Barbara Medoff-Cooper

The Eastern Nursing Research Society recently awarded Barbara Medoff-Cooper, professor of nursing in the department of family and community health at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, with its Distinguished Contributions to Nursing Research Award, which recognizes sustained and outstanding contributions to nursing research by a senior investigator.

“It is a great honor to be recognized by the nursing research community. My goal, and of course my passion, has always been to improve outcomes for vulnerable infants and their families,” said Dr. Medoff-Cooper. “I share this award with the many families who have participated in my research projects over the past 30-plus years.”

Dr. Medoff-Cooper’s research focuses on infant development, feeding behaviors in high-risk infants and infant temperament. She invented the Early Infancy Temperament Questionnaire and the NeoNur device, changing the way clinicians care for premature and chronically ill infants. Her research has been recognized throughout the world for its impact on improving care of premature infants and infants born with complex congenital heart disease.