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College of Nursing

Faculty and Staff

Donna Kazemi, PhD, RN, CNE, FIAAN

Title: Professor
Department: Biobehavioral Health & Nursing Science
College of Nursing
Email: dkazemi@mailbox.sc.edu
Phone: 803-777-1213
Office:

College of Nursing
University of South Carolina
1601 Greene Street, Room 308
Columbia, SC 29208-4001 
United States

Donna Kazemi

Background 

Donna Kazemi, Ph.D., RN, CNE, FIAAN, a national and internationally recognized nurse scientist, has a program of scholarship in applied and clinical research. She is one of the few nurses working in the area of addiction among populations at high risk, such as adolescents, young adults, college students, military, and underserved ethnic minority populations.   Dr. Kazemi played an instrumental role in developing mHealth techniques to assess, treat and prevent substance-induced disorders among vulnerable populations.

She has a strong record of funding and publications. Her expertise has led to membership in key national and international prestigious organizations that address important community health issues, such as the American Public Health Association (APHA), International Nurses Society on Addiction (IntNSA), Sigma Theta Tau, and, Association of Community Health Nurse Educators (ACHNE).  Dr Kazemi is a Fellow of the International Academy of Addictions Nursing (IntNSA), an organization committed to the prevention, intervention, and treatment of addiction disorders. She has received several prestigious awards for her teaching and research in the field. These awards are fully in accordance with her being an exceptionally dedicated mentor and teacher.  

Dr. Kazemi earned her Bachelor of Science in Microbiology (BS, Michigan State University), Master in Health Services Administration (MSA, Central Michigan University), and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN, Grand Valley State University). She started her career as a Public Health Nursing in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, at the Isabela County Health Department. She studied Public Health and earned a Ph.D. in Public Health from Walden University. Working in academia as a faculty member she earned a master’s in nursing education (MSN, Phoenix University).

Teaching

Dr. Kazemi, a Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) has extensive expertise in Community Health Nursing (CHN), having taught nursing graduate and undergraduate classes.  Her teaching style applies social determinants of health framework, incorporates problem-based learning, encourages community advocacy through preceptor service-learning projects, and uses Community Based Participatory approaches. She has developed and taught community courses for Bachelor of Nursing (BSN) programs, including clinical preceptorships. In master’s programs, she developed and taught research methods and design, theory, and various health disparities courses. She has mentored master, Ph.D., and Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) graduate students and chaired numerous dissertations, thesis, and projects.

Research

Dr. Kazemi is a pioneer in the use of mHealth digital technology to address disparate risks and outcomes in Substance Use Disorders (SUD)~ emphasizing Chronic pain, Opioids, Alcohol, Cannabis misuse and prevention, and descriptive intervention research, particularly in relation to diverse underserved disparaged populations (Adolescents and Young Adults (AYA)). Her research has been recognized several times as an Honored Faculty Grant Recipient and an Investigators Research Award from the International Nurses Society on Addiction (IntNSA). Working with nationally and internationally recognized scientists she has led many funded research projects including SAMHSA, NIH, and DOD research projects to develop, evaluate, and refine early intervention/prevention modalities to address addiction.  Her scholarship provides empirically derived findings to inform practice and health policy. As a recognized expert in health services research, her findings have the potential to improve the health of disadvantaged diverse populations now and for future generations. 

As the author of many publications in high-impact journals in the field, her research promotes a multifaceted integrated approach that addresses the impact of high-risk addictive behavior on the individual, community, and society at large. 

She has utilized a variety of methodologies, including longitudinal study designs, large survey datasets, and participatory strategies. 

Concept Areas:
  • Digital Health Interventions
  • Substance Use Disorders
  • Health Disparities
  • Community-Based Participatory Research

Dissemination

Dr.Kazemi has disseminated in peer-reviewed publications and abstracts in international/national conferences and high-impact research journals. She has presented at over 45 national and international conference proceedings, such as Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Research Congress, American Public Health Association (APHA), International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM), International Congress of Applied Psychology, International Conference of Community Psychology, European Congress of Psychology (ECP), Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science (CANS), International Nurses Society on Addictions (IntNSA), and the Association of Community Health Nursing Educators (ACHNE).

Professional Service

Dr. Kazemi is an active member of several professional organizations, including the International Nurses Society on Addictions (IntNSA), Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science (CANS), American Public Health Association (APHA), Association of Community Health Nurse Educators (ACHNE), Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (STTI), American Nurses Association, and Southern Nurses Research Society (SNRS). In addition, she has served as a member and on boards of numerous community-based organizations, including county health departments and drug-free coalitions. 

