Rita Jablonski, CRNP

Dr. Rita Jablonski blends clinical research with clinical practice, offering persons with dementia and their caregivers the best of both worlds. She received her BSN from Holy Family College, MSN from LaSalle University, post-masters NP certificate from the University of Pennsylvania, and a PhD from the University of Virginia. Jablonski is an established researcher who has received funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Brookdale Foundation, the John A. Hartford Foundation, and the United States Department of Defense. A former nursing assistant, she is internationally recognized for her pioneering work involving the oral health of persons with dementia who exhibit resistance to care. She is a tenured Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing, a Scientist in UAB’s Alzheimer’s Disease Center, a Scientists in UAB’s Comprehensive Center for Healthy Aging, and has a courtesy appointment in the School of Dentistry. She maintains a faculty practice as a nurse practitioner in the Memory Disorders Clinic, Division of Memory Disorders and Behavioral Neurology. In this capacity, Dr. Jablonski provides unique caregiver support. In addition to her clinical and research responsibilities, she mentors undergraduate nursing Honors students and integrates them into her research teams. Her goal is to create a pipeline of future nurse researchers interested in dementia care and the needs of family caregivers. Dr. Jablonski teaches interprofessionally at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral level.