Meet Your COPD Foundation Captains!

Charleston, SC

I am a nurse scientist and Associate Professor at the Medical University of South Carolina and have spent my career working with patients with chronic respiratory disease. While completing my doctorate at the University of Florida, I was particularly interested in dyspnea (difficulty breathing) and how this symptom affects people. My patients and research participants have shared their experiences with their disease and how it affects their lives and daily activities. It is really distressing to not be able to breathe, and many people with chronic respiratory disease must plan their lives around this. This led me to my current work on ways to improve self-management and access to specialized care and education for patients with COPD, including the use of technology to monitor and manage COPD.

I work with a fantastic research team of nurses, physicians, and scientists, and together we have developed and tested technology-enhanced interventions for management of chronic respiratory disease. My work is focused on self-management of COPD using technology and improving access to telehealth in rural areas of South Carolina. I hope to work with the COPD Foundation on advocacy for increased funding for COPD-related research and appropriate coverage and reimbursement for telehealth services, especially in rural areas.