Shirley B. Powers Endowed Chair in Nursing Research

School of Nursing

Robert V. Topp, Ph.D., R.N. is a Professor in the School of Nursing and, prior to his appointment to the endowed chair, he served as Associate Dean for Research.

His research is funded by the National Center of Nursing Research, Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, the Health Resources and Services Administration and Norton Health Care.

Topp’s research focuses on the effects of exercise in older adults, childhood obesity and ‘prehabilitation’ – having patients who need surgery exercise to gain muscle and strength that helps them make a faster recovery. His research is funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Topp has served as a reviewer for a number of scientific and nursing journals and on a number of review panels and advisory committees for the National Institutes of Health and other professional organizations. He has published more than 70 papers in peer-reviewed journals such as American Journal of Geriatric Cardiology and Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Topp earned his B.S. in Nursing at the University of Toledo, his M.S. at the University of Cincinnati and his Ph.D. at the Ohio State University. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in geriatric medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He has been a member of the U of L faculty since 2002 and has helped bring more than $1.6 million in research support to the School of Nursing.