Nursing Names New Associate Dean for Research

The School of Nursing has named Dr. Melissa Kalarchian as its new associate dean for research. A psychologist specializing in behavioral medicine, Kalarchian most recently worked at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic (WPIC) of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, where she was a member of the faculty and served as co-director of WPIC’s psychology internship training program.

Since assuming her position at Duquesne, Kalarchian has been appointed as a standing grant review panelist for the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). Authorized by Congress as part of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, PCORI was created to fund research that helps patients and those who care for them make better-informed health care decisions.

“It is an honor and privilege to have been invited to join the first set of PCORI standing panelists,” said Kalarchian, who also holds a faculty appointment in the Department of Psychology. “Over the next two years, I look forward to representing the University as I work with scientists, patients and other stakeholders to evaluate applications in national health priority areas.”

Kalarchian has helped to secure millions in grant funding, has been the principal investigator on several National Institutes of Health and foundation-funded studies, and has published extensively. Her own research projects have focused on lifestyle interventions for vulnerable populations, including bariatric surgery patients, obese children and people who are taking antipsychotic medications. Over the years, Kalarchian has collaborated on research projects with colleagues in the fields of nursing, psychiatry, public health, statistics and surgery.

Nursing Dean Dr. Mary Ellen Glasgow said that Kalarchian will direct efforts to enhance nursing research in ways that strengthen both academic achievement and commitment to service. “Dr. Kalarchian will lead and mentor the nursing school faculty as well as interdisciplinary teams as they address complex research questions related to improving health care for vulnerable populations, a focus consistent with the fundamental mission of the nursing profession as well as that of Duquesne,” said Glasgow.

Frequently invited to lecture at universities and clinics across the nation, Kalarchian has also served on numerous grant review panels and as a peer reviewer for biomedical journals. She graduated cum laude with high honors in psychology from Dartmouth College, and she earned her master’s and doctoral degrees in psychology from Rutgers University.