Mary Sullivan, Ph.D., R.N.
Professor, Director of Graduate Studies
University of Rhode Island
p. 401.874.5339
mcsullivan@uri.edu
Dr. Sullivan's scholarly focus is maternal child health nursing. Her research program examines the developmental outcomes of premature infants. Supported by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Nursing Research, a new five-year grant entitled "Risk and Protection in Trajectories of Preterm Infants: Birth to Adulthood," is the only study of its kind in the U.S. tracking such long-term health and developmental outcomes. The study will examine the impact of pre-maturity, medical history, and environments on achievement and concerns through young adulthood. Assessments used include biomarkers of blood chemistry, pulmonary function testing, cardiopulmonary response to exercise and metabolic functioning, and HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis) function by salivary cortisol. The intent is to show whether prematurity impacts health and early disease onset could be explained by alterations in HPA function.
Another ongoing research study at Women & Infants Hospital aims to compare the medical and neurobehavioral status at discharge of infants in an open bay NICU with infants in a single room NICU. The study entitled, "Effects of Open Bay versus Single Room NICU on Infant Outcome at Discharge" is conducted with colleagues at the Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk. Click here for information.
At the College, Dr. Sullivan has taught undergraduate courses in childbearing and reproductive health and graduate courses in research methods and concept development. She serves as a research scientist at Women & Infants Hospital, and is an adjunct professor of pediatrics at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She is the Past President of the Eastern Nursing Research Society (ENRS), a member of the American Nurses Association, the Rhode Island State Nurses Association, Sigma Theta Tau, and the Council for Advancement in Nursing Science.
Dr.Sullivan received her BS in nursing from Salve Regina College, her MS in Nursing from the University of Nebraska, and PhD in Nursing from the University of Rhode Island.
Selected Publications
Msall, M. E., Sullivan, M. C., & Park, J. (in press). Pathways of risk and resilience after prematurity: Role of socioeconomic status. In C. Nosarti, R. Murray, M. Hack (Eds). Preterm birth: Long-term effects on brain and behavior. Cambridge University Press.
Miller, R. J., Sullivan, M. C., Hawes, K., & Kerivan Marks, A. K. (in press). The effects of perinatal morbidity and environmental factors on health status of preterm children at age 12. Journal of Pediatric Nursing.
Sullivan, M.C., Hawes, K., Winchester, S.B., Miller, R. (2008). Focus on developmental origins theory: Prematurity to adult disease. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing, 37, 158-164.
Sullivan, M.C., McGrath, M.M., Hawes, K. & Lester, B.M. (2008). Growth Trajectories of Preterm Infants: Birth to 12 Years. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 22, 83-93.
Sullivan, M.C. & Hawes, K. (2007). A decade comparison of preterm motor performance at age 4. Research in Nursing and Health, 30, 641-654.
Sullivan, M.C. & Msall, M.E. (2007). Functional Performance in Preterm Children at Age 4. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 22 (4), 297-308.
McGrath, M.M., Sullivan, M.C., Devin, J., Fontes-Murphy, M., Barcelos, S., DePalma, J., Faraone, S. (2005). Early precursors of low attention and hyperactivity in a preterm sample at age four. Issues in Comprehensive Pediatric Nursing, 28,1-15.
Sullivan, M. C. & McGrath, M. M. (2003). Perinatal morbidity, mild motor delay, and later school outcomes. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 45: 104-112.
Leffers, J.M., Martins, D.C., McGrath, M.M., Brown, D.G., Mercer, J., Sullivan, M.C., Viau, P. (2004). Development of a theoretical construct for risk and vulnerability from six empirical studies. Research and Theory for Nursing Practice: An International Journal, 18: (1), 15-34.
Community Partnerships
Community partnerships are agencies that serve as clinical sites for student learning. The College of Nursing has excellent placements available throughout the state of Rhode Island and the bordering states. For some perspective of the diversity of our partnerships and the scope of experiences available for our students at all levels, see our information on Community Partnerships.
