Biography
Katie T. Kivlighan, PhD, RN, CNM is an assistant professor and certified nurse midwife at The University of New Mexico (UNM) College of Nursing. Her research interests focus on developing accessible, non-invasive screening tools and targeted treatments to address suboptimal lactation outcomes. Kivlighan’s doctoral and postdoctoral work focused on salivary biomarkers of 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 with the University Midwifery Associates in the UNM Department of OB/GYN, working with both rural and underserved populations. She teaches antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum care in the Masters of Science in Nursing (MSN) Nurse-Midwifery Concentration. She is also a co-coordinator of the UNM Hospital Volunteer Birth Companion Program, a birth-justice focused 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 of Arts in Biology from the College of the Holy Cross.
Areas of Specialty
Biobehavioral Health | Health Research | Maternal and Child Health | Midwifery/ OBGYN | 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
ACNM 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
Gender
Female
Languages
- English
- Spanish
Courses Taught
N550 Intrapartum Care (Summer 2023 - Course Lead)
N544 Antepartum Postpartum Care (Spring 2023 - Course Lead)
N597 Applied Examination (Spring 2023 - Course Lead)
N550 Intrapartum Care (Summer 2022 - Course Lead)
N552 Intrapartum Care (Fall 2022 Course Lead)