Kendra Kamp

PhD, RN

I am passionate about improving care for patients with ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and irritable bowel syndrome. I serve as the Director for the Gastrointestinal Health and Wellness Lab (GI-Well) which works on exciting projects to promote optimal gut health for all. We take a holistic approach to addressing individual, environmental, and societal factors which influence gut health.

My BSN at Calvin University showed me how research can transform patient care, at the individual and population level. This motivated me to pursue advance training in nursing research. I received my PhD from Michigan State University where I examined the role of social support on self-management behaviors of medication adherence and diet modification among emerging adults (ages 18-35) with inflammatory bowel disease. I identified that increased informational social support was associated with greater medication adherence. Funding from Sigma Theta Tau International and the Jonas Center supported my study. I have continued to build on this work at the University of Washington by conducting a pilot study to examine sleep, fatigue, and gastrointestinal symptoms among individuals with inflammatory bowel disease and examining the usability and acceptability of a comprehensive self-management intervention for individuals with irritable bowel syndrome and comorbid anxiety and depression as well as individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (T32NR014833, T32DK007742, K23NR020044).

My current research focuses on adapting a comprehensive self-management intervention into a digital format, understanding patient symptom experiences through qualitative and quantitative methods, and incorporating biological markers (biomarkers) such as fecal calprotectin, gut microbiome, cytokines, and bile acids into nursing research. Please reach out to collaborate and partner in this exciting work.