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Darina Petrovsky

Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing
School of Nursing

Overview


Dr. Darina Petrovsky is an Assistant Professor at Duke University School of Nursing. Prior to joining Duke in Winter 2024, she was an Assistant Professor on the tenure track at Rutgers University School of Nursing and Core Faculty at Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research. Before joining Rutgers University Dr. Petrovsky was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing funded by the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Fellowship (F32 AG060630). She received her PhD in Nursing from the University of Pennsylvania in 2017. Prior to her doctoral work, she received a Masters in Nursing from Case Western Reserve University (2011) and a Bachelors of Musical Arts from the University of Michigan (2009). Her unique background in music training and nursing science has positioned her well to launch her research career with the goal of improving the lives of older adults living with cognitive impairment using non-pharmacologic approaches. Her additional research interests include ways to achieve health equity among older adults living with cognitive impairment and their caregivers as well as how music can be used to prevent cognitive decline. She was a Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Pre-Doctoral Fellow (F31 AG055148) and her past accomplishments include being selected as a 2014-2016 National Hartford Centers of Gerontological Nursing Excellence Patricia G. Archbold Scholar and 2014-2016 Jonas Nurse Leader Scholar.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing · 2024 - Present School of Nursing

In the News


Published March 4, 2025
Help for Dementia: A Customizable Music App

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Recent Publications


Experiences and perceptions of sexism in dementia research careers: A global cross-sectional survey.

Journal Article Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · April 2025 IntroductionSexism is prevalent in academia and is a crucial factor driving women out of the academic workforce. However, sexism in dementia research remains underexplored. This study aimed to understand the perceptions and experiences of early-ca ... Full text Cite

Longitudinal association between creative arts participation with cognitive function in late life.

Journal Article International psychogeriatrics · February 2025 ObjectivesExamine relationships between arts participation in high school and later life, cognition, and cognitive change among older adults in the United States.DesignLongitudinal retrospective SETTING: Health and Retirement Survey (HRS) ... Full text Cite

Exploring social determinants of healthcare and cognition levels among diverse older adults.

Journal Article Geriatric nursing (New York, N.Y.) · January 2025 BackgroundThe purpose was to investigate the impact of social determinants of health on healthcare utilization among older adults in two cognition groups: normal and dementia/impaired cognition.MethodsWe used cross-sectional data from the ... Full text Cite
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Recent Grants


Music-based Intervention for Insomnia in Persons Living with Dementia and their Caregivers

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2024 - 2026

Investigating the Mechanism of a Music-based Intervention for Sleep

Clinical TrialPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Alzheimer's Association · 2024 - 2026

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Education, Training & Certifications


University of Pennsylvania · 2017 Ph.D.