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Michelle Zappas

Associate Teaching Professor and Director, Master of Science in Nursing Program

Nursing expert, focusing on health care for vulnerable populations across the lifespan.

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Michelle Zappas
Email:  zappas@usc.edu
Phone:  213.821.6898
Rank:  Teaching Faculty

Michelle Zappas

Associate Teaching Professor and Director, Master of Science in Nursing Program

Nursing expert, focusing on health care for vulnerable populations across the lifespan.

Media Contact

Biography

Michelle Peters Zappas, DNP, is an associate teaching professor and director of the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program at the University of Southern California’s Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work. She is a board-certified family nurse practitioner with over 15 years of experience, specializing in primary care, behavioral health integration and clinical dermatology.

Currently pursuing her PhD at the University at Buffalo, Zappas holds a Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) from Columbia University. Within the USC MSN-FNP program, she teaches core courses in pathophysiology, pharmacology, and diagnosis and management courses across the lifespan.

Zappas specializes in health disparities, congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, dermatology and social determinants of health. She has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and participates in curriculum development and other initiatives. She is active with the National CMV Foundation and Disability Advisory Committees, aiming to advance nursing practice and improve health outcomes for vulnerable populations through education, policy and advocacy.

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Department of Nursing Clinical Placements

Education

University at Buffalo

PhD in Nursing (candidate, expected 2028)

Columbia University

DNP 2012

Columbia University

MSN 2009

Columbia University

BSN 2007

University of California, San Diego

BS 2001

Area of Expertise

  • Congenital CMV and TORCH infections
  • Deaf and Hard of Hearing
  • Dermatology
  • Disabilities
  • Interprofessional Education
  • Pathophysiology and Pharmacology
  • Primary Care across the lifespan
  • Social Determinants of Health

Industry Experience

  • Social Services
  • Education/Learning
  • Health Care - Providers
  • Health and Wellness
  • Research
  • Health Care - Facilities
  • Health Care - Services
  • Professional Training and Coaching

Articles & Publications

Zappas, M., Foreman, R.M. (2025). Understanding Disabilities: Prevalence, health disparities, and pathways to improvement. The Nurse Practitioner. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NPR.0000000000000332

Zappas, M., O’Neill, S.P., Rotz, C. (2023). Congenital cytomegalovirus infection: A case report. Journal for Nurse Practitioners. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2023.104563

Zappas, M. P., Devereaux, A., Pesch, M.H. (May 2023). The psychosocial impact of congenital cytomegalovirus on caregivers and families: Lived experiences and review of the literature. International Journal of Neonatal Screening, 9(2), 30. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijns9020030

Foreman, R., Zappas, M., (2023) Pediatric Anxiety: An Update for Primary Care Nurse Practitioners. Nurse Practitioner Journal, 48(3). https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NPR.0000000000000015 

Zappas, M., Cadena, D., Sanchez, C., Hildebrand, J., O’Neill, S. (2022). Nursing. In Gholamrezanezhad, A. & Dube, M. (Eds), Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): A clinical guide. Wiley Blackwell.

O’Neill, S.P., Woodruff, K., Sanchez, C., Zappas, M.P. (February 2022). Nurses and Contracts. American Nurse, https://www.myamericannurse.com/nurse-and-contracts/

Foreman, R.M., Zappas, M., Lavell, J. (2022). Dermatology Dilemmas: Dermatology Variations in Skin of Color. The Nurse Practitioner Journal, 47(2). https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NPR.0000798256.17155.86 

Foreman, R.M., Zappas, M., Lavell, J. (December 2021). Children with hearing impairment and cochlear implants. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 18(3).  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2021.11.019

Zappas, M., Foreman, R.M. (2021). Pharmacogenetics in Practice: Drug management amidst rare genomic testing. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 17(9). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2021.07.001 

Kirkland, T.W., Zappas, M., Liu, A., Hueck, S.E., Fava-Hochuli, J., & Win, M. (2021). Virtual OSCEs during COVID-19: A paradigm shift in training the next generation of nurse practitioner students. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 11(4). https://doi.org/10.5430/jnep.v11n4p73

Zappas, M., Walton-Moss, B., Sanchez, C., Hildebrand, J.A., & Kirkland, T.K. (2020).  The Decolonization of Nursing Education. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 17(2). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2020.11.006 

