Sangita Pudasainee-Kapri

Dr. Pudasainee-Kapri is an Assistant Professor of Nursing at Rutgers University–Camden, with interdisciplinary expertise that bridges child development, public health, and nursing. She holds advanced certifications in global health and pediatric nursing, and is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner. Dr. Pudasainee-Kapri brings a strong foundation in quantitative research methods, with particular expertise in analyzing large nationally representative datasets focused on children and families. 

As an interdisciplinary health scientist, Dr. Pudasaine-Kapri's research focuses on maternal and child health disparities and chronic illness management research among low-income and racially/ethnically minoritized families. She employs both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, including advanced statistical modeling to investigate complex health challenges affecting vulnerable populations.

Building on her dissertation, the primary aim of Dr. Pudasainee-Kapri’s research is to examine the influence of social determinants of health and clinical factors on perinatal mental health and developmental outcomes among at-risk children—particularly those born preterm or with low birth weight—across global contexts. These studies seek to deepen understanding of the factors that shape perinatal mental health and infant outcomes, ultimately providing a foundation for targeted, evidence-based, and culturally tailored interventions. Her long-term goal is to reduce disparities in perinatal mental health and promote healthy child development, with implications for public health policy, clinical practice, and community-based programs. 

A second stream of Dr. Pudasainee-Kapri’s research builds on her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement project, which focused on implementing evidence-based asthma management guidelines in pediatric primary care. She has since expanded this work to examine asthma health disparities and self-management behaviors among low-income and minority children and adolescents—an area informed by over a decade of pediatric clinical experience and driven by her deep commitment to improving outcomes for underserved pediatric populations. Through her work with diverse children with asthma and their families, Dr. Pudasainee-Kapri has observed persistent unmet social needs and systemic barriers to care, including poor housing conditions, food insecurity, limited access to education, exposure to violence, and environmental factors—all of which significantly impact asthma control and overall health outcomes.

The common thread of her two research streams is improving maternal and child health both locally and globally. She is actively engaged in global health research and policy, aiming to inform equitable and culturally responsive health interventions across diverse populations. Her work has been published in high-impact nursing and interdisciplinary journals such as Nursing Outlook, Journal of School Health, Journal of Pediatric Nursing, Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, BMC Infectious Diseases, PLOS Global Health, and Infant Behavior and Development.

Dr. Pudasainee-Kapri has taught a range of courses across both undergraduate and graduate nursing programs at Rutgers University. In addition to her academic responsibilities and impactful service at Rutgers, she has made significant contributions at the regional, national, and international levels. Nationally, she served as President of the Nepalese American Nurses Association (NANA) from 2022 to 2024 and currently serves as an advisor to the organization. Internationally, she contributes as a volunteer Nurse Educator in Nepal through Health Volunteers Overseas, supporting global capacity building in nursing education, advancing the professional development of clinical nurses, and enhancing patient care and overall health outcomes. 

Internationally, she serves as Project Director for Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO) at Devdaha Medical College in Butwal, Nepal since 2025, where she has led HVO initiatives —overseeing volunteer recruitment, guiding project implementation, strengthening nursing education, supporting the professional development of clinical nurses and nurse leaders, and enhancing quality patient care. Prior to this role, she served as an HVO volunteer Nurse Educator from 2024 to 2025 at the same institution.

In recognition of her impactful community-engaged scholarship, exemplary teaching, and international leadership and service, Dr. Pudasainee-Kapri has received numerous prestigious honors, awards, and competitive fellowships at both national and international levels, along with multiple media mentions. Notable recognitions include: Early Career Faculty Fellow, Institute for the Study of Global Racial Justice (2024–2025); New Jersey Institute for Nursing CARES Award Nominee (Research Category, 2025); NANA Exemplary Leadership Award (2025); Chancellor’s Award for Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement (2024); Nurse Faculty Rising Star Award (2023); NIH/NIMHD Health Disparities Research Institute Scholar (2022); Strategic Poster Award for Interdisciplinary Research in Child Development (2022); and National Minority Quality Forum’s 40 Under 40 Leaders in Minority Health Award (2021), among others.

