"We know that cognitive deficits, particularly memory loss, are common in adolescents with congenital heart disease (CHD). A generation ago, most of these children died shortly after birth. Now that they’re surviving, they face the challenge of having to take responsibility for their own health as they transition out of their parents’ care and into adulthood." 

Dr. Nancy Pike is researching biobehavioral and health outcomes in infants, children, and adolescents with congenital heart disease (CHD). In an NIH-funded study, Dr. Pike is studying the impact of cognitive impairment of self-care skills among adolescents born with CHD. The study is the first of its kind to examine the relationship between a clinical symptom — memory loss — and brain structure in teenagers with CHD. MRI techniques are used to compare parts of the brain that control memory, such as the hippocampus and the mammillary bodies, in groups of adolescents with and without CHD. The study has the potential to dramatically impact clinical practice, as information gleaned can guide clinicians toward improved patient education/self-care strategies, and test innovative interventions to improve memory in in adolescents with single ventricle congenital heart disease after surgical correction.

Areas of Scholarly Expertise and Interest

Adolescent congenital heart disease, CHD, neurodevelopment, cognitive outcomes, NIH, memory loss

Faculty Research and Clinical Expertise

Research: Biobehavioral and health outcomes in infants, children, and adolescents with congenital heart disease (CHD) and their families. This includes quality of life, health status, self-esteem, anxiety, depression, body-image, clinical symptoms, feeding/growth, neurodevelopment and cognitive outcomes, acquired medical conditions with aging and self-care with transitioning to adulthood. I serve as Principal Investigator (PI) on an NIH-funded R01 grant to look at the biological interface between the clinical symptom of cognition/memory loss and brain structural injury (MRI) in adolescents with single ventricle heart disease after surgical palliation

Clinical: Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Congenital Heart Disease, Cardiothoracic Surgery

Professional Activities

2009-2012Vice Chair, American Heart Association Subcommittee on Pediatric Cardiovascular Nursing

2012-PresentChair, American Heart Association Subcommittee on Pediatric Cardiovascular Nursing

Education

Penn State University, BSN, 1985, Nursing

University of California, Los Angeles, MN, 1993, Nursing — Cardiopulmonary Specialty

University of California, San Francisco, Postmasters, 1997, Family Nurse Practitioner Certification

University of California, Los Angeles, PhD, 2007, Nursing

Duke University, Postmasters, 2009, Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Certification

Honors and Awards

2020American Heart Association CVSN Excellence in Clinical Practice Award

2005American Heart Association — Fellow in the Counsel of Cardiovascular Nursing 

2007Shirley Novel Nursing Alumni Award, Penn State University, School of Nursing 

2012UCLA Faculty Career Development Award 2013 National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) — Los Angeles Chapter Nurse Practitioner of the Year Award

2013Society of Pediatric Nursing — Excellence in Nursing Research Award

2013Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN) 

2013Top 19 Medical and Nursing Professors in California by statestats.org

2014National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners — Lisa Milonovich Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Scholar Award 

2014Nursing Faculty Speaker — UCLA School of Nursing Pinning Ceremony 

2014Harris Visiting Professor, University of Illinois at Chicago

Publications

Pike NA, Evangelista LS, Doering LV, Eastwood JA, Lewis AB, Child J. (2012). Quality of Life, Health Status, and Depression in Adolescent and Adults after the Fontan procedure compared to Healthy Counterparts. J Cardiovasc Nurs 2012; 27(6): 539-546.

Pike NA, Pemberton VL, Allen K, Hsu DT, Jacobs JP, Lewis AB, Ghanayem N, Lambert L, Ravishankar C, Crawford K, Korsin R, Atz T, Xu M, Cnota J, Pearson GD (2013). Recruitment Challenges and Successes in the Infant Single Ventricle Trial of the Pediatric Heart Network. Cardiology in the Young, 2013; 23(2): 248-257.

Lambert LM, Pike NA, Medoff-Cooper B, Zak V, Pemberton VL, Young-Borkowski L, Clabby ML, Nelson KN, Ohye RG, Trainor B, Uzark K, Rudd N, Bannister L, Korsin R, Cooper D, Pizarro C, Zyblewski SC, Bartle BH, Williams RV. Variations in Feeding Practices following the Norwood Procedure: A report from the Pediatric Heart Network Single Ventricle Reconstruction Trial. Journal of Pediatrics 2013, 164 (2): 23242.

