Alumni Spotlight - June 2023
Lois S. Sadler (PhD ’97)
Lois S. Sadler, PhD, RN, FAAN is a Professor at the Yale University School of Nursing and Yale Child Study Center. Dr. Sadler received her BSN from the University of Massachusetts and her MSN from Yale University School of Nursing. She received her PhD from the UConn School of Family Studies in 1997.
Dr. Sadler came to UConn with a background in clinical practice and teaching. She was looking to enhance her knowledge of research methods and theories that would help her to more effectively serve the young families she cared for as a nurse. In the PhD program she learned to view the world in new ways to understand the critical intersection of nursing, health, human development, family theory, and social/structural determinants of health. Dr. Sadler relied heavily on the lessons learned in her doctoral education as she continued her professional career after completing her degree. She especially appreciated the mentoring from her dissertation committee chair and members: Drs. Anderson, Sabatelli, and Thomas, and she has endeavored to pass along this wisdom to her own students and mentees.
Since completing her PhD, Professor Sadler has taught at the master’s, doctoral, and post-doctoral levels, including course content in the areas of family studies, child and family development, pediatric health promotion, adolescent health, qualitative research, research ethics, intervention development, philosophy of science, and knowledge development in nursing science. She has practiced clinically as a pediatric nurse practitioner and has conducted research with adolescent parents and young families in diverse communities, school settings, home visiting, and primary health care settings. At Yale University School of Nursing, she has held a variety of academic leadership positions in addition to her research and teaching roles. Dr. Sadler’s NIH-funded research encompasses the transition to parenthood among adolescent parents and their families, adolescent pregnancy prevention, health equity, pediatric sleep, and evaluation of specialized support programs for young parents and children. In 2001 Dr. Sadler co-founded the home visiting program, Minding the BabyTM. Along with colleagues and community partners, she tested, adapted, and implemented the program in the US, Scotland, England, Brazil, and Denmark.