Faculty Narrative
Mary Dietrich, PhD, MSResearch Associate Professor of Nursing, Statistician
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Psychiatry
Dr. Mary Dietrich, Research Associate Professor, has been at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing (VUSN) since January 2006. She holds an adjunct Assistant Professorship appointment in the School of Medicine (Psychiatry). Prior to joining the School of Nursing, Dr. Dietrich was a statistical consultant for the central research services at Vanderbilt University for more than 15 years, serving all central University schools and departments while increasingly focusing on bio-behavioral statistical consulting leading to federally-funded research studies.
Dr. Dietrich received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology degree from Bethel College in Newton, Kansas; a Master of Science in Psychology degree from Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas; and a PhD in Statistics and Measurement at Vanderbilt University. Her doctoral work titled, "Parental Functioning and Developmental Outcome: A multi-Method Study of the Constructs and Their Relationship", earned her the Hardy C. Wilcoxon Award from the Department of Psychology and Human Development for most distinguished doctoral dissertation in any area of psychology inquiry.
Dr. Dietrich's extensive experience with techniques used to measure and analyze complex multi-dimensional systems and outcomes spans a wide variety of intervention protocols, including community-based development programs. Her collaborative work has been published in a variety of refereed journals including Child Abuse and Neglect; Pediatrics; The Journal of Pediatrics; Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine; Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; American Journal on Mental Retardation; Physical & Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics; Western Journal of Medicine; Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research; Ophthalmology; Otolaryngology -- Head & Neck Surgery; Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior; and Critical Reviews Oncology. Dr. Dietrich's own research interests center around the measurement of, and assessment of changes in, psycho-social developing systems -- in particular early infant development systems (both normative, as well as those characterized by failure-to-thrive, neglect and/or abuse).
Dr. Dietrich is currently a co-investigator or consultant on the following funded research studies
| 2004- | NIDA. RO1. (Cowan, RL). MR Analysis of Persistent CNS Damage in Human MDMA Users |
| 2005- | NIH/NIAAA RO1. (Martin, PR). MR Studies of Alcohol-Induced Brain Injury and Recovery. |
| 2005- | Pfizer Global Pharmaceuticals (Scarpero, HM). Overactive Bladder and Pelvic Floor Dysfunction in Young Women: Prevalence and Impact on Quality of Life. |
| 2005- | NIDDK. RO1. (Pope, JC). Mechanisms of Bladder Fibrosis. |
| 2006- | NIMH. R21. (Cowan, RL). SERT Polymorphisms and Human Cortical 5-HT2A Receptors |
| 2006- | NIH/NCI. R21 (Murphy, BA). Hospice Pain Control: Developing an Opiod Order Sheet |