PAEA and the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) offer three one-year research fellowships annually to help lower barriers to faculty participation in research and build the pathway for PA research leaders. This program provides a substantial investment to strengthen the research skills and productivity of qualified PA faculty to conduct high-quality, publishable research.
The Fellowship seeks to:
- Fund protected time to allow fellows to conduct research and expand their research agendas.
- Broaden the fellows’ knowledge of the medical research community, data sources, and build their professional networks with prominent medical research organizations.
- Build a strong cohort of research leaders who mentor future PA researchers and become PA research experts who advance the profession.
The AAPA-PAEA Fellowship provides $30,000 to each fellow’s institution to secure protected time for research. This gives the fellows a 20 percent time release from teaching and other activities to allow them to focus on their scholarly activity of interest to the PA profession and PA education.
The Fellowship will include virtual seminars and a two-to-four-day seminar in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Fellows will participate in exclusive Fellowship sessions and earn more than 25 Category 1 CME hours. Travel expenses to Washington, DC, will be covered in full.
Fellows are expected to use the release time to develop their research skills by completing and providing to PAEA a research project under the guidance of a mentor, engaging in educational activities, and broadening their knowledge of PA education and the PA profession. By the conclusion of the Fellowship, fellows should have completed their research and have their findings prepared for publication and presentation. Individuals selected for the Fellowship will be conferred the title of PAEA Research Fellow.
For more information, review the submission guidelines. If you have questions, please contact PAEA Research at research@paeaonline.org or call 703-651-8540.
Current Fellows
Sheba Jaison Joy, MPAS, PA-C
In her study, Why Preceptors Stay: A Mixed-Methods Study of Clinical Preceptor Retention in Public Physician Assistant Education, Jaison Joy investigates what clinical preceptors value and what keeps them engaged over time. The goal is to identify practical strategies that PA programs can use to build stronger relationships with preceptors and improve retention. These findings could support the sustainability of clinical education.
Jaison Joy hypothesizes that retention is driven by a combination of professional purpose, mentorship, and institutional support. Experienced preceptors are motivated by a genuine commitment to training future clinicians. Relationships matter. Preceptors who feel connected to a program, supported by faculty, and appreciated for their contributions are more likely to continue teaching.
Jaison Joy focuses on clinical education, workforce sustainability, and student success, and encourages her colleagues to find their research passion. Her own path began when she saw the challenges of preceptor retention in her work. She also recommends finding a mentor early. Having guidance from someone experienced in PA education research has been incredibly valuable. And finally, keep your project focused and feasible. A well-designed study that answers an important question can have a real impact.
Previous Fellows
Click on each year to read more about the fellows and their research.
Amy Akerman, MPAS, PA-C
Akerman’s project, Assessing the Impact of Scope of Practice Legislation: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Clinical Impact, investigates whether the passage of the Colorado scope of practice (SOP) law has impacted the number of patients that PAs see, procedures they provide, or types of medications they now prescribe. The study will collect stories from many PAs who can share their experiences on how this legislation increased their SOP and provided the opportunity to improve their skills or offer additional services based on their existing skill set. It will focus on whether these kinds of SOP changes are improving access and identifying additional barriers. The outcomes of this study will help PAs, educators, and policymakers understand the importance of creating broad SOP policies and implementing them at the practice level. Akerman hopes to use this study as a catalyst to evaluate how different state SOP laws may impact PAs nationwide through surveys, interviews, or quantitative analysis of insurance data.
Megan Moseley, MMS, BSN, PA-C
Moseley’s project, Implementation of a Structured POCUS Curriculum for Critical Care APPs: Advancing Competency While Exploring Behavioral Barriers, aims to evaluate the educational effectiveness of a newly structured POCUS curriculum for APPs. The study also focuses on identifying individual and institutional barriers to adoption and assessing the potential for broader scalability across institutions. The goal is to pilot an interdepartmental curriculum based on national POCUS guidelines. Ultimately, the study seeks to generate a scalable, evidence-based framework that reduces variability, improves access, and strengthens the role of POCUS in advanced practice critical care.
Natasha Seliski, MPAS, PA-C
Seliski’s project, The association of substance use disorder clinical training experience with perceived substance use disorder education quality among recent PA graduates, examines the association of substance use disorder (SUD) clinical training experience with perceived SUD education quality among recent PA graduates. With the recent Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) requirements for eight hours of substance use disorders (SUD) education, the goal is to help identify effective SUD education strategies within PA programs that meet DEA requirements. By identifying and utilizing effective SUD training strategies in PA education, Seliski aims to facilitate the integration of SUD treatment within clinical practice among new graduate PAs, thereby expanding access to treatment.
Sarah Bolander, DMSc, PA-C
Katherine Thompson, MCHS, PA-C
Marcia Bouton, DMSc, MHPE, PA-C
Quincy Jones MSW, LCSW, MHS, PA-C
Hayden Middleton, DMSc, PA-C
Bethany Grubb, MPAS, MPH, PA-C
Chris Roman, DMS, PA-C
Alice Eggleston, MPH, PA-C
Yolonda Freeman-Hildreth, PhD, PA-C
Nick Hudak, PhD, MPA, MSEd, PA-C
Adrian Banning, DHSc, MMS, PA-C
Stephanie Neary, MPA, MMS, PA-C
Vanessa Bester, EdD, PA-C
Kari Bernard, PhD, MS, PA-C
Bettie Coplan, PhD, MPAS, PA-C
Morgan Luck, EdD, MS, PA-C
Ryan White, MS, MPH, PA-C
Alicia Quella, PhD, PA-C
Christina Hanson, PhD, MPAS, PA-C