Publications:

• Pudasainee-Kapri, S. (2025). Prevalence of low birth weight and its developmental vulnerability among
  infants in Nepal: A critical review of the literature and future recommendations. Journal of Nepal
  Medical Association, 63(287), 541-549. https://doi.org/10.31729/jnma.9112

• Pudasainee-Kapri, S., Li, Y., Kapri, K. P., Fu, M. R., Wiest, D., Kandel, P., & Hussain, M. J. (2025).
  Emergency department visits among children with asthma: Racial/ethnic disparities before and
  during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nursing outlook, 73(3), 102394. Advance online publication.
  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2025.102394

• Pudasainee-Kapri, S., Shrestha, T., Wunnenberg, M., Kapri, K., Chapagai, M., & Chapagain, R. (2025).
  The association between low birthweight and postpartum depression: A cross-sectional multisite
  study among women within six months of postpartum. Journal of Nursing Practice Applications
  and Reviews of Research, 15 (1), 12-21. https://doi.org/10.13178/jnparr.2025.1501.1504

• Pudasainee-Kapri, S., Zhang Y., & Razza, R. (2025). Early bedtime routines and behavioral outcomes
  among children from low-income families: Mediating role of emotion regulation. Infant Behavior
  and Development, 78, (102027), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infbeh.2025.102027

• Pudasainee-Kapri, S., Shrestha, T., Dahan, T., & Wunnenberg, M. (2024). Translation, validation, and factor structure of the Nepali version of postpartum bonding questionnaires (PBQ-N) among postpartum women in Nepal. PLOS Global Public Health, 4(7), e0003469-. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0003469

• Pudasainee-Kapri, S., Pontes, N. M. H., & Pontes, M. C. F. (2023). Sex Differences in the Relationship Between Asthma and Bullying Victimization Among High School Students in the United States. The Journal of School Health 93(11), 982–989. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.13353

• Pudasainee-Kapri, S. (2022). Moderate low birth weight and socioemotional competence among children: The role of parenting factors in early childhood. Journal of Pediatric Nursing: Nursing Care of Children and Families, 64, 74-83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2021.12.025. PMID: 35240492

Media Appearances/Speaking Engagements:

• September 2025: Podium presentation on Maternal Mental Health, Bonding, and Infant Development: Evidence and Insights from Multiple Studies in Nepal in Health Foundation Nepal Conference, NY

• July 2025: Symposium on Global health nursing and social determinants: Impacts on maternal mental health & child development in Sigma’s 36th International Nursing Research Congress, Seattle, Washington.

• July 2025: Podium Presentation on Disparities in Postpartum Depression by Social Factors: Evidence of PRAMS and birth certificate data in Sigma’s 36th International Nursing Research Congress, Seattle, Washington.

• June 2025: Panel presentation "Diverse Opportunities in Global Nursing Research Eastern Nursing Research Society (ENRS) and Global Health Research Interest Group.

• July 2024: Research Paper presented on Asthma Health Disparities and Asthma Control at Sigma International Nursing Research Conference in Singapore

• April 2024: Conference speaker on Clinical and social factors contributing to postpartum mental health among women at the Tenth Annual Summit of Health and Population Scientists in Nepal organized by Nepal Health Research Council.

• June 2023: Speaking about “Overview of the Nurse Practitioners Program and its Feasibility in Nepal” during virtual webinar organized by US-Nepal Policy Research Center

Previous Organizations: 

• Jefferson Washington Township Hospital, Turnersville, NJ

• Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper, Camden, NJ

• Syracuse University, NY

• Health Volunteers Overseas

Accomplishments:

• 2025 Early Career and Racial Equity Program Cohort, Faculty Diversity Collaborative, Rutgers University

• 2025 National Institutes of Health (NIH) Engagement and Access for Research-Active Institutions
  (EARA) Pilot Program Cohort, NIH.

• 2025 Exemplary Leadership Award, Nepalese American Nurses Association

• 2024-2025 Early Career Faculty Fellow, Institute for the Study of Global Racial Justice

• 2024 Chancellor's Award for Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement, Rutgers University–Camden

• 2024 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Faculty Award, Rutgers School of Nursing-Camden

• 2022 Health Disparities Research Institute (HDRI) Scholar, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)

Upcoming Projects:

• Social and Clinical Determinants of Disparities in Perinatal Mental Health and Infant Outcomes at Birth and Within Six Months Postpartum In New Jersey

• Impact of Social Factors and Birth Weight on Mental Health, Self-Efficacy, and Parent-Infant Bonding among Postpartum Mothers in Nepal

• Factors Influencing Asthma Self-Management and Disparities in Asthma Control among Adolescents from Low-Income Minority Families

My research and teaching are deeply rooted in social and racial justice. In the classroom, I use inclusive language and create a space where students can practice empathy and cultural humility. My research focuses on the impacts of social determinanants of health,  environmental factors, and racial inequities in perinatal mental health, pediatric asthma, and child development. I use socioecological, environmental, and health equity frameworks to guide my work