Grace Dean, PhD, RN

Associate Professor

Grace Dean.

ADDRESS:
 School of Nursing
University at Buffalo
301 D Wende Hall
Buffalo, NY 14214-3079

PHONE: 716-829-3235

EMAIL: gdean@buffalo.edu

My expertise is in quality of life and symptom management and the development and testing of theoretically-guided interventions to improve outcomes for patients with cancer. For the past several years, I have conducted research aimed at elucidating predictors of and identifying significant patterns in the experience of sleep disturbances and fatigue in patients with lung cancer.

The next major project in this program of research involves the development, testing and translation into clinical practice of a brief cognitive behavior therapy intervention to improve sleep and reduce fatigue in lung cancer survivors (NINR R15 PI – Dean). Future plans include a proposal to train staff nurse and nurse manager teams to improve pain, fatigue and insomnia in cancer survivors.

Education

  • Post Doctoral Fellow, Center for Sleep and Respiratory Neurobiology and School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania
  • PhD, School of Nursing, University of California, Los Angeles
  • MSN, College of Nursing, California State University, Los Angeles
  • BSN, Alfred University, Alfred, NY

Areas of Research

  • Quality of life and symptom management in patients with cancer
  • Currently testing interventions to improve sleep in cancer survivors with insomnia and educating health care providers in sleep disorders screening and brief interventions

Teaching Responsibilities

  • NUR 199 Freshman Seminar
  • NUR 479 Advanced Clinical Seminar
  • NUR 701 State of the Nursing Science
  • NUR 705 Designing and Testing Interventions and Innovations

Recent Publications

Dean, G. E., Ziegler, P., Chen, H., Steinbrenner, L., & Dickerson, S. S. (2019). Trajectory of insomnia symptoms in lung cancer: A mixed methods study. Support Cancer Care, 27(6), 2255-2263. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-018-4488-3

Carey, M. A., Baldzizhar, A. N., Miterko, C. R., Qualls, B., Vincent, R. L., Merrick, R., & Dean, G. E. (2018). A quiet firehouse: Reducing environmental stimuli among professional on-duty firefighters. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 60(2), 186-190. doi:10.1097/JOM.0000000000001199

Matthews, E. E., Carter, P. A., Page, M. S., Dean, G. E., & Berger, A. M. (2018). Sleep-wake disturbance: A systematic review of evidence-based interventions for management in patients with cancer. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, 22(1), 37-52. doi:10.1188/18.CJON.37-52

Matthews, E. E., Hacker, E. D., Otte, J. L., & Dean, G. E. (2018). Agenda for sleep research in older adults with cancer: A conference report. Cancer Nursing, 41(2), 109-116. doi:10.1097/NCC.0000000000000464

Dean, G. E., Weiss, C., Morris, J. L., & Chasens, E. R. (2017). Impaired sleep: A multifaceted geriatric syndrome. Nursing Clinics of North America, 52(3), 387-404. doi:10.1016/j.cnur.2017.04.009

Matthews, E. E., Danaher Hacker, E., Otte, J., & Dean, G. E. (2017). Agenda for sleep research in older adults with cancer: A conference report. Cancer Nursing, 40, 1-8.

Weiss, C., Dickerson, S. S., Jungquist, C., & Dean, G. E. (2017). Effects of morning bright light therapy on circadian activity rhythms in lung cancer survivors. Sleep, 40(suppl_1), A258. doi:10.1093/sleepj/zsx050.695

Dean, G. E., Klimpf, M. L., Morris, J. L., & Chasens, E. R. (2016). Excessive sleepiness. In M. Boltz, E. Capezuti, T. Fulmer, & D. Zwicker (Eds.), Evidence-based geriatric nursing protocols for best practice (5th ed.) (pp. 431-442). New York, NY: Springer.

Dickerson, S. S., Jungquist, C. R., TenBrock, E., Aquilina, A.T., Smith, P., Abu Sabbah, E., Alameri, R., & Dean, G. E. (2016). Feasibility testing of a self-management program book to improve adherence to PAP in persons newly diagnosed with sleep apnea. Behavioral Sleep Medicine. doi:10.1080/15402002.2016.1228644

Dean, G. E., Abu Sabbah, E., Yingrengreung, S., Ziegler, P., Chen, H., Steinbrenner, L. M., & Dickerson, S. (2015). Sleeping with the enemy: Sleep and quality of life in patients with lung cancer. Cancer Nursing, 38 (1), 60-70. doi:10.1097/NCC.0000000000000128

Dickerson, S., Abu Sabbah, E., Ziegler, P., C Steinbrenner, L. M., Chen, H., Dean, G. E. (2015). Experiences of patients with advanced lung cancer: Being resigned to sleep-wake disturbances while maintaining hope for optimal treatment outcomes. Cancer Nursing, 38 (5).

Honors and Awards

  • Susan Baird Excellence in Clinical Writing Award, Oncology Nursing Society, 2019
  • Dean's Award for Excellence in Research, University at Buffalo, School of Nursing, 2014, 2019
  • Jean Kimber Brown Faculty Scholar Grant, University at Buffalo, School of Nursing, 2014, 2019
  • Visiting Scholar, Augusta University, College of Nursing, Augusta, GA, March 3, 2016 
  • Invited Participant, NIA-AGS Sleep, Circadian Rhythms, and Aging: New Avenues for Improving Brain Health, Physical Health and Functioning, Bethesda, MD, October 4-6, 2015

Professional Activities

  • Ad hoc Reviewer, NIH-NINR Study Section, Chicago, IL, 2019
  • Ad hoc Reviewer, NIH-NINR Study Section, Bethesda, MD, 2018-2019