Koenig named PhD program director
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Associate professor Mary Dawn Koenig, PhD, RN, CNM, FAWHONN, was named director of the UIC College of Nursing PhD Program.
Her appointment will take effect this fall.
“Dr. Koenig brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to academic excellence that will continue to enhance the strategic direction and administration of the PhD Program, building on the contributions of her predecessors in the role,” says Liz Aquino, PhD, RN, associate dean for academic affairs.
Born in Canada, Koenig received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from McMaster University, her master’s degree in nursing with a specialty in midwifery from Yale University, and her PhD in nursing from the University of Pennsylvania.
Her research investigates how inflammation, the iron regulatory hormone hepcidin, and genetic factors in the placenta determine iron flow in both maternal and fetal systems. Koenig aims to develop innovative, safe, and effective therapies to optimize maternal and fetal iron bioavailability.
Koenig has received funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. She has taught at both the undergraduate and graduate levels and mentors students from the University of Illinois Honors College.