SCHOLAR DIRECTORY

My name is Lauren, a 25 year old Nurse Practitioner and PhD student at the University of South with a focus in psychoneuroimmunology. I am passionate about preventative health in the global community and utilization of integrative medicine to improve health outcomes. The opportunity to further my education came in the form of an invitation to study abroad in India for four weeks with the support of the Benjamin A. Gillman International Scholarship. This comprehensive clinical and cultural immersion experience provided the opportunity to impart health care and patient education during clinical rotations in the underserved community of Dehradun, Patti, and Rishikesh while receiving didactic and hands on education in traditional medicine systems. Studying Ayurveda, Naturopathy, Homeopathy, Reiki and their interactions with Allopathic medicine under trained practitioners has provided a fundamental foundation necessary to reach my goals: my personal goal of providing compassionate care, professional goal of Adult Nurse Practitioner and Scientist, and academic goal of researching integrative medicine and psychoneuroimmunology. Working towards these goals included interning at the Florida Naturopathic Physician’s Association (FNPA) as Fundraising Chair, where I have gained leadership experience by collaborating with numerous health care professionals. During a research assistantship with holistic company, Medicine Talk, I gained experience with synthesis of evidence based articles to improve patient education. Currently, I work as a Graduate Research Assistant with Sigma Theta Tau International hall of fame Scientist, Dr. Munro, on a capstone Frequency of Oral Care Interventions Study to determine optimal toothbrushing frequency for mechanically ventilated adults.