Saban named Endowed Chair for Research
Karen Saban, left, talks with Regina Conway-Phillips, a fellow nurse researcher who recently retired from the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, at Loyola University Chicago's Health Sciences Campus.
By Ashley Rowland
June 2025
Internationally recognized nurse scientist Karen Saban has been appointed the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing Endowed Chair for Research, effective July 1.
Saban, a professor and three-time Loyola Nursing graduate (BSN ‘86, MSN ‘90, PhD ‘06), has served as the school’s associate dean for research and scholarly innovation since 2020.
In her new role, Saban will lead the school’s growing nursing science program, focusing on expanding research aligned with her own work on health care disparities. She is currently principal investigator of a National Institutes of Health-funded project that examines an intervention to reduce chronic stress and inflammation in Black women at risk of cardiovascular disease.
“I want Loyola Nursing to be known for this unique area of research, looking at stress inflammation and epigenetics across the lifespan in multiple populations,” said Saban, who has received more than $15 million in research funding during her career.
In July, she will become the first Loyola Nursing scientist to be inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame—an honor being extended this year to just 15 nurse scientists worldwide.
Saban’s appointment comes as Loyola Nursing has added several tenure track nurse scientists and jumped in national rankings for research funding in recent years.
Dean Lorna Finnegan said Saban will accelerate that growth, bringing an exceptional ability to secure research funding and mentor junior faculty to the role.
“Her grant writing expertise and her ability to connect with faculty, and help them move their research to the next step, will be pivotal to nurturing our culture of inquiry,” Finnegan said. “Her vision for shaping research development and dedication to excellence will elevate Loyola Nursing’s reputation even further.”
Saban was drawn to nursing research because it gives her the ability to make a difference in patients’ lives.
“Being a nurse, you impact individuals, families, and communities, but with applied research you impact everybody. You can make changes that affect policy and practice, not just in the country but worldwide,” she said.
As Endowed Chair, Saban hopes to help strengthen the caliber of research produced by students, postdoctoral fellows, and early career faculty: “Nursing science is a newer, younger science. We need good researchers to continue to advance our discipline.”
The Endowed Chair for Research position was named in recognition of Marcella Niehoff, whose belief in the power of health care to change lives and respect for Loyola’s School of Nursing led her to give a significant gift to the school in 1979. The Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing is also named in her honor.