Megan Alder Wenzell, PhD, RN

Assistant Professor
Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing

Dr. Wenzell is a pediatric nurse scientist focused on translational biobehavioral sleep and physical activity research in young autistic children.

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Teaching Information

Teaching Interests

  • Pediatrics
  • Community Health
  • Sleep

Research Information

Research Interests

  • Sleep and physical activity in autistic children
  • Behavioral sleep interventions to promote sleep health
  • Sleep health disparities in pediatrics
  • Actigraphy assessment of sleep and physical activity

Awards and Honors

Early Stage Research Award (Pediatric Research Interest Group)
2024
Midwest Nursing Research Society
PhD Student Post Award, Honorable Mention
2021
Midwest Nursing Research Society
Member
2018
Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing

Professional Memberships

Sleep Research Society (SRS)
International Family Nursing Association (IFNA)
International Society for Autism Research (INSAR)
Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS)
American Academy of Nursing (AAN)

Publications

(**invited articles; +data-based)
Link to Full Bibliography (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/megan.alder.1/bibliography/public/)

Published (2024)

  1. +^Wenzell, M. L., Burant, C. J., & Zauszniewski, J. A. (2024 In Press). Evaluating the Need for Resourcefulness Training© for Parents of Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Pediatric Nursing
  2. +^Wenzell, M. L., ^Pulver, S. L., McMahon, M. X. H., Rubio, E. K., Gillespie, S., Berry, R. C., Betancourt, I., Minter, B., Schneider, O., Yarasani, C., Rogers, D., Scahill, L., Volkert, V., & Sharp, W. G. (2024). Clinical Correlates and Prevalence of Food Selectivity in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Pediatr, 269, 114004. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2024.114004  
  3. +^Wenzell, M. L., Kindler, J. M., Sharp, W. G., Loechner, K., Gillespie, S., Burrell, T. L., Berry, R., Scahill, L., & Brasher, S. (2024). A Feasibility Study of Nutritional Status and Bone Health in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Food Selectivity. Pediatric Nursing, 50(5), 225-234. https://doi.org/10.62116/PNJ.2024.50.5.225   
  4. +^Wenzell, M. L., Johnson, C. R., Lecavalier, L., Barto, L., Mulligan, A., Williams, A., Ousley, O., Kim, S. Y., Schiltz, N. K., & Scahill, L. (2024). Exploring the congruence of actigraphy and the Pediatric Autism Insomnia Rating Scale. Sleep Medicine, 123, 49-53. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2024.08.029 
  5. +Sinha, C., Lecavalier, L., Johnson, C. R., Taylor, C., Mulligan, A., Buckley, D., Alder, M. L., & Scahill, L. (2024). Qualitative Exploration Toward the Development of a Parent-Rated Scale for Insomnia in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord, 54(5), 1792-1803. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-022-05865-9  
  6. +Scahill, L., Lecavalier, L., Edwards, M. C., Wenzell, M. L., Barto, L. M., Mulligan, A., Williams, A. T., Ousley, O., Sinha, C. B., Taylor, C. A., Youn Kim, S., Johnson, L. M., Gillespie, S. E., & Johnson, C. R. (2024). Toward better outcome measurement for insomnia in children with autism spectrum disorder. Autism, 13623613241255814. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613241255814  
  7. +Proctor, K. B., Estrem, H. H., Park, J., Wenzell, M. L., Ravindran, M., Sharp, W. G., Scahill, L., & Vickery, B. P. (2024). Development of a novel parent-report measure of food allergy impact. Acta Paediatrica, 0(0), 1-9. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.17497 
  8. +Johnson, C. R., Barto, L., Worley, S., Rothstein, R., & Wenzell, M. L. (2024). Follow-up of telehealth parent training for sleep disturbances in young children with autism spectrum disorder. Sleep medicine, 119, 114–117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2024.04.022
  9. +^Wenzell, M. L., Moore, S. M., Still, C. H., & Wierenga, K. L. (2023). Neuromarkers Associated with Two Levels of Physical Activity in Persons with Chronic Conditions. Journal of Applied Physiology, 135(5), 1062-1069. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00425.2023  
  10. +Johnson, C. R., Barto, L., Worley, S., Rothstein, R., & Alder, M. L. (2023). Telehealth Parent Training for Sleep Disturbances in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Sleep Medicine, 111, 208-219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2023.08.033 
  11. +^Alder, M. L., Still, C. H., Wierenga, K. L., Pignatiello, G. A., & Moore, S. M. (2023). Differences among physical activity actigraphy algorithms in three chronic illness populations. Chronic Illn, 19(4), 768-778. https://doi.org/10.1177/17423953221137889
  12. +^Alder, M. L., Johnson, C. R., Zauszniewski, J. A., Malow, B. A., Burant, C. J., & Scahill, L. (2023). Feasibility of Actigraphy for Evaluating Sleep and Daytime Physical Activity in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord, 53(9), 3670-3682. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-022-05661-5  
