ERICA LIEBERMANN, an assistant professor at the University of Rhode Island College of Nursing, has received the 2026 Rising Star Research Award from the Eastern Nursing Research Society. Over the past five years, she has established a program of research focused on HPV vaccination, as well as breast and cervical cancer prevention and early detection.
The goal of the program is to improve cervical cancer health understanding and care, increase access to screening and follow-up, reduce cervical cancer disparities and advance progress toward cervical cancer elimination in Rhode Island, with solutions that can be emulated globally.
What does this award mean to you, and how does it reflect the journey you’ve taken at URI? Being named the ENRS Rising Star is deeply meaningful. It recognizes my work in global women’s health and cancer prevention and highlights the critical role nurses play in advancing cancer health equity through research and leadership.
My time at URI has been foundational. Since joining the College of Nursing, I have built interdisciplinary collaborations and partnerships with community organizations and clinical practices in Rhode Island. Along with global partnerships in India and the Dominican Republic, this work supports research at local, national and global levels and reflects URI’s commitment to collaborative, equity-driven nursing research.
What challenges have you encountered advancing nurse-led, women-centered care models, and how have those challenges influenced your approach as a researcher? As a clinician and as a health services researcher, I have worked in settings where inequities in health care are visible and the need to fill those gaps has always been very clear. Women’s health research has historically been underfunded and undervalued, and nurses’ contributions to cancer research, prevention and care have been overlooked.
These challenges have helped shape my research approach. They have driven me to work alongside clinicians and communities to co-design solutions for real-world settings.
How has working with patients and communities in Rhode Island shaped the way you design and conduct your research? Working in Rhode Island has reinforced my belief that strong relationships are the foundation of impactful research. I have been fortunate to collaborate with generous community partners, clinicians and colleagues who are deeply invested in equity-focused work. My approach is always relational and collaborative: starting by asking partners what their needs and priorities are, and what matters most to the patients they serve.
What advice would you give to early-career nurses or researchers who want to pursue impactful equity-focused research? Early-career researchers often hear that they need to protect their time, and that advice is important. Focus and strategic planning are essential. But I would also encourage people to stay open to possibility; protect your time, but not so rigidly that you become isolated. Build teams and seek out collaborators who energize you; those relationships will sustain you over time.
