Adebusola Oluwatoba-Adeyemi is a nursing major at Boise State. In Fall 2025, she received the URSCA Scholarship (previously the IFITS Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Scholarship) to pursue undergraduate research. Her research examines how medical interpreters experience their role as cultural brokers during serious illness and end-of-life conversations with patients from refugee backgrounds. Now close to graduating in May 2026, she says that nursing has helped develop a deeper appreciation for compassionate, patient-centered care and for the importance of communication in building trust and improving outcomes.
Her faculty mentor, Katherine Doyon, is an assistant professor in the School of Nursing. Doyon’s research focus is in palliative care, with more recent work in the context of resettled refugees.
Their work together eventually led to a publication in the American Journal of Nursing. We reached out to both of them to learn more about the person behind the abstract. Responses have been edited for clarity.
Adebusola Oluwatoba-Adeyemi
What do you like to do for fun?
I enjoy spending time with family and friends, listening to music, writing, reading, and taking time to recharge. I also enjoy meaningful conversations, learning new things, and activities that help me reflect and stay grounded.
If you could be a famous person, who would you be?
I would be Dr. Paul Farmer because of his dedication to caring for underserved communities and his belief that every person deserves dignity and quality healthcare. I really admire how he combined compassion, advocacy, and action to address complex health challenges, and that connects with my own interests in mental health, palliative care, substance use disorder, and refugee health.
What got you interested in undergraduate research?
My desire to understand healthcare issues more deeply and contribute to work that can improve patient care. My work with my research mentor has focused on refugee health, communication, palliative care, and the role of interpreters, and that experience showed me how research can give voice to patients whose needs are often overlooked. It also helped me see how important communication is in serious illness care, especially when language, culture, and vulnerability intersect.
What keeps you going in your research journey when things get hard?
Remembering the purpose behind the work. Research can be challenging, but I stay motivated by thinking about the people and communities the work is meant to serve. In areas like mental health, palliative care, substance use disorder, and refugee health, the need for compassionate and culturally responsive care is so important. Knowing that research can help improve understanding, communication, and care for vulnerable populations keeps me moving forward even when the process feels difficult.
For anyone considering undergraduate research, what would you say?
I would say go for it, even if you feel nervous at first. Research can help you build confidence, strengthen your critical thinking, and discover the areas of nursing and healthcare that matter most to you.
Undergraduate research is a powerful opportunity to grow, ask meaningful questions, and be part of work that matters. You do not need to have everything figured out before you begin. What matters most is curiosity, openness to learning, and a willingness to keep going.
Adebusola Oluwatoba-Adeyemi
Katherine Doyon
Can you talk about your experience working with Adebusola?
Adebusola is truly exceptional, brilliant, hardworking, and deeply humble. Working with her has been an outstanding experience. She is intellectually curious and highly motivated, consistently bringing a thoughtful, analytical perspective to her work. She takes initiative, engages deeply with the research process, and contributes meaningfully to team discussions.
She is also an exceptionally talented writer; I trust her with final manuscript drafts, reflecting both her precision and strong scholarly voice. Busola has contributed to two publications, with several additional manuscripts currently in progress. She is a co-author on eight poster presentations, including three at international conferences, and she successfully earned and led her own IFITS research project.
Busola also demonstrates strong leadership in guiding project tasks and supporting her peers, all while maintaining a high level of professionalism and reliability.
What was your own research journey like?
My research journey began along a nontraditional path, I was previously a high school teacher, which shaped how I think about communication and learning. My interest in hospice and palliative care communication grew from a simple but striking observation: on television, people always seem to know exactly what to say in difficult moments, yet in real life, those conversations are often much harder. That curiosity led me to pursue end-of-life communication research, which I began developing at the University of Utah and further refined during my post-doctoral training at the University of Colorado. However, it was my undergraduate nursing research mentor who first showed me the “magic” of research, how to ask meaningful questions and seek answers in a way that can truly impact care. I continue to learn every day from my interdisciplinary team of undergraduate research assistants, whose perspectives and curiosity strengthen both the research process, the questions we ask, and the impact of the results disseminated to improve care delivery in hospice and palliative care.
What’s one piece of advice you have for current or future undergraduate researchers?
Be curious and enjoy the process rather than focusing only on outcomes. Research is inherently uncertain and often takes you to places you didn’t know existed, that’s where the most meaningful experiences happen. Be willing to take risks and step outside your comfort zone, whether that means taking on new responsibilities, exploring unfamiliar methods, or applying for opportunities you may not feel fully qualified for. Seek out mentors who advocate for you and speak highly of you even when you’re not in the room. Stay open to feedback, commit to growth, and take ownership of your role, your perspective is valuable, even early in your training.