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 has also studied stress during pregnancy and early childhood and the implications for fetus, infant, and the mother-child relationship.
Since 2014, 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 is also a Co-Director of the UNM Birth Companion Program, 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.
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
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. Schneider, Sallie, S. Browne, Eva, P.L Pentecost, Brian, T. Anderton, Douglas, L. Arcaro, Kathleen, F. 2024 Mammary epithelium permeability during established lactation: associations with cytokine levels in human milk Frontiers in Nutrition, vol. 11 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1258905/full
Journal Article
Kivlighan, Katie, T. Murray-Krezan, C, Schwartz, T, Shuster, G, Cox, Kim, 2020 Improved breastfeeding duration with Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative implementation in a diverse and underserved population. Birth (Berkeley, Calif.), vol. 47, Issue 1, 135-143 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/birt.12468
Journal Article
Kivlighan, Katie, T. Gardner, Tamara, Murphy, Carrie, Reiss, Paula, Griffin, Carrie, Migliaccio, Laura, 2022 Grounded in community: Development of an innovative, birth-justice focused volunteer birth companion program Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health, vol. 67, Issue 6, 740-745 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jmwh.13407
Gender
Female
Languages
- English
- Spanish
Courses Taught
N597 Applied Examination (Spring 2023 - Course Lead)
N544 Antepartum Postpartum Care (Spring 2024 - Course Lead)
N550 Intrapartum Care (Summer 2024 - Course Lead)
N552 Evidence-Based Care in Nurse-Midwifery (Fall 2024 Course Lead)