Zappas, M.P., Becker K. & Walton-Moss, B. (2020).  Postpartum anxiety. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2020.08.017 

Foreman, R., Zappas, M., & Whitely, C. (2020). Antidepressant withdrawal: A guide for primary care clinicians. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 16(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2019.12.013 

Zappas, M., & Foreman, R. (2020). Preparing for Preexposure Prophylaxis. Journal of Doctoral Nursing Practice, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1891/2380-9418.JDNP-D-19-00033

Aisner, A.., Zappas, M., & Marks, Adrienne. (2020). Primary care for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning patients. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 16(4). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2019.12.011 

Zappas, M., Whitely C., & Carter, S. (2019). Global Travel: What to know before they go. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 15(8). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2019.02.020 

Granger, T, Zappas, M, Walton-Moss, B, & O’Neill, S. (2018). Syllabus selections: A patient panel  of case studies to teach across the family nurse practitioner curriculum. Journal of Nurse Practitioners, 58(8), 512. https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20180720-14

Zappas, M., & Granger, T. (2017). Managing adolescents with type II diabetes: Promoting a healthy lifestyle. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 13(4), e171-e176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2016.11.020

Zappas, M., Gentes, M., & Walton-Moss, B. (2017). The use of incretin therapy in the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 13(6), 418-424. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2016.08.023

Non-Referred Journal Articles

NONPF (2024. White Paper: Integration of Social Determinants of Health throughout Nurses Practitioner Curricula: A Toolkit. The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties.

Proceedings of the Stillbirth Summit 2023: Bridging the gap between research and practice. BMC Proc 17 (Suppl 14), 24 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12919-023-00274-x

Young-Pitts, C., Hicks, R., Love, R., Harkless, G., Honig, J., Desjardins, K., Hardin-Pierce, M., Linton, D., Jones, M., Murphy, M., Rotondo, L., Robertson-Bell, T., Bursch, L., Nikbakht, S., Sutter, C., Knestrick, J., Roberts, M.E., Wijewardane, J., Anderson, S., Scordo, K., Fura, L., Witt, D., Kirkland, T., Zappas, M., Sherry, D., Johnson, M., Waldrop, J., Budd, G., Lis, G., Wolf, A., Chase, S., King, J., Ficken, D., & Newland, J. (2016). White Paper: The Doctor of Nursing Practice Nurse Practitioner Clinical Scholar (2016). The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties.

Books

Zappas, M.P. (2023). Intense Pulse Light Technologies for Aesthetic Procedures and Beyond. In: Bard, R.L. (eds) Image-Guided Aesthetic Treatments. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-36266-8_3 

Haney, B., Zappas, M.P. (2023). Facial Danger Zones in Aesthetics. In: Bard, R.L. (eds) Image-Guided Aesthetic Treatments. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-36266-8_4 

Zappas, M., Cadena, D., Sanchez, C., Hildebrand, J., O’Neill, S. (2022). Nursing. In Gholamrezanezhad, A. & Dube, M. (Eds), Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): A clinical guide. Wiley Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119789741.fmatter 

Tkacs, N.C., Hermann, L.L., & Johnson, R.L. (2020).  Contributor in Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology: Essentials for clinical practice. Springer. https://www.springerpub.com/advanced-physiology-and-pathophysiology-9780826167552.html 

Selected Presentations

Zappas, M., Mitchell, S., Tankimovich, M. (2024, February 27). Social determinants of health in nurse practitioner education [Webinar]. National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties. https://www.nonpf.org/page/webinars 

Sanchez, C., & Zappas, M. (2024, March). Sexuality: Beyond the Reproductive Years. Podium Presentation at the California Association of Nurse Practitioners 46th Annual Educational Conference, Anaheim, CA.

Zappas, M. (2023, June). Congenital cytomegalovirus infection and adverse birth outcomes (conference presentation). Stillbirth Summit 2023: Bridging the Gap Between Research and Practice, La Jolla, CA, United States.

Zappas, M. (2022, April). Loud and Clear: Understanding Audism and Hearing Loss in the Pediatric Population. Podium Presentation at the California Association of Nurse Practitioners 44th Annual Educational Conference, Pasadena, CA.

Languages

  • English
  • Conversational Spanish
  • Conversational American Sign Language

Availability

  • Keynote
  • Moderator
  • Panelist
  • Workshop
  • Host/MC
  • Corporate Training

Links