She currently teaches in the Family Nurse Practitioner and Adult Nurse Practitioner program at the University of Colorado. Her major areas of expertise are women's health exercise, and immunity. Marlaine Smith, RN, PhD is interested in processes that enhance transformation within critical life situations, e.g., imagery, sound, music, prayer, presence. In addition much of her work has been related to examining metatheoretic issues and developing and testing nursing theory. Prior research has focused on human experiences of grief, struggle, hope and changes in imagery with sound.
Current research is related to health and healing through massage.
Dr. Smith has expertise in evaluation research and qualitative research methods. Phyllis Updike, RN, DNS is an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing, and presently teaches in the Nursing Doctorate Program. She has completed studies at the University of Nottingham, England School of Medicine Department of Physiology and the Indiana University School of Music. She is a consultant at The Children's Hospital's Complementary Healing Modalities Project. She has provided consultation and seminars on caring, health, healing and spirituality world-wide and held the position of acting regional director for nursing for the Western Pacific at the World Health Organization.