Faculty Directory
Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing (MNSON) faculty members are experienced, recognized leaders in their fields who integrate research and practical experiences. MNSON faculty are clinically experienced and passionate about teaching - prioritizing personal connection and interaction with their students. Faculty members challenge students intellectually and guide them with compassion, creating a community of learning, research, and practice that values service, ethics, and providing top-notch health care.
Paula de la Pena, PhD, RN
Title/s: Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Specialty Area: Stroke and cerebrovascular disease, data science symptom/symptom clusters
Office #: Health Sciences Campus, CTRE 345
Phone: 708.216.0348
Email: pdelapena@luc.edu
CV Link: Paula de la Pena CV 2024
About
Dr. Paula de la Pena is a TL1 Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Loyola University of Chicago Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing. She received her Master of Science in Nursing Education from Benedictine University and her PhD from the Loyola University Chicago Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing. She has dedicated her nursing career to stroke patients and has held clinical and administrative positions responsible for the care and operational oversight of stroke patients.
Research Interests
Dr. de la Peña is passionate both personally and professionally about optimizing lives of stroke survivors. Her dissertation researched evaluated both structured and unstructured data from the electronic health record to evaluate symptoms in the post-acute period. Her scholarly interests include application of artificial intelligence to evaluate large datasets and pursuing research that enhances the lives of stroke patients. She also enjoys mentoring nurses and trainees interested in stroke care and advancing nursing research.