The Social Justice Institute’s R & R (Research and Refreshment) lecture series will return Monday, Nov. 18, at noon in the School of Law’s Moot Courtroom.
Shanina C. Knighton, nurse-scientist, infection preventionist and research assistant professor at Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, will present “The Hidden Impact of Hygiene Poverty on Health.”
R & R talks aim to highlight how social justice is central to the work conducted by researchers across campus. Attendees are encouraged to bring a lunch; drinks and desserts will be provided.
A Q&A session will follow the presentation.
About the speaker
Knighton also is an adjunct faculty member in biomedical engineering and serves as a senior nurse scientist at MetroHealth System. As the inaugural executive director of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology’s Center for Research Practice and Innovation, she was instrumental in advancing the organization’s mission.
Knighton holds a PhD and completed her National Institutes of Health T32 postdoctoral fellowship, later becoming a Clinical and Translational Science Award KL2 Scholar. She specializes in translating infection prevention science into practical, equitable tools, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration to address complex health challenges. She is the principal investigator (PI) on an R01 grant from the National Institute on Aging, focused on a technology-based self-management intervention to improve hand hygiene and reduce contamination among older adults.
Her impactful work has driven community systems change through clinical-community-academic partnerships, resulting in numerous peer-reviewed publications, educational resources, and leadership roles on national boards. Notably, she convened 27 countries as an International Organization for Standardization leader to establish technical standards for infection prevention in healthcare.
Knighton has developed innovative prevention tools for community members, small businesses and public officials, including the State of Ohio and the American Nurses Association. Her insights have been featured in major media outlets such as Forbes, Fox News and Self Magazine. Honored with several awards, including as a 2022 CWRU Faculty Innovator and a 2023 Veale Institute Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellow, she has also been a dedicated member of the CWRU Social Justice Institute Leadership team for three years.