Juanita Darby
DC, MBA, MSHIM, MSN, RN
About
Cohort Year: 2023
Faculty Advisor: Ardith Z. Doorenbos, PhD, RN, FAAN
Email: jdarby4@uic.edu
Juanita Darby expects to graduate from UIC Nursing's PhD program in May 2026. Her dissertation examines the impact of social determinants of health on pain management in adults with sickle cell disease. Her research interests include pain management, particularly non-pharmacological approaches such as acupuncture, along with telehealth and electronic health records.
She brings a diverse clinical background, with experience in chiropractic care as well as nursing in ambulatory and clinical settings. Juanita holds a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC), Master of Science in Nursing, Master of Business Administration, and Master of Science in Health Information Management. She received her Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) from Malcolm X College School of Nursing in 2021. She is also a 2022 graduate of UIC Nursing's RN to BSN program and a 2023 graduate of UIC's MSN program.
Since 2021, Juanita has served as a graduate research assistant for a clinical trial led by her PhD advisor, Dr. Ardith Doorenbos, investigating non-pharmacological strategies for managing sickle cell disease pain in adults. Her long-term goal is to serve as a faculty member and nurse scientist in a university setting, where she hopes to combine teaching, mentoring, and research.
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Notable Honors
2023-present, Dean’s PhD Student Scholar, UIC College of Nursing
2023-2024, All of Us Research Program Scholar, National Institutes of Health
2022-present, 2022-Current, Illinois Student Assistance Commission
2021-2022, INSPIRE (INcreaSing Program dIveRsity for nursEs) Scholar, UIC College of Nursing
2021-2022, Bridges to the Baccalaureate (B2B) Research Program Scholar, National Institutes of Health