Renowned Cherokee-Lenape researcher John Lowe to present at CU Anschutz on Sept. 30
By Staff, Cherokee 411
AURORA, Colo. (Sept. 30, 2025) — Internationally recognized Cherokee and Lenape researcher John Lowe, RN, PhD, FAAN, will bring his groundbreaking work in Native youth health to Colorado this month.
Lowe, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, will visit the CU Anschutz Medical Campus on Sept. 30 to share his internationally acclaimed research with nursing students and faculty. His work has reshaped mental health care for Native youth across three continents and inspired a new generation of Indigenous health leaders.
Lowe developed the first manualized Talking Circle intervention, a community-based program that reduces substance use and mental health risks among Native youth and young adults worldwide. He also co-authored the Conceptual Framework for Nursing in Native American Culture, which emphasizes the interwoven nature of nursing within Native traditions.
A leader in Indigenous nursing
Lowe was the first Native American male nurse inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. He currently serves as the Joseph Blades Centennial Memorial Professor and directs the Indigenous Nursing Research Enhancement Post-Doctoral Fellowship Program at UT Austin.
“We are honored to have Dr. Lowe visit our campus to share his invaluable knowledge on providing care for rural communities and Native Americans,” said Dr. Elias Provencio-Vasquez, dean of the University of Colorado College of Nursing. “His research advocates for holistic, patient-centered care that honors the cultural and historical backgrounds of the communities they serve.”
Impact across the Four Corners
While in Colorado, Lowe will meet with CU Anschutz faculty and students and present virtually to the first cohort of CU Nursing students at Fort Lewis College in Durango. The new bachelor’s degree program trains nurses to serve Native and rural communities across the Four Corners region.
“As one of about 20 PhD-prepared Native American nurses in the U.S., Dr. Lowe will serve as an inspiration to our inaugural cohort as they begin their journey in nursing education,” said Dr. Amy Barton, senior associate dean for Faculty and Students at CU Nursing.
Students in the Fort Lewis program will complete rotations at hospitals and clinics across Southwest Colorado and New Mexico, part of an effort to expand access to care and strengthen the rural nursing workforce.
Honoring Native voices in healthcare
Dr. Teri Hernandez, associate dean for Research and Scholarship at CU Nursing, said Lowe’s international contributions “focus on the creation of collaborative partnerships that center on the inclusion of Indigenous populations.”
An elected member of the American Academy of Nursing Board of Directors, Lowe continues to advocate for Native perspectives in healthcare policy and practice.
His Sept. 30 visit will include meetings with campus leaders, students, and a public presentation.
