The University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing is pleased to announce that Dr. Kavita Radhakrishnan, PhD, MSEE, RN, FAAN, FAHA, has been appointed to the Dolores V. Sands Chair in Nursing Research, effective August 16, 2025.
This appointment recognizes Radhakrishnan’s outstanding contributions to nursing science and her leadership as Associate Dean for Research, a role she assumed in June 2024. Her research at the intersection of nursing, technology and health equity has significantly advanced the field of chronic disease self-management, particularly among underserved populations.
A trailblazer in digital health innovations, Radhakrishnan focuses on utilizing tools such as telemonitoring, connected sensors and digital gaming to improve self-management behaviors in individuals with cardiovascular disease. Her work has been continuously supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including over $6.8 million in funding from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and the National Institute of Nursing Research. She currently leads two NIH R01-funded randomized controlled trials addressing health disparities in heart failure and hypertension among vulnerable populations in the southern U.S. and Native American communities.
Radhakrishnan has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed publications and has been cited internationally in over 30 countries. Her research has appeared in high-impact journals such as Nursing Outlook, Translational Behavioral Medicine, JMIR Serious Games and Games for Health Journal.
In addition to her research, Radhakrishnan has demonstrated deep commitment to mentorship, teaching and service. She has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in nursing research, health information systems and precision health. Her service includes participation on ten NIH study sections, reviewing grants for major national and international institutions.
Her numerous honors include induction into the Sigma Theta Tau International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame and a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and the American Heart Association. She has also received Dean’s Excellence Awards for Scholarship, Teaching Innovations and Research, and the Johnson & Johnson Promise of Nursing Fellowship Award. She previously held the Ed & Molly Smith Centennial Fellowship in Nursing from 2012 to 2022.
Radhakrishnan’s appointment to the Dolores V. Sands Chair in Nursing Research reflects the School’s confidence in her vision, leadership and unwavering commitment to advancing evidence-based nursing practice through interdisciplinary, technology-driven research.