherapy and biotherapy certified. As an undergraduate, she collaborated on a variety of research projects, including one which studied stress levels in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers and another which implemented strategies to reduce patient transfers from long term care facilities to acute care settings. She also received funding to pursue her own research study, investigating the impact adult day centers have on memory impaired older adults and their caregivers. Her research interests and passions involve enhancing the health and well-being of people with neurodegenerative diseases by using mind-body complementary and alternative therapies to manage symptoms and improve mobility. Ms. Waligora will be pursuing a nursing PhD at Johns Hopkins University, where she plans to continue research with adult day centers and investigate new, innovative ways to manage symptoms of the cognitively impaired aging population.