Education
PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Dissertation: Effects of breast cancer risk, psychological distress, and dispositional optimism on immune response in healthy women
MSN, Pusan National University, Pusan, Korea
Thesis: Determinants of health-promoting behaviors in industrial workers
BSN, Pusan National University, Pusan, Korea
 

Biography
Na-Jin Park, PhD, RN, is an assistant professor in the Community Health, Outcomes, and Systems Department. She is trained in biobehavioral research and performs various immune assays (natural killer cell activity, lymphocyte proliferation, cytokine assay, cell marking for FACS analysis etc.). She received a pre-doctoral research grant from the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program. Dr. Park has recently finished two research projects funded by the UAB School of Nursing and the American Nurses Foundation.
 

Research/Clinical Interest

• Bio-behavioral interactions on health outcomes
• Psychoneuroimmunology
• Breast cancer risk and biological markers
• Cancer prevention
• Community-based health promotion
• Stress and inflammation

Publication
Journal Articles:
Von Ah, D., Ebert, S., Ngamvitroj, A., Park, N., & Kang, D. (2004). Predictors of health behaviors in college students. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 48 (5), 463-474.

Von Ah, D., Ebert, S., Ngamvitroj, A., Park, N., & Kang, D. (2005). Factors related to cigarette smoking initiation and use among college students. Tobacco Induced Diseases, 3(1), 27-40.

Park, N. & Kang, D. (2006). Breast cancer risk and immune responses in healthy women. Oncology Nursing Forum, 33(6), 1151-1159.

Kang, D., Weaver, M.T., Park, N., Smith, B., McArdle, T., & Carpenter, J. (2009). Significant impairment in immune recovery after cancer treatment. Nursing Research, 58(2), 105-114.

Abstracts:
Park, N. & Kang, D. (2005). The impact of breast cancer risk, psychological distress, and dispositional optimism on immune responses in healthy women. Proceedings for the 4th 2005 Era of Hope Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program Meeting. Philadelphia, PA: June 8-11, 2005. Abstract No: P39-11, 272-273.

Park, N. & Kang, D. (2006). Effects of objective and subjective breast cancer risk, psychological distress, and dispositional optimism on immune responses in healthy women. The Journal of the Alabama Academy of Science, 77(2), 104.

Park, N. & Kang, D. (2008). Breast cancer risk and immune responses in healthy women. Southern Online Journal of Nursing Research, 8(4).

Park, N. & Kang, D. (2008). Breast cancer risk, distress, and natural killer cell activity (NKCA) in healthy women. Southern Online Journal of Nursing Research, 8(2).

Park, N. & Kang, D. (2008). Breast cancer risk factors and immune responses in healthy premenopausal women. Proceedings for the 5th 2008 Era of Hope Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program Meeting. Baltimore, MD: June25-28, 2008. Abstract No: P47-6, 325.

Paper Presentations

National:
Kang, D., Smith, B., McArdle, T., & Park, N. (2006, October). Biobehavioral data collection in breast cancer patients. Symposium paper presentation at the National Congress on the State of the Science in Nursing Research, Washington D.C.

Park, N., Kang, D, & Weaver, M. (2008, October 2-4). Effects of breast cancer risk, psychological distress, and dispositional optimism on immune response in healthy women. Paper presented at the 2008 National State of the Science Congress on Nursing Research, Washington, DC.

Regional:
Kang, D., Park, N., McArdle, T. & Smith, B. (2006, February). Stress, fatigue, and immune function: Racial differences between African American and Caucasian women diagnosed with breast cancer. Paper presentation at the 20th Annual Southern Nursing Research Society Conference, Memphis, TN.

Park, N. & Kang, D. (2007, February). Breast cancer risk, distress, and natural killer cell activity (NKCA) in healthy women. Paper presentation at the 21st Annual Southern Nursing Research Society Conference, Galveston, TX.

Park, N., Kang, D., & Weaver, M. (2008, February 21-23). Breast cancer risk and immune responses in healthy women, Paper presentation at the 22nd Annual Southern Nursing Research Society Conference, Birmingham, AL.

Kang, D., Weaver, M., Park, N., Smith, B., & Carpenter, J. (2008, February 21-23). Significant delay in immune recovery post-breast cancer adjuvant therapy. Paper presentation at the 22nd Annual Southern Nursing Research Society Conference, Birmingham, AL.

Poster Presentations

Park, N. & Kang, D. (2005, June). The impact of breast cancer risk, psychological distress and dispositional optimism on immune responses in healthy women. Poster presentation at the 4th 2005 Era of Hope Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program Meeting, Philadelphia, PA.

Kang, D., Weaver, M., Park, N., Smith, N., McArdle, T., & Carpenter, J. (2007, June). Poor immune recovery following cancer adjuvant therapy in patients with breast cancer. Poster presented at the 14th International Annual Meeting of the Psychoneuroimmunology Research Society, Arcachon, France.

Park, N. & Kang, D. (2008, May 28-31). Effects of breast cancer risk and psychological distress on immune responses in healthy women. Poster presented at the 15th Annual Meeting of The Psychoneuroimmunology Research Society, Madison, Wisconsin.

Park, N. & Kang, D. (2008, June 25-28). Breast Cancer Risk Factors and Immune Responses in Healthy Premenopausal Women. Poster presented at the 5th Era of Hope Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program Meeting, Baltimore, Maryland.

Honors
2000-2003 Graduate Student Fellowship, UAB School of Nursing Graduate Studies
2002-2003 Sigma Theta Tau International Research Award, Nu Chapter
2004-2007 Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program Predoctoral Traineeship Award (individual)
2005 Outstanding Doctoral Student in Nursing, 30th Annual Honors Convocation, UAB, Birmingham, AL
2005-2006 Doctoral Student of Excellence, School of Nursing Alumni Chapter of the UAB National Alumni Society, Birmingham, AL
2006 Oral presentation - 2nd place for student competition, 83rd Annual Meeting of
the Alabama Academy of Science, Troy, AL
2007 Honored at the 2007 Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science
Scholar/American Nurses Foundation, Silver Spring, MD
2007-2008 New Faculty Dean’s Research Award, UAB School of Nursing.
(PI – Breast cancer risk factors and biological responses)
2007-2008 American Nurses Foundation / Council for the Advancement of Nursing
Science, American Nurses Foundation Nursing Research Program (2007-85)
(PI – Breast cancer risk factors and biological responses in healthy premenopausal women)