Biography
Katie T. Kivlighan, PhD, RN, CNM, FACNM is an assistant professor and certified nurse midwife at The University of New Mexico (UNM) College of Nursing. Her translational research program focuses on evaluating human milk biomarkers of secretory activation and mammary epithelium permeability, as well as clinical, physiological and behavioral influences on lactation. She is actively involved in perinatal workforce development efforts in New Mexico and has ongoing collaborations with community-based perinatal organizations on these issues.
Since 2014, Dr. Kivlighan has practiced as a certified nurse midwife working with both rural and underserved populations. She teaches in the Nurse-Midwifery and PhD programs at the UNM College of Nursing. She has been a Co-Director of the UNM Birth Companion Program since 2018, a program that aims to provide respectful, compassionate, and non-judgmental care to birthing people who may not otherwise be able to access continuous birth support. In this role and in collaboration with Perinatal Community Voices, she co-directs the New Mexico Advanced Doula Traineeship, a doula workforce development program that provides mentorship, skill development for workforce sustainability, and access to doula support for vulnerable families.
Dr. Kivlighan earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Biobehavioral Health from The Pennsylvania State University and completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She earned a Post-Master's Certificate in Nurse-Midwifery from UNM, a Master's of Science in the Clinical Nurse Leader Program at the University of Maryland Baltimore, and a Bachelor's Arts in Biology from the College of the Holy Cross.
Areas of Specialty
Biobehavioral Health | Health Research | Maternal and Child Health | Midwifery | Women's Health
Education
Post-Master's Certificate, The University of New Mexico, 2014 (Nurse-Midwifery)
MS, University of Maryland-Baltimore School of Nursing, 2010 (Clinical Nurse Leader)
PhD, Pennsylvania State University College of Health and Human Development, 2006 (Biobehavioral Health)
BA, College of the Holy Cross, 2001 (Biology)
Certifications
RN: Registered Nurse
CNM: Certified Nurse-Midwife
Achievements & Awards
Terry and Alyce J. Richardson Professor of Nursing
Fellow, American College of Nurse Midwives, Washington, DC
New Mexico Nursing Excellence Award in Education / Research / Academia
American College of Nurse Midwives Excellence in Teaching Award
Rosenblum-Weiss Endowment for Women's and Children's Health
UNM College of Nursing Graduate Academic Achievement Award
Sigma Theta Tau International Honors Society Member
Key Publications
Journal Article
Kivlighan, Katie T. Weinstein, Sarah R. Edwardson, Nicholas Burtner, Michele Fisher, Maria R Henning, Amelia Hoffman, Hayley Swisher Rosa, Emily Morelli-Walsh, Melissa Implementation of comprehensive dyadic perinatal care during the postnatal year Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.70158
Journal Article
Kivlighan, Katie T. Long, Jessica T Martinez, Rebekah T Cardenas, Sandra T Ryan, Esther T Feasibility of using point-of-care biomarkers of secretory activation to address early, unplanned weaning among healthy, term dyads in community settings: A pilot study Special Issue: Early, Unplanned Cessation of Lactation in Healthy and At-Risk Dyads: Priorities for Research and Practice Breastfeeding Medicine https://doi.org/10.1089/bfm.2024.0374
Journal Article
Kivlighan, Katie T. Schneider, Sallie S. Browne, Eva P. Pentecost, Brian T. Anderton, Douglas L. Arcaro, Kathleen F. Mammary epithelium permeability during established lactation: associations with cytokine levels in human milk Frontiers in Nutrition https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2024.1258905
Languages
- English
- Spanish
Courses Taught
N757 Midwifery Care of the Newborn (Fall 2026 - Course Lead)
N756 Fundamentals of Newborn Care (Summer 2026 - Course Lead)
N471 Breastfeeding (Summer 2026 - Course Lead)
N552 Evidence-Based Care in Nurse-Midwifery (Fall 2024 Course Lead)
N550 Intrapartum Care (Summer 2024 - Course Lead)
N544 Antepartum Postpartum Care (Spring 2024 - Course Lead)