Research Summary
Dr. Matovu’s program of research focuses on health promotion for marginalized older adults in the global community, particularly those with caregiving responsibilities in low-resource settings whose challenges stem from socioeconomic, gender, and health inequalities. Her research: (1) explored the experiences and psychosocial well-being of grandparent-caregivers for grandchildren in Uganda; (2) focuses on developing and testing grandparent-caregiver interventions.
Education
- BSN, Nursing , San Francisco State University . Project: Nursing
- MSN, Nursing, University of California, San Francisco. Project: Nursing
- PhD, Nursing, University of California, San Francisco. Project: Nursing
- PostDoc, Nursing, University of California, San Francisco. Project: Biobehavioral Research in Symptom Science
- PostDoc, Nursing , University of California, Davis. Project: Family Caregiving
Biography
Dr. Schola Matovu is a gerontological nursing leader, educator and scientist, working to advance science and contribute to alleviating social injustices such as poverty, gender and health inequalities within the global community. Through advocacy, service and empowerment, she strives to advance the nursing profession and promote health, well-being & quality of life of older adults, particularly those with caregiving responsibilities.
Dr. Matovu’s foundational research explored the experiences and psychosocial well-being of Ugandan grandparent-caregivers for grandchildren affected by HIV/AIDS in Uganda. Her current research focuses on using qualitative formative research and a community-engaged approach to inform the development and testing of interventions for grandparents as primary caregivers for their grandchildren in rural Uganda, Utah and the greater Intermountain West.
As an educator, Dr. Matovu strives to prepare future nursing leaders who will advance science and develop into critical thinkers, collaborators, and problem solvers who understand the connection between local and global issues and address them through an equity centered lens.
Dr. Matovu envisions a health care system with nurses who are empowered with the leadership skills needed to navigate the structural and cultural barriers that hinder them from “being at the table” where key care decisions are made. She envisions a nursing workforce that can advocate for health equity, inclusion, and justice for themselves and the populations they serve. That vision inspired her to co-found a nonprofit, Nurse-to-Nurse Global Initiative (NTNGI), whose mission is to promote nurse leadership and professional development, especially for nurses in low-resourced settings. Dr. Matovu strives to serve as a transformational leader who will inspire the next generation of nurses to lead initiatives and develop innovative and inclusive ideas within health care systems.