Brief Bio

Dr. Jennifer Dungan, a nurse scientist with expertise in cardiovascular genetics research, is Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing and a Senior Fellow of the Duke Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development. In 2001, she earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing with Honors from the University of Florida, where she also conducted undergraduate research to evaluate biofeedback interventions in hypertension. Dr. Dungan completed an accelerated Master’s-to-PhD program at the University of Florida. She was awarded her MSN in adult health nursing in 2002, trained at the NIH/NINR Summer Genetics Institute in 2003, and earned a PhD in Nursing Science with a minor in genetics in 2006. Dr. Dungan's dissertation research (Alpha 1A- and Beta 2-Adrenergic Receptor Gene Expression in Human Hypertension), a multi-disciplinary project funded by the American Heart Association and an NINR-sponsored NRSA, was the first to evaluate adrenergic receptor gene expression patterns in a human model of hypertension. Before leaving her alma mater, she was awarded the Excellence in Doctoral Research Award and was in the inaugural group of graduates to earn the Young Alumnus of the Year award.

Dr. Dungan completed a 2-year postdoctoral training fellowship with the Duke University Center for Aging and Human Development from 2006 to 2008, strengthening her expertise in the areas of aging, genomics, and cardiovascular disease. From 2007 to 2009, she was a Duke University John A. Hartford Jr. Faculty Fellow. In 2008, Dr. Dungan became a Senior Research Associate at the Duke School of Nursing. In 2009, she was awarded a prestigious K99 Pathway to Independence Award to study the genetics of aging and survivorship in coronary artery disease. She was recently awarded the Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center Scholar Award for her research in this area.

Dr. Dungan is currently a member of the American Heart Association, the Gerontological Society of America, the American Society of Human Genetics, and the International Society for Nurses in Genetics. She has contributed her expertise in genetics toward inter- and trans-disciplinary service efforts such as the Duke Medical Center Genetic Testing Advisory Council and the Duke School of Nursing Genetic/Genomic Task Force. She has experience teaching in graduate-level courses and has developed a number of undergraduate- and graduate-level guest lectures on topics related to genetics and genomics in health and disease.

Academic Program Affiliations

Education

Research Interests

Awards and Honors

• 2015 2015 Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing Best Abstract Award, American Heart Association Scientific Sessions

• 2015 Reviewer's Choice Award, American Society of Human Genetics Annual Meeting

• 2011 Claude A. Pepper Center Scholar, Duke University

• 2011 Participant, 2011 Leadership Development for Researchers, Duke University School of Medicine LEADER Program

• 2006 Excellence in Doctoral Research Award, University of Florida College of Nursing

• 2006 University of Florida Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, Inaugural group, University of Florida

• 2004 Annual Meeting of the Association of Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, Best Student Poster, Association of Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback

• 2002 University of Florida Alumni Fellowship, University of Florida

• 2001 Honors Program, University of Florida College of Nursing

• 2001 BSN, Cum Laude, University of Florida College of Nursing

• 2001 Excellence in Research Award, University of Florida College of Nursing

• 2001 Inducted, Sigma Theta Tau

• 2000 First place team member, University of Florida Interdisciplinary Health Care Competition

• 1999 University Scholars Undergraduate Research Program, University of Florida

Areas of Expertise

• Cardiovascular
• Genetics/Genomics

Representative Publications

• 2014 -- Fadale, K. L., Tucker, D., Dungan, J., Sabol, V. Improving nurses’ vasopressor titration skills and self-efficacy via simulation-based learning. Clinical Simulation in Nursing. June, 2014; 10(6); e291-e299

• 2014 -- Pubmed # 24794087 Vorderstrasse, A. A., Hammer, M. J., Dungan, J. R. Nursing implications of personalized and precision medicine. Semin Oncol Nurs. May, 2014; 30(2); 130-6

• 2013 -- Pubmed # 23831034 Voora, D., Cyr, D., Lucas, J., Chi, J., Dungan, J., McCaffrey, T. A., Katz, R., Newby, L. K., Kraus, W. E., Becker, R. C., Ortel, T. L., Ginsburg, G. S. Aspirin exposure reveals novel genes associated with platelet function and cardiovascular events. J Am Coll Cardiol. October, 2013; 62(14); 1267-76

• 2013 -- Pubmed # 24143143 Dungan, J. R., Hauser, E. R., Qin, X., Kraus, W. E. The genetic basis for survivorship in coronary artery disease. Front Genet. September 17, 2013; 4 191

• 2013 -- Pubmed # 24316773 Katsanis, S. H., Dungan, J. R., Gilliss, C. L., Ginsburg, G. A. Educating future providers of personalized medicine. N C Med J. Nov.-Dec., 2013; 74(6); 491-2

• 2010 -- Pubmed # 20173117 Shah, S. H., Bain, J. R., Muehlbauer, M. J., Stevens, R. D., Crosslin, D. R., Haynes, C., Dungan, J., Newby, L. K., Hauser, E. R., Ginsburg, G. S., Newgard, C. B., Kraus, W. E. Association of a peripheral blood metabolic profile with coronary artery disease and risk of subsequent cardiovascular events. Circ Cardiovasc Genet. April, 2010; 3(2); 207-14

• 2009 -- Pubmed # 19254913 Dungan, J. R., Conley, Y. P., Langaee, T. Y., Johnson, J. A., Kneipp, S. M., Hess, P. J., Yucha, C. B. Altered beta-2 adrenergic receptor gene expression in human clinical hypertension. Biol Res Nurs. July, 2009; 11(1); 17-26 PMCID: PMC2805083

• 2007 -- Dungan, J., Yucha, C. B., Artinian, N. T. Hypertension as a risk factor (Chapter 35). In Cardiac Nursing: A Companion to Braunwald’s Heart Disease, edited by Moser, D. K. & Tiegel, B. August, 2007; pp. 431-445. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier.

