Her research interests include social determinants of health, vulnerable populations, health and educational disparities, adolescent risk behaviors, and the effects of prejudice and racism on health behaviors. Dr. Respress’ doctoral research focused on the social determinants of depressive symptoms, sexual risk, substance use, and suicide risk behaviors in adolescents. Staying true to her public health background, she would like to further her studies within a post-doctoral fellowship which focuses on health policy, health disparities, and community-based research.  She hopes that this combination of foci will help her to further understand social determinants, the dynamics of poor health, and further explore the interrelationships among the complex variables that impact the mental and physical health needs of adolescents.  Furthermore, Dr. Respress believes that despite the multifactoral nature of poor health status among minorities, in particular, “by increasing access to healthcare, and implementing health policies that support culturally appropriate care and interventions; the mental and physical well-being of racial and ethnic minority adolescents and their families can improve and be maintained throughout life.”

Dr. Respress is currently faculty in the BSN program at FPB, where she teaches in Medical/Surgical Nursing, Pediatrics, Community Health, Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing, and Nursing Foundations clinical. She is also on the Psychiatric Mental Health Task Force, which has developed the program and curriculum for the Psychiatric Mental Health Family Nurse Practitioner/Clinical Nurse Specialist MSN program.  She is a member and Fellow of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, a member of the Ohio Association of Advanced Practice Nurses, Ohio Nurses Association the Greater Cleveland Nurses Association, American Psychiatric Nurses Association, National Black Nurses Association, and Sigma Theta Tau International.  Dr. Respress is also a council member on the National Advisory Council for Nurse Education and Practice (2007-2011).