USF Nursing PhD student receives Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

University of South Florida College of Nursing PhD student, Pinky Budhrani, RN, received the Mittleman Family Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship in Integrative Therapies at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), the Harvard Medical School (HMS) Teaching Affiliate, in Boston, Mass.

USF Nursing PhD Student Pinky Budhrani at USF Health Research Day 2013

“We are very proud that she has been awarded this fellowship,” said Budhrani’s mentor, Professor and Program Director for BS-PhD at USF College of Nursing, Cecile A. Lengacher, RN, PhD, FAAN. “Pinky’s credentials of a PhD student and an Oncology Nurse Practitioner combined with her desire to be a researcher in oncology and complementary alternative medicine has made her an excellent candidate for this award. In addition, her diverse background as an international student makes her an excellent candidate for delivery and consideration of cultural components for integrative therapies in oncology.”

Ms. Budhrani will complete her fellowship in the DFCI’s Cantor Center, the Departments of Nursing and patient Care Services and Medical Oncology under the mentorship of Director of the Phyllis F. Cantor Center in Nursing and Patient Care Services and Associate Professor of Medicine for Harvard Medical School, Donna L. Berry, PhD, RN, AOCN, FAAN.

In addition, she will also be appointed to post-doctoral position as Research Fellow at Harvard Medical School. During her fellowship, Budhrani will also become a member of the Phyllis F. Cantor Center in Nursing and Patient Care Services.

“This award demonstrates the excellence of the BS-PhD program at USF College of Nursing,” said Dr. Lengacher. “This validates that this program provides the foundation for educating the next generation of nurse scientists. Through these efforts, these awards move the College forward in attainment of its strategic goals, by building scholarship, research and leadership among faculty and students.”

Ms. Budhrani has participated in several national and regional presentations including at the American Psychosocial Oncology Society, the Annual Southern Nursing Research Society Conferences, and Delta Beta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau. Professionally, she is a member of the International Society of Delta Beta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau in the College of Nursing, the American Nurses Association, the Oncology Nursing Society, and the American Psycho-Social Oncology Society.

Within the College of Nursing she has also received several awards including the Sandra Holley Oncology Scholarship, Magma Cum Laude Honor Award, Clinical Excellence Award USF College of Nursing, the Latin American and Caribbean Scholarship, and recognition by USF as a member of the Honors College and Golden Key Honor Society.

Ms. Budhrani is currently working on her dissertation, which is titled A Pilot Investigation of Sleep, Race/Ethnicity, and Psychological and Physical Symptoms among Breast Cancer Survivors.   She is expected to complete her PhD in Nursing in Aug., 2013.

“Her mentored research experiences as a Research Associate for my research on NCI R01 Symptom Cluster Trial for Breast Cancer Survivors provided additional NIH experiential training necessary for this post-doctoral fellowship,” said Dr. Lengacher. “She has participated on my interdisciplinary research team for more than three years and has collaborated on several publications demonstrating excellence in writing within the R01 team.”

Ms. Budhrani will begin her distinguished fellowship at DFCI in Sept., 2013, and will remain in that position for two years.