Burch PT, Gerstenberger E, Ravishankar C, Hehir DA, Davies RR, Colan SD, Sleeper LA, Newberger JW, Clabby ML, Williams IA, Li JS, Uzark K, Cooper DS, Lambert LM, Pemberton VL, Pike NA, Anderson JB, Dunbar-Masterson C, Khaikin S, Zyblewski SC, Minich LL (2013). Longitudinal Assessment of Growth in Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome: Results from the Single Ventricle Reconstruction Trial. Journal American Heart Association 2014; 3(3): 1-11.

Pike NA, Evangelista LS, Doering LV, Eastwood JA, Lewis AB, Child JS. (2012). Sex and Age Differences in Body-Image, Self-Esteem, and Body Mass Index in Adolescents and Adults After Single-Ventricle Palliation. Pediatric Cardiology, 33, 705-12.

Tweddell JS, Sleeper LA, Ohye RG, Williams IA, Mahony L, Pizarro C, Pemberton VL, Frommelt PC, Bradley SM, Cnota JF, Hirsch J, Kirshbom PM, Li JS, Pike N, Puchalski M, Ravishankar C, Jacobs JP, Laussen PC, McCrindle BW; Pediatric Heart Network Investigators. (2012). Intermediate-term mortality and cardiac transplantation in infants with single-ventricle lesions: Risk factors and their interaction with shunt type. Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, 144, 152-159. e2.

JW, Sleeper LA, Bellinger DC, Goldberg CS, Tabbutt S, Lu M, Mussatto KA, Williams IA, Gustafson KE, Mital S, Pike N, Sood E, Mahle WT, Cooper DS, Dunbar-Masterson C, Krawczeski CD, Lewis A, Menon SC, Pemberton VL, Ravishankar C, Atz TW, Ohye RG, Gaynor JW. (2012). Early Developmental Outcome in Children With Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and Related Anomalies: The Single Ventricle Reconstruction Trial. Circulation, 125, 2081-2091.

Virzi L, Pemberton V, Ohye RG, Tabbutt S, Lu M, Atz TC, Barnard T, Dunbar-Masterson C, Ghanayem NS, Jacobs JP, Lambert LM, Lewis A, Pike N, Pizarro C, Radojewski E, Teitel D, Xu M, Pearson GD. (2011). Reporting adverse events in a surgical trial for complex congenital heart disease: the Pediatric Heart Network experience. Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, 142, 531-7.

Okuhara CA, Faire PM, Pike NA (2011).  Acute Care Nurse Practitioner: A Vital Role in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery.  J Pediatr Nurs; (accepted for publication).

Pike NA, Evangelista LS, Doering LV, Koniak-Griffin D, Lewis AB, Child J (2011). Clinical Profile of the Adolescent / Adult Fontan Survivor.  Congenital Heart Disease (accepted for publication).

Pike NA, Klee LA, Zemetra BA (2010): Mechanical Support of Cardiopulmonary Function: Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, Ventricular Assist Devices, and Intraaortic Balloon Pump (Chapter 17). In: Hazinski, MF (Ed), Nursing Care of the Critically Ill Child, 3rd edition.

Ohye RG, Sleeper LA, Mahoney L, Newburger JW, Pearson GD, Lu M, Goldberg CS, Tabbutt S, Frommelt PC, Ghanayem NS, Laussen PC, Rhodes JF, Lewis AB, Pike N, et al. Comparison of Shunt Types in the Norwood Procedure of Single Ventricle Lesions. N Engl J Med 2010; 362:1980-1992.

Evangelista LS, Moser DK, Westlake C, Pike NA, Ter-Galstanyan A, Dracup K. Correlates of Fatigue in Heart Failure Patients. Prog Cardiovasc Nurs. 2008 Winter; 23(1):12-7.

Evangelista LS, Pike NA (2007). Promoting Adherence (Chapter 84) In: Moser D & Riegel B (Eds), Cardiac Nursing: A Companion to Braunwald's Heart Disease, New York: Elsevier.

Pike NA, Reemsten BL, Starnes VA. Stage I palliation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome: Norwood vs. Sano modification. Current Opinion in Cardiology, 2007; 22:60-65.

Pike NA, Evangelista, LS, Doering, LV, Koniak-Griffin, D, Lewis, AB, Child, JS. Health-Related Quality of Life: A Closer Look at Related Research in Fontan Patients over the Last Decade. Heart & Lung, 2007; 36 (1): 3-15.