Dr. Kazemi has served as a scientific reviewer for the International Nurses Society on Addictions (IntNSA), and the United Way Health Council. She also serves as a manuscript reviewer for several interprofessional and nursing journals. Her professional affiliations include roles on the Editor Boards of Public Health Nursing (PHN) and the Journal of Addiction Nursing (JAN). 

Professional Practice

Community Health Nursing (CHN);

Public Health Nurse I & II, Case Manager, Home Care, Hospice

Research Studies (Selected)

Orchowski, L. M., Berkowitz, A., Oesterle, D., Berry-Cabán, C., Borsari, B., Kahler, C. W., & Kazemi, D. M. (2022). Correlates of bystander intervention attitudes and intentions among young adult active duty male soldiers. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 08862605221080151. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177%2F08862605221080151

Kazemi, D. M., Troutman-Jordan, M., *Whitfield, J. E., & *Pappa, E. V. (2021). Effectiveness of eHealth Technology–Based Interventions in Reducing Substance Misuse Among Older Adults: A Systematic Review. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 47(10), 23–29. https://doi.org/10.3928/00989134-20210908-04.

Kazemi, D.M., Li, S., Levine, M.J, Auten, B., *Granson M. (2021) Systematic Review of Smartphone Apps to Prevent Substance Abuse in Adolescents and Adults, Journal of Addictions Nursing Special Edition,32(3):180-187. PMID: 34473447 DOI: 10.1097/JAN.0000000000000416.

Kazemi, D.M., Borsari, B., Levine, M.J., Li, S., Shehab, M., *Fang F., *Norona, J. (2020) Effectiveness of a Theory-Based mHealth Intervention for High-Risk Drinking in College Students, Substance Use and Misuse, 55(10),1667-1676.https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2020.1756851.

Berry-Cabán, C. S., Orchowski, L., Wimsatt, M., Winstead, T., Klaric, J., Prisock, K., Metzger, E., & Kazemi, D. M. (2020). Perceived and collective norms associated with sexual violence among male soldiers. Journal of Family Violence, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-019-00096-6.

Berry-Cabán, C. S., Orchowski, L. M., Winstead, T. L., Metzger, E. C., & Kazemi, D. M. (2020). Conceptualizations of hooking up among male soldiers: a qualitative analysis. Military Medicine, 185(Suppl 1), 355-361. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usz230.

Kazemi, D.M., Borsari, B., Levine, M. J., Lamberson, K., Dooley, B. (2018) REMIT: Development of a mHealth Theory-based Intervention to Decrease Heavy Episodic Drinking among College Students, Addiction, Research and Theory, doi.org/10.1080/16066359.2017.1420783. [Epub].

Kazemi, D. M., Borsari, B., Levine, Shehab, M., *Nelson, M., Dooley, B., Stinson, B., *Fang, F., Li, S. Real-Time Demonstration of a mHealth app Designed to Reduce College Students Hazardous Drinking, Psychological Services; Clinical Apps and Public Service Settings, November 2018, American Psychological Association (APA), DOI:10.1037/ser0000310.

Orchowski, L. M., Berry-Cabán, C. S., Prisock, K., Borsari, B., & Kazemi, D. (2018). Evaluations of sexual assault prevention programs in military settings: A synthesis of the research literature [Article]. Military Medicine, 183(March/April Supplement), 421-428. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usx212.

Kazemi, D. M., Jacobs, D. G., Portwood, S. G., Veach, L., Weihua, Z., *Hurley, M. J. (2017). Trauma Center Youth Violence Screening and Brief Interventions: A Multisite Pilot Feasibility Study. Violence & Victims, 32(2), 251-264. doi:10.1891/0886-6708.VV-D-15-00141

Kazemi, D. M., Borsari, B., Levine, M. J., Li, S., Lamberson, K. A., & *Matta, L. A. (2017). A Systematic Review of the mHealth Interventions to Prevent Alcohol and Substance Abuse. Journal Of Health Communication, 22(5), 413-432. doi:10.1080/10810730.2017.1303556

Kazemi, D. M., Borsari, B., Levine, M. J., & Dooley, B. (2017). Systematic Review of Surveillance by Social Media Platforms for Illicit Drug Use. Journal Of Public Health, 39(4), 763-776. doi:10.1093/pubmed/fdx020|.

Kazemi, D. M., Levine, M. J., *Qi, L., & Dmochowski, J. (2015). Brief Motivational Intervention for Heavy Drinking Mandated and Voluntary Freshmen: A 1-year follow-up assessment. Nursing Outlook, 63(3), 349-356. doi:10.1016/j.outlook.2014.11.002

Kazemi, D.M., Levine, M.J., Dmochowski, J., Van Horn, K. R., *Qi, L.,(2015). Health Behaviors of Mandated and Voluntary Students in a Motivational Intervention Program, Preventive Medicine Reports, 2, PMC 4721403.


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