Award Winner
Dr. Lori Schirle earned her MSN in Nurse Anesthesia from the NWCNHS in 2004. She completed her PhD at the University of Miami, and subsequently was awarded a post-doctoral fellowship at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. Dr. Schirle is currently an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing and the Department of Anesthesiology in the School of Medicine at Vanderbilt University.
As her nominator states, "Dr. Schirle has worked to generate new knowledge with distinguished researchers in multiple health care professions including medical physicians, surgeons, geneticists, nurse anesthetists, and advanced (practice) nurses.” An exceptional researcher, Dr. Schirle has received more than $2,000,000 in research funding that examines the role of genetics and genomics in patient opioid use, pain sensitivity, substance use disorder, and personalized modalities for pain control.
In addition, she is a formal and informal mentor for graduate students and junior nurse researchers, sharing her knowledge and skills and encouraging them as they pursue their own areas of inquiry. Dr. Schirle has disseminated her research findings through numerous professional journal publications and presentations. She has volunteered her time and expertise for her professional organizations; currently she is chairperson-elect of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists Foundation, a charitable organization devoted to anesthesia research and education.
In 2023 she was inducted as a Fellow into the American Academy of Nursing. As her nominator states, “Over her extensive nursing career, Dr. Schirle has demonstrated a profound impact on the profession, as evidenced by advancing the science of Nurse Anesthesiology, disseminating her work in multiple publications, and advocating for nurses on action coalitions."
Criteria
An alumna/alumnus whose research, leadership and cumulative contributions has advanced the science of nursing, improved the health and well-being of the public, and brought honor and prestige to their field of study.
For a Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences graduate that has:
- Demonstrated expertise in research, research design, instrumentation, statistics, and related areas.
- Conducted, completed, and disseminated research resulting in publications and presentations.
- Been recognized as a role model (educator and/or mentor) in guiding or collaborating with other researchers, graduate students, and novice researchers.
- Generated new knowledge and innovations for use in nursing practice or education.
- Used scientific research findings and/or scholarship that led to significant changes in clinical practice or health care policy within institutions, communities, and/or the nation.