Faculty Directory
Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing (MNSON) faculty members are experienced, recognized leaders in their fields who integrate research and practical experiences. MNSON faculty are clinically experienced and passionate about teaching - prioritizing personal connection and interaction with their students. Faculty members challenge students intellectually and guide them with compassion, creating a community of learning, research, and practice that values service, ethics, and providing top-notch health care.
Cynthia Paidipati, PhD, APRN, PMH-NP/CNS-BC
Title/s: Clinical Assistant Professor
Specialty Area: Mental health, ethics, health equity
Office #: Lake Shore Campus, BVM Room 903
Phone: 773.508.2899
Email: cpaidipati@luc.edu
About
Dr. Paidipati is an Assistant Professor within the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing at Loyola University Chicago. She is an alumna of Loyola University’s undergraduate program with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (’04). Her graduate studies from the University of Pennsylvania include a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD). Dr. Paidipati is a former pre and post-doctoral Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Fellow from the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR/T32NR007100). Dr. Paidipati loves teaching and mentoring students, especially those dedicated to pediatrics, mental health, ethics, and social justice. Her philosophical orientation derives from strength-based perspectives and the wholehearted belief that everyone has the capacity to succeed and find purpose in their work and education.
Outside the academy, Cynthia enjoys traveling, photography, theatre, music, and dance. She also loves finding quiet spots of nature and green space amidst a bustling city life. In the years to come, Dr. Paidipati plans to become more engaged in community and local advocacy efforts, policy change, and leadership within her respective spheres of influence.
Research Interests
Dr. Paidipati’s research examines the impact of psychiatric mental health on individual, family, and community health, specifically with child, adolescent, and young adult populations. Currently, her research focuses on Moral Distress, Depression, and Suicide Risk among Undergraduate Nursing Students. With emphasis on social justice, ethics, and health equity, Dr. Paidipati’s program of research has the promise to enhance mental health for youth and communities as well as promote an ethical and just culture within nursing practice and education.
Dr. Paidipati’s clinical expertise in pediatrics and psychiatric mental health nursing has informed her teaching, research, and scholarship. Dr. Paidipati currently teaches research and psychiatric mental health courses within the graduate nursing program. Her pedagogy encompasses a broad range of educational strategies to promote transformative learning and hope-based action which is grounded in the principles of ethics, social justice, and inclusive excellence.