Ian A. Lane, RN, a pediatric intensive care nurse at Connecticut Children’s Hospital and PhD nursing student in the Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing at UMass Chan Medical School, comes from a long line of nurses.
“My grandmother was a nurse and nurse researcher, my grandfather was a nurse, my aunt is a clinical nurse specialist, my cousin is a nurse practitioner, my sister is a nurse and my husband is a nurse. The philosophy of nursing permeates our home,” Lane said.
Lane grew up in Sterling, Connecticut. After earning his degree in psychology and neuroscience from Becker College, he worked for five years as a data analyst in the Department of Psychiatry at UMass Chan. He credits his husband Kody Mooney, a fellow pediatric nurse, as the person who inspired him to further his nursing education.
“The level of investment that my husband had in his patients inspired me. He’d come home and have magnificent days with really great stories, great people and great patients,” Lane said.
Lane cares for critically ill children who need technological support to survive serious illness.
“Being a nurse affords me the most intimate insight into another person’s life; it’s what allows me to advocate so strongly for their needs,” he said.
His research focuses on migraine self-management for sexual and gender minority emerging adults—individuals aged 16-25 years whose sexual or gender identity is nonheteronormative.
“I realized that epidemiological studies on migraine never asked people about their sexual orientation or gender identity beyond biological sex. I saw a consistent lack in literature and a gap that needed filling.”
Lane hosts a podcast on clinical research methodology and nursing science called Clinical Appraisal, which has been downloaded by thousands of listeners across 42 countries.
“I really like bringing nursing into the public eye because we’re hidden a lot of the time.”
Lane aspires to pursue postdoctoral training fellowship and to conduct research as an independent nurse scientist. He is part of several trainee groups for researchers on campus, including the "Grant-Gurus" in the Department of Psychiatry, and the K- and R-clubs, which focus on building skills for writing research project grants.
The Student Spotlight series features UMass Chan Medical School students in the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing and T.H. Chan School of Medicine. For more information about UMass Chan Medical School and how to apply, visit the Prospective Students page.
