SCHOLAR DIRECTORY

Valerie Willis, MSN, RN, PNP-BC, CNS-BC PhD Student University of San Diego, Hahn School Nursing and Health Science Jonas Veteran Healthcare Scholar Valerie Willis began her career in nursing with a BSN from California State University Long Beach. She earned a MSN with a dual specialty as a pediatric nurse practitioner and parent-child clinical nurse specialist from Azusa Pacific University. Professional experience includes family centered, culturally congruent neonatal/pediatric nursing and leadership roles in a variety of settings, with emphasis in high risk infant follow-up. She also served as consultant to the United States Marine Corps New Parent Support Program at Camp Pendleton. Biobehavioral research interests include quantitative and qualitative inquiry to explore the emerging science of epigenetics, along with multidisciplinary prevention as intervention strategies to improve care coordination and promote family resilience and optimal infant/child outcomes, particularly in military families experiencing poly-trauma while transitioning to parenthood and reunification post-deployment.