Anitha Saravanan, Ph.D., M.S., B.S., ADN

Title:	Associate Professor
Unit:	Nursing
Office Location:	Wellness/Literacy , Room 2129
Office Phone:	815-753-1231
Office Fax:	815-753-0814
Email:	asaravanan@niu.edu
Website:	STEHL Lab

Education

• Ph.D., Loyola University Chicago, Nursing Science
• M.S., Loyola University Chicago, Nursing (Nurse Practitioner)
• B.S., Madras University, Nutrition and Dietetics
• ADN., College of DuPage, Associates Degree in Nursing

Courses Taught

• NURS 431: Transition to Professional Nursing
• NURS 313: Medical Surgical Clinical
• NURS 306: Health Assessment
• NURS 425: Nursing Informatics
• NURS 312: Nursing Research and Evidence Based Practice

Certification

• Certified Advance Nurse Practitioner (ANP-BC)
• Qualified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Teacher, University of California, San Diego

Licensure

• State of Illinois, Registered Nurse License
• State of Illinois, Advanced Practice Nurse License

Academic Research Interests

• Create and test novel multidisciplinary, multi-level interventions using mindfulness-based interventions to address psycho-behavioral symptom clusters to address multimorbidity
• Using technology such as acti-watch, fit bits, robotics to study their applications for social/ emotional support to help older adults with multimorbidity.
• To investigate the underlying biological mechanisms such as pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8) that underlie the symptom cluster trajectory in older adults with chronic pain and comorbidities.

Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications

• Saravanan, A., Bajaj, P., Matthews, H. L., Tell, D., Starkweather, A., & Janusek, L. (2024). Fatigue and Depressive Mood in Chronic Low Back Pain. Pain management nursing : official journal of the American Society of Pain Management Nurses, S1524-9042(24)00012-2. Advance online publication.
• Souza-Talarico, J. N., Chesak, S., Elizalde, N., Liu, W., Moon, C., Oberfrank, N. D. C. F., Rauer, A. J., Takao, C. L., Shaw, C., Saravanan, A., Longhi Palacio, F. G., & Buck, H. (2024). Exploring the interplay of psychological and biological components of stress response and telomere length in the transition from middle age to late adulthood: A systematic review. Stress and health : journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress, e3389. Advance online publication.
• Saravanan, A., Shade, M., Liu, Y., Olayeni, B., Sanders, S., Johnson, R., and Starkweather, A. (2024).
• Saravanan, A., Bajaj, P., Mathews, H. L., Tell, D., Starkweather, A., and Janusek, L. (2021). Behavioral Symptom Clusters, Inflammation, and Quality of Life in Chronic Low Back Pain. Pain Management Nursing. 
• Saravanan, A., Bajaj, P., Mathews, H. L., Tell, D., Starkweather, A., and Janusek, L. (2021). Social Support Is Inversely Associated With Sleep Disturbance, Inflammation, and Pain Severity in Chronic Low Back Pain. Nursing Research, 70(6), 425–432.
• Saravanan, A., Reagan, L. (2021). A Biobehavioral Pain Hygiene Model: Narrative Review and Conceptualization. Topics in Pain Management.
• Saravanan, A. (2021). Sleep Risk Assessment and Clinical Management of Chronic Pain. Topics in Pain Management, 37(5), 1-7.
• Moxley, E., Saravanan, A., Habtzghi, D., Dixon, L., Miller, J., and Waller, M. (2021). Virtual Pedagogical Strategies and HESI Student Outcomes in Response to COVID-19. Nurse Education Today.
• Sowicz, T. J., Knisely, M. R., Booker, S. Q., Bai, J., Saravanan, A., and Marie, B. S. (2021). Pain Management Nurses’ Roles During the Covid-19 Pandemic. Pain Management Nursing.
• Bai, J., Booker, S. Q., Saravanan, A., and Sowicz, T. J. (2021). Grant Writing Doesn't Have to Be a Pain: Tips for Preparation, Writing and Dissemination. Pain Management Nursing, 22(5), 561-564.

Selected Peer-Reviewed Abstracts and Presentations

International

• Saravanan, A. (2021, October 25). Behavioral Symptom Clusters and Biomarkers in Chronic Low Back Pain. Ireland Pain Society. Ireland.
• Saravanan, A, Tell D, Mathews H, Bajaj P, & Janusek L.W (2021, July 24-26). Social Support is Inversely Associated with Sleep Disturbance, Inflammation, and Pain Severity in Chronic Low Back Pain. Sigma Theta Tau International Conference, Singapore.

National

• Saravanan, A., Liu, Y., Fabusiwa, O., Mooney, G., Singh, N., & Wilson, M. (2025, September). Multidisciplinary viewpoints on pain disparities: An exemplar of the ASPMN position statement with findings from the All of Us Research dataset . Paper presented at the American Society for Pain Management Nursing (ASPMN) Annual Conference.
• Saravanan, A. (2021, January 25). Symptom Clusters in Chronic Low Back Pain and Biomarkers. Where do we go from here? Pain Special Interest Group. University of Iowa, College of Nursing, Iowa, United States.
• Saravanan , A, Tell D, Mathews H, Bajaj P, & Janusek L.W (2021, Sep 24-25). Self -efficacy is inversely Associated with Pain Rumination and Pain Severity in Chronic Low Back Pain. American Society for Pain Management Nursing Conference, San Antonio, United States
  
• Saravanan, A, Tell D, Mathews H, Bajaj P, & Janusek L.W (2020, September 18-21). Association of Sleep Disturbance with Pain in Chronic Low Back Pain Using Subjective and Objective Sleep Indicators. American Society for Pain Management Nursing Conference, Iowa, United States.
• Sowicz T, Booker S, Saravanan A, Bai J, (2020, September 18-21). Grant writing Does Not Need to be a PainAmerican Society for Pain Management Nursing Conference, Iowa, United States.

Regional

• Saravanan, A, Tell D, Mathews H, Bajaj P, & Janusek L.W (2021, March 24-26). Differences Among White and Racial Ethnic Minorities in Pain, Inflammation, and Sleep in Chronic Low Back Pain with Pain in Chronic Low Back Pain. Midwest Nursing Research Society Conference, Iowa, United States