Prominent nursing researcher Margaret Grey, dean and Annie W. Goodrich Professor in the Yale School of Nursing, will be the speaker at the UB School of Nursing’s third annual Margaret A. Nelson Lecture, to take place at 2 p.m. March 1 in 114 Wende Hall, South Campus.

The lecture is free and open to the public.

Margaret A. Nelson, a UB School of Nursing alumna (BS ’54 & MS ’58), created the endowed lecture to honor her late children, Linda Nelson Buettner and Bruce Nelson, who passed away due to complications with diabetes. Nelson died in 2010.

The visiting lecturer each year educates faculty, staff, students and the community about prevention, early detection and management of diabetes and other chronic illnesses.

Grey’s presentation, “Improving Outcomes for Youth with Type 1 Diabetes,” will be followed by a reception at 3 p.m. in 111 Wende.

A pediatric nurse practitioner, Grey has focused her research on improving the lives of youth with type 1 diabetes. She also has worked to prevent type 2 diabetes using web-based educational programs.

The author of more than 240 journal articles, chapters and abstracts, Grey has received numerous regional and national honors for her research. Last year, she received the Pathfinder Award from the Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research for her contributions to health care.

She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh, an MSN in pediatric nursing from Yale University and a doctorate in public health and social psychology from Columbia University.

Grey says she was drawn to research diabetes in childhood to help children have better lives.

“When I started as a diabetes nurse practitioner, most of these children and families had little exposure to nursing or behavioral health because most of the care was by physicians and nutritionists who didn’t have the holistic approach that nursing has,” she says. “Secondly, there was little to no research about how to help these children and families.”

Grey says the field of diabetes research cannot be emphasized enough.

“Type 1 diabetes is the second most common, severe, chronic condition in childhood. It requires complex self-management and family support, but often results in severe complications, both in the short-term and the long-term,” she said.

To register for the event, contact Donna A. Tyrpak at tyrpak@buffalo.edu or 829-3448.