Bio Sketch

After graduating with her BSN, Dr. Caparso practiced as an adult oncology bedside nurse. A 2022 graduate of Wayne State University's BSN-to-PhD program, Dr. Caparso served in a two-year appointment as a NIH/NCI T32 Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Cancer Care Delivery at the University of Michigan School of Nursing and Rogel Cancer Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she developed her program of research providing mobile communication interventions that engage patients, caregivers, children and health care providers to improve family functioning in families with cancer to engage the process of resiliency so families can holistically meet their basic human needs. Her work has been published in high impact, peer-reviewed journals and presented at national and international conferences. She has experience in nursing simulation in developing and designing simulations and educating undergraduate nursing students throughout the nursing curriculum in simulation. Dr. Caparso has a passion for teaching and nursing research and hopes to inspire more nurses to consider a PhD career path.

Education

• Research member, Karmanos Cancer Institute in Population Studies and Disparities Research Program, 2022-present
• Postdoctoral Fellowship, Department of Systems, Populations and Leadership Center for Improving Patient and Population Health, University of Michigan School of Nursing and Rogel Cancer Center, 2022-2024
• PhD, Wayne State Univeristy, 2022
• BSN, Oakland University, 2013

Research Interests

Improve family outcomes through the process of resiliency in all families experiencing cancer so they can meet the needs and functions of their families.

Clinical Area(s) of Expertise

Dr. Caparso works with young families experiencing cancer in a young parent (e.g. 40+). She has experience using qualitative research methods, specifically phenomenology, to understand the experiences of cancer's impact on communication in the parent with cancer and the coparent. She is currently evolving in her research methods to include mixed methods, interventional science, implementation science, and randomized control trial methodologies.

Selected publications

• Caparso, C., Bowen, Z., & Choi, S.W. “Share the fear”: Communication concerns of parents with cancer with dependents and coparents: A qualitative needs assessment study. Submitted to Cancer Nursing on May 13, 2024.
• Caparso, C., Friese, C., & Benkert, R. (2023). Strategies to recruit adults with advanced cancer and dependent children [Editorial]. Canadian Journal of Nursing Research. doi:10.1177/08445621231205618
• Caparso, C., Ozkan, G., Klug, M., Salim, H., Khaghany, A., Blok, A., & Choi, SW. (2023). Mobile technology to monitor and support health and well-being: A qualitative study of perspectives and design suggestions from patients undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation. JMIR Formative Research. 7. doi:10.2196/49806 
• Caparso, C., Noble, E., McCoy, M.A., Vallerand, A., & Benkert, R. (2023). Understanding Dying Concerns in Parents with Advanced Cancer (PWAC) with Dependent Children for their Co-Parent: A Phenomenological Study. The Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing 25(5). 10.1097/NJH.0000000000000956
• Caparso, C., & Friese, C. (2022). Technology supports to cancer care teams: Promises and pitfalls [Editorial]. Journal of Clinical Oncology. https://doi.org/10.1200/OP.22.00657
• Caparso, C., & Benkert, R. (2021). Family cohesiveness: A dying concern for the co-parent in families with parents with advanced cancer (PWAC) with dependent children: A pilot study. Cancer Nursing 45(3). 10.1097/NCC.0000000000001024
• Caparso, C., Appel., J., & Benkert, R. (2020). Dying concerns in young parents with advanced cancer (PWAC): A scoping review. Palliative and Supportive Care Journal 19. 93-102. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1478951520000309

Honors and Awards

• Jonas Nurse Scholarship for Leadership, 2016-2018 cohort
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Dissertation Award Commencement speaker for the College of Nursing and School of Social Work, 2022
• NIH/NCI T32 (T32-CA-236621) Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Cancer Care Delivery at the University Of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Current Research

Dr. Caparso is currently working on writing a career development award to support the next five years of her research program as she develops a family communication application for use in cancer families. She is being mentored by Dr. Felicity Harper at Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, Michigan.

Courses taught by Cinzia Caparso, PhD, RN

Winter Term 2025 (future)

• NUR4995 - Writing for the Health Care Professional

Fall Term 2024

• NUR8012 - Philosophical Basis of Nursing

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