Ada Sue Hinshaw, PhD, RN, FAAN, is a dedicated public servant, researcher, academic and health policy leader who served as the first permanent Director of the National Institute for Nursing Research (NINR) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Under her leadership, the NINR focused on the priority areas such as low birth weight infants and their mothers; HIV-positive patients, partners, and families; long-term care for the elderly; symptom management; health promotion; family adaptation to chronic illness; and improving quality of life during chronic illness. Additionally, during her tenure, she established the first intramural research program focused on aging and federal funding for NINR increased from $20 million to more than $50 million. Dr. Hinshaw is a champion for research and research training in many areas of nursing science, such as disease prevention, health promotion, acute and chronic illness, and others.

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After completing her service as NINR Director, Dr. Hinshaw served as Dean of the University of Michigan School of Nursing for twelve years and completed her career at the Uniformed Services University Daniel K. Inouye Graduate School of Nursing. She also held academic appointments at the University of Arizona College of Nursing, University of California at San Francisco and the University of Kansas. A former President of the American Academy of Nursing, Dr. Hinshaw has had a major impact on the lives of all people through her dedication to research on providing better care and positive outcomes for patients. In recognition of her ability to transform policy and advance nursing science, she was selected to serve as the Distinguished Nurse Scholar-in-Residence at the Institute of Medicine in Washington, D.C., from 2006 to 2007. This experience led to the publication of her book, co-authored with Dr. Patricia Grady, Shaping Health Policy Through Nursing Research and received the 2011 AJN Book of the Year Winner in Nursing Research. In 2011, Dr. Hinshaw was designated a Living Legend by the American Academy of Nursing.

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Dr. Hinshaw has received significant accolades for her work, including the Midwest Nursing Research Society Lifetime Achievement Award, the Health Leader of the Year Award from the United States Public Health Service, the Elizabeth McWilliams Miller Award for Excellence in Nursing Research from Sigma Theta Tau, the Distinguished Leader Award from the National Institute of Nursing Research, the Nurse Scientist of the Year Award from the American Nurses Association’s Council of Nurse Researchers, the Walt McDermott Excellence in Service Award from the Institute of Medicine, the Pioneering Spirit Award from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, and an honorary Fellowship for Public Policy Award from the New York Academy of Medicine. She also received the 2012 Policy Luminary Award from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Dr. Hinshaw earned her BSN from the University of Kansas, a MSN from Yale University, a MA and a PhD from the University of Arizona.