• 2007 -- Artinian, N. T., Dungan, J., Yucha, C. B. Management of hypertension (Chapter 77). In Cardiac Nursing: A Companion to Braunwald’s Heart Disease, edited by Moser, D. K. & Tiegel, B. August, 2007; pp. 1205-1219. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier.

• 2004 -- Yucha, C.., Dungan, J. Renal handling of phosphorus and magnesium. Nephrology Nursing Journal. Jan.-Feb., 2004; 31(1); 33-7, 38-39

Grant Funding (selected)

• Expanding Evidence of Genetic Contributions to Survivorship in CAD  
  National Institutes of Health
  4R00-NR011054-03
  08/2011-06/2014
  Role: Principal Investigator
  Project Goals: This competitive continuation seeks to replicate findings from K99 research project on survival- and age-effects on genetic associations with coronary artery disease (CAD). Specifically, this project aims to: 1) determine which novel genes, in combination with known CAD risk factors, predict death and survival for people with coronary disease using a genome-wide candidate approach; 2) replicate evidence for the impact of survivor- and age-related biases on genetic associations; and, 3) validate a statistical approach to handle these biases in genetic associations with complex disease.

• Survival and Age Biases in Gene Associations with Coronary Disease  
  National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Nursing Research
  1K99-NR011054-01A1
  09/2009-07/2011
  The overarching goal of this proposal is for the candidate to build a research program in the genetics of survivorship in coronary artery disease, a research program that combines her interests in aging, cardiovascular disease, and genetics. Dr. Dungan has established the phenotype for survivorship in coronary artery disease in two existing databases (the Duke CATHeterization GENetics [CATHGEN] and the Framingham Heart studies) and has performed pilot analysis to identify survival and age biases in these datasets. In order to effectively study the genetics of survivorship in coronary artery disease, it is necessary to first understand the impact of survival and age biases on gene associations with coronary artery disease and control for their effects. Her proposed mentored research seeks to extensively characterize these biases in both datasets, then test traditional and complex statistical methods to control for such biases in gene associations with coronary artery disease.

• Validation of Survival-Variant Gene Polymorphisms for Coronary Artery Disease in the Duke CATHGEN Study  
  Duke University School of Nursing Small Research Grant Award
  01/2010-07/2011
  Role: Principal Investigator
  To genotype and validate 8 genetic polymorphisms significant for survivorship in coronary artery disease in a total of 5,566 Duke CATHGEN subjects.

• Genetics of Survivorship in Coronary Artery Disease  
  Duke Center for Aging/John A. Hartford Center for Excellence
  2006-0109
  07/2008-07/2010
  Role: Junior Faculty Fellow
  To provide mentored training to Dr. Dungan in genetic epidemiology, statistical genetics, and statistical analysis of time-related biases. The proposed research plan seeks to in order to characterize survival-variant genes in coronary artery disease (CAD) and identify a novel statistical method to control for their effects in gene associations with CAD, using existing data from the Duke CATHeterization GENetics (CATHGEN) Study and the Framingham Heart Study

• Behavior and Physiology in Aging  
  National Institute on Aging
  5T32 AG000029-31
  04/2006-04/2008
  Role: Postdoctoral Trainee
  National Research Service Award for post-doctoral training. Dr. Dungan’s goals as a trainee are to explore the genetic contribution to aging in cardiovascular disease through pilot studies of gene expression and survival analysis of the Duke Catheterization Genetics (CATHGEN) Study data.

• Race, HTN, and Vascular Adrenoceptor Gene Expression  
  NINR, Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Predoctoral Fellowship
  1 F31 NR009148-01 – 02
  10/2004-10/2005
  Role: PI/Trainee
  To explore the alpha 1A- and beta 2-adrenergic receptor gene expression in the internal mammary artery of hypertensive adults and examine potential influence of race.

• Alpha 1A- and Beta 2-Adrenoceptor Gene Expression Differences in Hypertensive and Normotensive Persons By Race  
  American Heart Association
  0415124B
  07/2004-09/2004
  Role: PI/Trainee
  To explore the alpha 1A- and beta 2-adrenergic receptor gene expression in the internal mammary artery of hypertensive adults and examine potential influence of race.

• Race, Hypertension, and Vascular Adrenoceptor Gene Expression  
  Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Society, Alpha Theta Chapter Small Research Grant
  07/2004-09/2004
  To provide supplies and processing funds for the exploration of alpha 1A- and beta 2-adrenergic receptor gene expression in the internal mammary artery of hypertensive adults and examine potential influence of race.