New faculty spotlight: Brandon Varilek, PhD

Brandon Varilek, PhD, is a new faculty member at UNMC.

• Name: Brandon Varilek, PhD
• Title and department at UNMC: Assistant professor, UNMC College of Nursing
• Hometown: Clark, South Dakota

Education:

• Bachelor of arts in nursing, Augustana University
• PhD in nursing, South Dakota State University

Professional and medical interests: As a nurse-scientist, I am interested in three main areas of research:

• Social determinants of health
• Health equity
• Palliative and end-of-life care

I aim to positively impact people who are living in medically underserved and rural communities.

How I fell in love with my specialty: I have been working with my research mentor, Mary Isaacson, PhD, since 2011. During this time, she fostered a passion for working directly with communities that experience health disparities. This has led to my work with American Indian communities and end-stage kidney disease and cancer.

Memberships:

• Hospice and Palliative Nursing Association
• HPNA Research Committee Member, 2022-25
• Sigma Theta Tau International
• American Nurses Association/South Dakota Nurses Association
• National Kidney Foundation
• Rural Nurse Organization
• Western Institute of Nursing
• Midwest Nursing Research Society

 Things people may not know about me:

• I am a musician. I sing with the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra Chorus and am a recurring guest artist for Transept, a vocal ensemble comprising elite professional singers and select local musicians based in Sioux Falls.
• I am an avid golfer.
• I enjoy working in my wood shop.