Nov. 1, 2025
Chris Kasper: Leading the Nursing Charge
The dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing helps cultivate the next generation of nursing leaders, researchers and innovators.
TOPICS: People
Designs on Aging-Ready
By Emily Nunez
As a PhD and RN whose career has kept her on the move, Christine E. Kasper has shaped nursing research, policy and education across the country. Originally from Chicago, Kasper went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Evansville in Indiana, a Master of Science in Nursing from Rush University in Chicago, and a PhD in nursing from the University of Michigan, where she also studied exercise physiology.
Over the course of her career, she has taught at premier nursing schools with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of California, Los Angeles, Johns Hopkins University, and Uniformed Services University. Before joining the University of Pittsburgh, she served as dean of the University of New Mexico’s School of Nursing, where enrollment spiked 35% in three years under her tenure.
Kasper said she moved to Pittsburgh—a “mecca” for health care—because of Pitt’s globally respected School of Nursing. Since taking the helm as dean in 2023, she has made it her mission to bolster the school’s reputation as a research powerhouse. In addition to supporting faculty-led studies, she is working to expand research opportunities for undergraduate students, which is uncommon for nursing schools. Each year, dozens of BSN students engage in faculty-led research projects through the School of Nursing’s Undergraduate Research Mentorship Program, which covers topics ranging from breast cancer risks to lung transplantation outcomes to end-of-life care education.
“Research is powerful, and few may realize the significant role it plays in nursing,” Kasper said. “The research our students and faculty are conducting deepens our understanding of diseases, conditions and best practices in nursing care. It has the potential to save lives.”
“Research is powerful, and few may realize the significant role it plays in nursing. The research our students and faculty are conducting deepens our understanding of diseases, conditions and best practices in nursing care. It has the potential to save lives.”
Chris Kasper, dean, School of Nursing
Kasper brings to the role a wealth of knowledge and research experience, including more than 200 peer-reviewed papers, books and presentations on a range of medical subjects, including her specialization—the breakdown and regeneration of skeletal muscle. Her findings have advanced the scientific community’s understanding of muscle atrophy, including the effects of prolonged bedrest and experiments that simulated space flight to understand how astronauts might recover skeletal muscle through exercise.
Throughout her career, Kasper has served as principal investigator on research projects supported by the National Institutes of Health, NASA and other federal agencies. As a former senior nurse executive in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, she advised the agency’s top nursing officer and studied the pathobiology of illnesses linked to the Gulf War, as well as the long-term effects of metal shrapnel trapped in the body. In 2015, she was inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame for her studies on traumatic brain injuries in military members.
Beyond her own research, Kasper’s work supports nursing scholars and leaders around the world. She served as the editor of the Annual Review of Nursing Research for more than a decade and was the founding editor of Biological Research for Nursing. She is also a fellow of several prominent professional organizations, including the American Academy of Nursing and American College of Sports Medicine.
For Kasper, the key to fostering communities of accomplished nursing leaders is starting early and in the classroom.
“At Pitt Nursing, our mission is not limited to shaping students into best-in-class care providers,” Kasper said. “We are also dedicated to cultivating the next generation of nursing leaders, health care executives, researchers and innovators. Our graduates are truly doing remarkable things that are changing their communities and health care for the better.”