  13. +Wierenga, K. L., Fresco, D. M., Alder, M., Sattar, A., & Moore, S. M. (2022). Preliminary Efficacy of an Emotion Regulation Intervention on Physical Activity and Depressive and Anxious Symptoms in Individuals in Cardiac Rehabilitation. Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 37(3), 296-305. https://doi.org/10.1097/JCN.0000000000000837
  14. **^Alder, M. L. (2022). Exercise and Sleep in Children with Disabilities. American Academy of Developmental Medicine & Dentistry (AADMD): Sleep & Sleep Disorders in People with Disabilities. Helen: The Journal of Exceptionality. 
  15. **^Alder, M. L., Bennett, K., Williams, E. (2022). Midwest Nursing Research Society News: Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within the Emerging Scholars Network – Forward Thinking. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 44(3), 352. https://doi.org/10.1177/01939459211069592 
  16. +Wierenga, K. L., Fresco, D. M., Alder, M., & Moore, S. M. (2021). Feasibility of an Emotion Regulation Intervention for Patients in Cardiac Rehabilitation. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 43(4), 338-346. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193945920949959 
  17. +O'Connell, G. C., Alder, M. L., Smothers, C. G., Still, C. H., Webel, A. R., & Moore, S. M. (2020). Use of High-Sensitivity Digital ELISA Improves the Diagnostic Performance of Circulating Brain-Specific Proteins for Detection of Traumatic Brain Injury During Triage. Neurological Research, 42(4), 346-353. https://doi.org/10.1080/01616412.2020.1726588
  18. +O'Connell, G. C., Alder, M. L., Smothers, C. G., Still, C. H., Webel, A. R., & Moore, S. M. (2020). Diagnosis of Ischemic Stroke Using Circulating Levels of Brain-Specific Proteins Measured via High-Sensitivity Digital ELISA. Brain Research, 1739, 146861. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2020.146861
  19. +O’Connell, G. C., Alder, M. L., Smothers, C. G., & Chang, J. H. C. (2020). Large-Scale Informatic Analysis to Algorithmically Identify Blood Biomarkers of Neurological Damage. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 117(34), 20764-20775. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2007719117
  20. **Nowak, A., Wilbur, J., Buursma, M., & Alder, M. L. (2020). Midwest Nursing Research Society News: The Past, Present, and Future of the Emerging Scholars Network. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 42(9), 776. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193945920943467
  21. +Moore, S. M., Musil, C. M., Alder, M. L., Pignatiello, G., Higgins, P., Webel, A., & Wright, K. D. (2020). Building a Research Data Repository for Chronic Condition Self-Management Using Harmonized Data. Nursing Research, 69(4), 254-263. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNR.0000000000000435
  22. +^Alder, M. L., Ye, F., Run, F., Bagai, K., Fawkes, D. B., Peterson, B. T., & Malow, B. A. (2020). Application of a Novel Actigraphy Algorithm to Detect Movement and Sleep/Wake Patterns in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Sleep Medicine, 71, 28-34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2020.02.020
  23. +O'Connell, G. C., Alder, M. L., Webel, A. R., & Moore, S. M. (2019). Neuro Biomarker Levels Measured with High-Sensitivity Digital ELISA Differ Between Serum and Plasma. Bioanalysis, 11(22), 2087-2094. https://doi.org/10.4155/bio-2019-0213
  24. +Moore, S. M., Musil, C. M., Jack, A. I., Alder, M. L., Fresco, D. M., Webel, A., Wright, K. D., Sattar, A., & Higgins, P. (2019). Characterization of Brain Signatures to Add Precision to Self-Management Health Information Interventions. Nursing Research, 68(2), 127-134. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNR.0000000000000331
  25. +Goldman, S. E., Alder, M. L., Burgess, H. J., Corbett, B. A., Hundley, R., Wofford, D., Fawkes, D. B., Wang, L., Laudenslager, M. L., & Malow, B. A. (2017). Characterizing Sleep in Adolescents and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders. J Autism Dev Disord, 47(6), 1682-1695. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3089-1 
  26. +Malow, B. A., MacDonald, L. L., Fawkes, D. B., Alder, M. L., & Katz, T. (2016). Teaching Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder How to Sleep Better: A Pilot Educational Program for Parents. Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology, 4(2), 125-136. https://doi.org/10.1037/cpp0000138

Education

Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Lipscomb University School of Nursing
2017
PhD
Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University
2021

Residencies, Internships and Fellowships

Post-Doctoral Fellow (2021-2023)
Emory University School of Medicine, Marcus Autism Center
NIH Resilient Scientist Training Program (2021)
Emory University
Legacy Fellowship (2019-2021)
Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing
NINR Summer Genetics Institute (2018)
National Institutes of Health
T32 Pre-doctoral Fellow (2017-2019)
Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve university