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Melissa Hladek, PhD, MSN, RN

Specialties and Expertise
- Aging
- Chronic Care
- Vulnerable Populations
Overview
Melissa deCardi Hladek completed a post-doctoral fellowship jointly in the School of Medicine and School of Nursing, continuing her research on self-efficacy, stress, and resilience and their effects on the biology of aging and chronic disease progression. Part of this work was at the NIH on the use of sweat as a biological data source. A family nurse practitioner since 2004, Dr. Hladek has worked with homeless populations, in prison health, rural health, and for the past eight years with a primarily Spanish-speaking immigrant community in Washington, DC. She worked as the family nurse practitioner program director at the Catholic University School of Nursing (2009-2013) and as an adjunct clinical assistant professor of nursing at Mendocino College (2007-2009). Dr. Hladek attended Columbia University for her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing and Scripps College for her bachelor’s degree in neuroscience.Additional Resources
Below are selected resources. For more information, please see full CV.
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Publications/Research
Hladek MD, Gill J, Bandeen-Roche K, Walston J, Allen J, Hinkle JL, Lorig K, Szanton SL. (2020) High Coping Self-Efficacy Associated with Low Odds of Pre-Frailty/ Frailty in Older Adults with Chronic Disease. Aging & Mental Health. DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2019.1639136.
Hladek MD, Gill J, Lai C, Lorig K, Szanton SL. (2019) High Coping Self-Efficacy Associated with Lower Sweat Inflammatory Cytokines in Adults: A Pilot Study. Biological Research for Nursing.
Hladek MD, Szanton SL, Cho Y, Lai C, Sacko C, Roberts L, Gill J. (2018) Using Sweat to Measure Cytokines in Older Adults Compared to Younger Adults: A Pilot Study. Journal of Immunological Methods: Vol 454, March 2018, P 1-5. DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2017.11.003.
Nersesian P, Han H, Yenokyan G, Nolan M, Blumenthal R, Hladek MD, Szanton SL. (2018) Loneliness in Middle Age and Biomarkers of Systemic Inflammation: Findings from Midlife in the United States. Social Science & Medicine, Jul; 209:174-181.DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.04.007.
Granbom M, Clemson L, Roberts L, Hladek MD, Okoye SM, Liu M, Felix C, Roth D, Gitlin L, Szanton S. (2019). Preventing falls among older adult fallers: study protocol for a two-phase pilot study of the multicomponent LIVE LiFE program. Trials Jan 3; 20(1):2. DOI:10.1186/s13063-018-3114-5.
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Awards/Honors
2020 Butler Williams Fellow, National Institute of Aging, National Institute of Health
2018 Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Award, Johns Hopkins University
2017 Maryland Graduate Nurse Faculty Scholarship, State of Maryland
2016 NIH/NCATS JHU School of Medicine, Pre-doctoral Fellow, Clinical and Translational Science (4TL1TR001078-04), Johns Hopkins University
2016 Scholl Foundation Fellowship, Johns Hopkins University
2014-2016 NIH Pre-doctoral Fellow, Cardiovascular Health Research (T32NR012704)
2012 Women’s History Month Collaborative, Recognized as “Awesome Woman,” the Catholic University of America, Washington, DC
2012 Volunteer of the Year, Miriam’s Kitchen Homeless Shelter, Washington, DC
2007 Certificate of Appreciation, MESA at Mendocino College, Ukiah, CA
2004 CAPSONA Scholar Award, Columbia University School of Nursing, New York, NY
2002-2004 National Health Service Corps Scholarship Recipient
1998 Wadleigh Scholarship Recipient, Scripps College, Claremont, CA
1997 Outstanding Leadership Award, Chicano Latino Student Affairs, Scripps College, Claremont, CA