The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) has selected Roxana C. Chicas, PhD, RN, FAAN, a faculty member at Emory University’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, to participate in the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) Fellowship, part of the NAM Fellowships program.
Chicas is one of seven health professionals from various disciplines selected for the overall NAM Fellowships program.
The AAN Fellowship at NAM provides talented, early-career health science scholars in nursing with the opportunity to participate in evidence-based health care or public health studies that improve the care and access to care of patients in domestic and global health care systems.
Chosen based on their professional qualifications, reputations and accomplishments, Chicas and other NAM Fellows across health care disciplines will collaborate with eminent researchers, policy experts and clinicians during their two-year fellowship. They will also participate in initiatives convened by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine to provide nonpartisan, scientific and evidence-based guidance to policymakers, academic leaders, health care administrators and the public.
Chicas is an assistant professor at the Emory School of Nursing and a nurse scientist focusing on occupational and environmental health and nephrology. Her research program seeks to improve the health of underserved and vulnerable Latinx communities, particularly agricultural workers. Using real-time biomonitoring equipment, she conducted the first field-based intervention study examining methods to reduce core body temperature and improve health among farmworkers in the United States.
“I am honored to be selected for this unique experience to serve as the AAN Fellow at NAM,” Chicas says. “This opportunity will allow me to significantly leverage my expertise and partner with interprofessional colleagues to work toward a more equitable future. It is critically important to conduct research on behalf of populations underserved by the health care system, particularly among immigrant populations who may also face language and other serious barriers to collaborate and find interventions that improve their health.”
Fellows will continue in their primary academic or research posts while engaging part-time over two years in the National Academies’ health and science policy work. They will also work with an expert study committee or roundtable related to their professional interests, including contributing to reports or other products. Every fellow will also receive a flexible research grant.
Responses to Chicas’ selection
Victor J. Dzau, MD, President, National Academy of Medicine
“I am delighted to welcome these exceptional health science scholars into the NAM Fellowships program. The fellows will play an active role in our process of developing comprehensive policy solutions to provide health advice to the nation and globally, and they will gain access to a network of mentors to support them throughout their careers.”
Linda D. Scott, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FADLN, FNAP, FAAN, President, American Academy of Nursing
“Dr. Chicas is an outstanding nurse scientist whose research is pivotal and greatly needs attention given the extreme impact environmental living and working conditions have on health. She is a shining example of the purpose of the AAN NAM Fellowship program, and her work is instrumental in ensuring that communities and populations most at risk will have a healthier and more just future.”
Linda McCauley, PhD, RN, FAAN, FRCN, Dean, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
“Dr. Chicas is an outstanding scholar whose work is already making an indelible mark on the well-being of individuals and communities. It is fitting that the National Academy of Medicine selected her for this fellowship, and I know that she will embrace the opportunity and use it to advance health even further.”
About the National Academy of Medicine
The National Academy of Medicine is an independent organization of eminent professionals from diverse fields, including health and medicine and the natural, social and behavioral sciences. It serves alongside the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering as advisers to the nation and the international community. Addressing critical health, medicine, and related policy issues, it collaborates closely with its peer academies and other divisions within the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
About the American Academy of Nursing
The American Academy of Nursing serves the public by advancing health policy and practice through the generation, synthesis and dissemination of nursing knowledge. Academy Fellows are inducted into the organization for their extraordinary contributions to improve health locally and globally. With more than 3,000 Fellows, the academy represents nursing’s most accomplished leaders in policy, research, administration, practice and academia.
About the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
As one of the nation’s top nursing schools, the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University is committed to educating visionary nurse leaders and scholars. Home to the No. 1 master’s, No. 3 BSN and No. 6 DNP programs nationwide, the school offers undergraduate, master's, doctoral, and non-degree programs. It brings together cutting-edge resources, distinguished faculty, top clinical experiences and access to leading health care partners to shape the future of nursing and impact the world’s health and well-being.