Rose Ann DiMaria-Ghalili, PhD, RN
Claire M. Fagin Post-Doctoral Research Fellow
Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence 
University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
Claire M. Fagin Hall
418 Curie Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19104-4217

 
Areas of Research Interest

• Geriatric Nutrition
• Sarcopenia
• Surgical Recovery and Health Outcomes
• Nutrition Assessment

In Her Own Words:

Malnutrition is a very real problem in older adults. Furthermore, nutrition plays an important role in surgical recovery. With nearly 8 million surgical procedures performed annually in older Americans, it becomes critical to expand the science of geriatric nutrition to improve health outcomes and promote recovery in older adults. As a nutrition support nurse, I am in a unique position to blend the rich traditions of geriatrics and nutrition support nursing to expand the science of geriatric nutrition while a post-doctoral fellow. Geriatric nutrition is an interdisciplinary science and I look forward to working with interdisciplinary experts to improve the outcomes of care and quality of life in older adults recovering from surgery.

As a John A. Hartford Foundation/Atlantic Philanthropies Claire M. Fagin postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. DiMaria-Ghalili is conducting a pilot study to describe factors associated with unintentional weight loss in older adults undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. The study will also describe the changes in inflammation, physiological stress, nutritional status , appetite, functional status and health outcomes in older adults prior to and 6 weeks after CABG surgery.


Faculty Mentoring Team:

Eileen Sullivan-Marx, PhD, RN, FAAN
Charlene Compher, PhD, RD, FADA