Background

Dr. Roberts earned a PhD in Nursing Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago, a MSN in Nursing Education from Grand Canyon University, and a BSN from Madonna University in Detroit, Michigan.

Teaching

Dr. Roberts has taught in clinical, classroom, and online settings across the full spectrum of nursing education, including undergraduate, RN to BSN, master's, Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), and PhD programs. She previously held certification as a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE) and has facilitated simulation experiences across degree programs and healthcare disciplines.

Research

Dr. Robert’s research aims to advance family well-being and health equity for children and young adults with rare, undiagnosed, and complex chronic conditions. Drawing on her clinical  expertise and lived experience as a caregiver, she examines how family management, caregiving demands, healthcare systems, stigma, and social determinants of health shape outcomes over time. Her expertise includes family- and community-engaged research using mixed-methods designs. She partners with families and communities to co-develop strengths-based interventions that advance health equity, support self-management and care coordination, reduce caregiving burden and stigma, and promote well-being across the life course.

Dissemination

Dr. Roberts has disseminated her research through peer-reviewed publications and poster and podium presentations at national and international professional conferences.

Professional Service

Dr. Roberts is an Assistant Editor for the Journal of Pediatric Nursing and is a member of several professional organizations including:

• International Family Nurses Association; Co-chair of the policy subcommittee (current) and Director on the board of directors (past)
• Sigma Theta Tau
• Southern Nursing Research Society
• American Nurses Association
• International Council of Nurses

Professional Practice

Dr. Roberts is a pediatric nurse with over 30 years of experience caring for children from infancy through adolescence. Her clinical background spans multiple pediatric specialty areas, with most of her career spent in the emergency department. In addition, she has provided healthcare services to children and families in Haiti through Little by Little Haiti.

Research Studies (selected)

• Study Sigma Theta Tau International: Experiences of Families with Children Attending a Clinic-Based Weight Management Program.
• University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (internal funding): Evaluation of Testing for Rare Genetic Causes of Obesity in Children with Severe Obesity.
• University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (internal funding): Adolescents with Severe Obesity and Mother Dyads' Perceptions of Effective Weight Management.
• University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (internal funding): Experiences of Weight Stigma in Adolescents with Severe Obesity and Their Families.

Publications (selected)

Mirabal-Beltran, RE, Ventura Castellon, EV, Spagna, L,Zhang, & Roberts, KJ. (2026). Healthcare Professionals' Perspectives on Barriers to Reproductive Care Access in One Urban City: A Qualitative Study.” Research in Nursing & Health.10. https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.70082

Smith, L., Roberts, KJ, Giambra, B., Polfuss, M., Danford, C., Sheppard-Lemoine, D., Ryan Schultz, T., Winter, N., Mulcaster, A., Alrimawi, I., Honda, J., Brysiewicz, P., Carr, S., Feetham. S. (2025). Nurses' Engagement in Healthcare Policy Development: An Umbrella Review. International Nursing Review.72(4):e70109.doi: 10.1111/inr.70109. PMID 41021299

Roberts, KJ, Ogbagiorgis, W, Sy, A, Williams-Blangero, S, Stewart, LV, Manusov, E, Fernandez, SB, Clarke, RD, Madden, EB. Increasing the genomic workforce through research capacity building: Designing evaluation plans for maximum impact, The American Journal of Human Genetics. (2025) 112(5):967-974. PMID 40179888 

Quadri, M., Ariza, A. J., Tucker, J., Bea, J., King, E., Kirk, S., Sweeney, B., Santos, M., Smith, L., Roberts, KJ, & Binns, H. J. (2025). Percent body fat and weight status of youth seen in pediatric weight management programs in the Pediatric Obesity Weight Evaluation Registry (POWER). Childhood Obesity, 21(1): 50-64. PMID 39187260

Danford. CA, *, Roberts, KJ*, Foster, MJ, Giambra B, Spurr, S, Barros Polita, N, Sheppard-LeMoine, D, de Andrade Alvarenga, W, Beierwaltes, P, de Montigny, F, Lerret, SM, Nascimento, LC, Polfuss, M, Renée, C, Sullivan-Boyai, S, Somanadhan, S, Smith, L. (2024). Fathers' Ongoing Journey When a Child in the Family Has a Chronic Condition: A Meta-Synthesis. *Co-first author. Journal of Family Nursing 30(4): 283-303. PMID: 39584461

Roberts, KJ, Chaves, E, Ariza, AJ, Thaker, VV, Cho, CC, Binns, HJ. (2024). Exploring Genetic Testing for Rare Disorders of Obesity: The Experience and Perspectives of Pediatric Weight Management Providers. Childhood Obesity, 20(7): 451-458. PMID: 38227789doi: 10.1089/chi.2023.0125

Roberts, KJ, Chaves, E. Beyond binge eating: The impact of implicit biases in healthcare on youth with disordered eating and obesity. (2023). Nutrients 2023, 15(8), 1861. (Invited manuscript)  PMID: 37111080doi.org/10.3390/nu15081861

Spurr S, Danford CA, Roberts KJ, Sheppard-LeMoine D, Machado Silva-Rodrigues F, Darezzo Rodrigues Nunes M, Darmofal L, Ersig AL, Foster M, Giambra B, Lerret S, Polfuss M, Smith L, Somanadhan S. (2023). Fathers' Experiences of Caring for a Child with a Chronic Illness: A Systematic Review. Children, 10(2):197. PMID: 36832326doi.org/10.3390/children10020197

Roberts, KJ, Ariza, AJ, Selvaraj, K., Quadri, M., Mangarelli, C., Neault, S, Davis, EE, Binns, HJ. (2022). Testing for Rare Genetic Causes of Obesity: Findings and Experiences from a Pediatric Weight Management Program. International Journal of Obesity (Lond). 46(8):493-150.  PMID: 35562395doi: 10.1038/s41366-022-01139-7