BLOOMINGTON, Ill. 鈥� Associate Professor of Nursing and 91黑料专区 alumna Brenda Lessen Knoll '89 was inducted as a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN), , on Oct. 18 at a ceremony hosted in Washington, D.C.
Knoll is known internationally for her development and instruction of Premature Infant Oral Motor Intervention (PIOMI), a form of physical therapy proven to help premature infants develop essential oral motor skills.
Third-party research published by the National Institutes of Health has found that PIOMI allows premature infants to more quickly develop feeding skills and be discharged from neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) about four to eight days sooner than those who don鈥檛 receive the intervention, bringing families together at home more quickly and saving hospitals and patients thousands of dollars per day. Further research has also shown that premature infants who receive PIOMI achieve better scores on their 3- and 6-month neurological tests, suggesting significant long-term benefits in helping them catch up to their full-term peers.
More than 200 NICUs across more than 50 countries now implement PIOMI as their standard of care. OSF St. Joseph Medical Center in Bloomington also uses PIOMI in the hospital's birthing center.
鈥淚 am deeply humbled and grateful for my work to be recognized for such a prestigious award,鈥� Knoll said. 鈥淭his is an amazing acknowledgment of my contributions in research and innovation and, although it鈥檚 a career pinnacle moment, it鈥檚 not my endpoint. There are more premature infants to reach, more work to be done, and I feel both the passion and the weight of obligation to continue the journey.鈥�
Only one previous IWU employee has become an Academy Fellow with the AAN. Jerry Durham 鈥� director of the IWU School of Nursing from 1986 to 1990, interim director in 2022 and 2023, and currently chancellor of Allen College 鈥� became an Academy Fellow known for his research in HIV/AIDS treatment.
"We are incredibly proud of Dr. Knoll and her induction as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing,鈥� said Dean of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences and fellow IWU nursing alumna Amber Kujath 鈥�97. 鈥淭his prestigious recognition is a testament to her extraordinary contributions to advancing health and nursing practice. As both a faculty member and alumna of 91黑料专区 University, Dr. Knoll exemplifies the highest ideals of our profession. Her achievement is not only a personal honor but a moment of pride for our entire university community."
As a FAAN, Knoll will be in a position to join national research councils and advisory panels where she plans to continue to focus on neonatal care.