Rosalba Hernandez, PhD
Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion
Associate Professor
Department of Population Health Nursing Science
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Contact
Building & Room:
NURS 1106
Address:
845 S. Damen Ave., MC 802, Chicago, IL 60612
Email:
About
Dr. Rosalba Hernandez’s interests are in exploring the link between positive psychological well-being and cardiovascular health, particularly in underserved minority populations. She explores whether characteristics like optimism and resilience are associated with low-risk cardiovascular disease profiles, and whether interventions geared toward increasing psychological well-being can favorably impact sub clinical and clinical manifestations of disease. Dr. Hernandez’s goal is to employ theories from positive psychology to help inform primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease and diabetes in Hispanic/Latino and African American adults. Dr. Hernandez is currently funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), Jump ARCHES, and the Rosenfeld Heart Foundation. She is an affiliate of the Institute of Minority Health Research (IMHR) at the University of Illinois at Chicago, the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL), and the Beckman Institute. She is also on the Editorial Board of the journal of Health Education & Behavior.
Selected Grants
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), R01-Virtual Reality: A New Technological Modality to Deliver Psychotherapy to Hemodialysis Patients with Comorbid Depression, Principal Investigator
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), R21-Obesity in Hispanic/Latino Youth: Intergenerational Effects of Parents’ Stress, Principal Investigator
Selected Publications
Hernandez R, Burrows B, Browning MHEM, Solai K, Fast D, Litbarg NO, Wilund KR, Moskowitz JT. “Mindfulness-based Virtual Reality Intervention in Hemodialysis Patients: A Pilot Study on End-User Perceptions and Safety.” Kidney 360, 2021; 2(3): 435-444.
Hernandez R, Cohn M, Hernandez AK, Daviglus ML, Martinez L, Martinez A, Martinez I, Durazo-Arvizu RA, Moskowitz JT. “Web-based Positive Psychological Intervention to Improve Blood Pressure Control in Spanish-speaking Hispanic/Latino Adults with Uncontrolled Hypertension: Protocol and Design of the ¡Alégrate! Randomized Controlled Trial.” JMIR Research Protocols, 2020; 9(8): e17721.
Salsman JM, Pustejovsky JE, Schueller SM, Hernandez R, Berendsen M, Steffen McLouth LE, Moskowitz JT. “Psychosocial interventions for cancer survivors: A meta-analysis of effects on positive affect.” Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 2019; 13(6): 943-955.
Hernandez R, Lash JP, Burrows B, Wilund K, Mattix-Kramer HJ, Peralta C, Durazo-Arvizu RA, Talavera GA, Penedo FJ, Khambaty T, Moncrieft AE, Chen J, Daviglus ML. “The Association of Positive Affect and Cardiovascular Health in Hispanics/Latinos with Chronic Kidney Disease: Results from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL).” Preventive Medicine Reports, 2019; 15: 1-7 [eCollection].
Kubzansky LD, Huffman JC, Boehm JK, Hernandez R, Kim ES, Koga HK, Feig EH, Lloyd-Jones DM, Seligman MEP, Labarthe DR. “Positive Psychological Well-being and Cardiovascular Disease.” Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2018; 72(12): 1382-1396.
Hernandez R, Bassett SMR, Boughton SW, Shiu EW, Schuette SA, Moskowitz JT. Psychological Well-being and Physical Health: Associations, Mechanisms, and Future Directions.” Emotion Review 2018; 10(1): 18-29.
Education
BS in Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2005
Master in Public Health, Universityof Illinois at Chicago, 2010
Ph.D., Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2012
Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University, 2012-2014