Allison D. Ihle, PhD, RN
Assistant Professor
Dr. Allison Ihle (formerly Crawford), PhD, RN is an assistant professor at the University of Texas Health at San Antonio’s School of Nursing, where she conducts health disparity research involving childbearing communities influenced by incarceration. As a registered obstetrical nurse with post-doctoral training in digital health, Dr. Ihle has been engaging in research with women with criminal legal system involvement since 2016 and is an expert on the barriers women experience who have criminal justice oversight. Her research directly informed two Texas state laws passed in 2019 (HB 1651) and 2021 (HB 1308) to improve healthcare for women in Texas county jails. The long-term goal of her research is to culturally tailor and test a technological intervention her research informed, JUNTM, to enable self-efficacy and access to care discreetly and affordably for hard-to-reach groups. Dr. Ihle’s research is currently funded by IIMS CTSA and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Health & Human Development of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R01HD103634-03S2 (PI, Ihle; Parent PI, Rebecca Shlafer, UMN).
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Professional Background
Education
- 2021 - Postdoctoral Fellowship - The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
- 2016 - PhD - Nursing Science - The University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
- 2011 - Bachelor of Science - Nursing - The University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, Texas
- 2009 - Associates - Nursing Science - San Antonio College, San Antonio, Texas
- 2003 - Associates - Liberal Arts - San Antonio College, San Antonio, Texas
Highlights
Licensures and Certifications
Registered Nurse, License Number: 850518, Renewal Date: 2025
BLS, Renewal Date: 2024
HONORS and AWARDS
- 2025 American Academy of Nursing 2025 New Fellow Inductee
- 2025 Texas Nursing Association’s 25 Outstanding Texas Nurses Award (Regional Award).
- 2025 Member of the inaugural cohort of the Nursing Program for Advancing Training in Health and Social Determinants (N-PATHS), nine-week course; July 2025
- 2025 Wiley Top Cited Article in Research in Nursing and Health 2023: “Conditions that influence coping mechanisms in Latina mothers affected by incarceration: A secondary analysis using the vulnerability framework” (Crawford et al. 2023), (National Award).
- 2025 The Matilda White Riley (MWR) Paper Competition, sponsored by the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR), in recognition of Early Stage Investigators (ESI) whose research reflects Dr. Matilda White Riley’s vision of excellence in health-related behavioral and social sciences research Nominee (National Award Nominee)
- 2025 Southern Nursing Research Society Authorship Award 2025 Nominee for, "Conditions that Influence Coping Mechanisms in Latina Mothers Affected by Incarceration: A Secondary Analysis using the Vulnerability Framework" (Crawford et. al., 2024), (Regional Award Nominee).
- 2024 Best of JOGNN Award, “Intersectional Examination of Gender-Inclusive Care and Women’s Health” (McGlothen, K.B….Crawford A.D. et al. 2023) (National Award).
- 2021 Santa Rosa Children's Hospital Scholarship Fund in Memory of Taylor Andrew Marceau,
- University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, (Local Award).
2020 University of Texas Health Graduate Nursing Scholarship, University of Texas - Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, (Local Award).
- 2020 Selected as the Sigma Theta Tau Nurse Leader, Alpha Delta at Large, Sigma Theta Tau, San Antonio, Texas, (Regional Award).
- 2020 Graduate Nursing Student Social Justice Scholar Award, University of Texas Health at
- San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, (Local Award).
- 2020 The Ruth Ann Baldwin Endowed Nursing Scholarship Recipient, University of Texas
- Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, (Local Award).
- 2019 University of Texas Health School of Nursing graduate scholarship, University of Texas
- Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, (Local Award).
- 2018 – 2021 Joe and Teresa Long Scholarship, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, (Local Award).
- 2017 – 2018 Baptist Health Foundations Scholarship, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, (Local Award).
- 2016 – 2017 Methodist Ministries Scholarship, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, (Local Award).
- 2015 Nurse Excellence Award, University Health System, San Antonio, Texas, (Local Award).
- 2015 Gold Award Nominee, University Health System, San Antonio, Texas, (Local Award).
ADDITIONAL LEADERSHIP POSITIONS
Professional and Community Service Activities at the University Level
Elected
2024 to present University of Texas Health at San Antonio Search Committee, Research track, San Antonio Texas.
2023 Cigarroa Grant Writing Fellowship, University of Texas Health at San Antonio School of
Medicine, San Antonio, Texas.
Mentorship
2025 - Dissertation Chair member to Breann Wicks, RN; PhD candidate at the University of Texas Health at San Antonio.
2025 – Dissertation Committee member to Andrya Rivera-Burciaga, RN; PhD candidate at the University of Texas Health at San Antonio. "
2025 – mentor to research distinction and Sunrise undergraduate nursing student Christina Strauser LVN, at the University of Texas Health at San Antonio
2025 – mentor to research distinction and Sunrise undergraduate nursing student Chystal Berryhill, at the University of Texas Health at San Antonio
2025 – mentor to Computer Science student Richard Powell, at the University of Texas at San Antonio
2025 – mentor to work-study Occupational Therapy student Laura Pavitt, at the University of Texas Health at San Antonio
2025 – Grant writing mentor, Sonia Berry, BSN, RN, graduate student at the University of Texas Health at San Antonio
2025 – Grant writing mentor, Seven Generations Doulas, San Antonio, Texas
2025 – Grant writing mentor, Redeemer House staff, San Antonio, Texas
2025 – mentor to work-study undergraduate nursing student Matelynn Soules, at the University of Texas Health at San Antonio
2025 – mentor to work-study undergraduate nursing student Adriana Duran, at the University of Texas Health at San Antonio
2025 – Dissertation Committee member to Seon Min Kim, PhD candidate at the University of Texas Health at San Antonio.
2025 – Mentor to Breann Wick, doctoral student at the University of Texas Health at San Antonio. Breann is currently co-authoring two manuscripts and is working on grantsmanship under my direction.
2025 – Mentor to Gregory Quiroz, bachelorette student at the University of Texas Health at San Antonio. I am assisting Gregory in obtaining research distinction. He is currently managing the research team’s Instagram account and assisting with tailoring the pediatric nursing education within the JUNTM app.
2024 – 2025 University of Texas Health at San Antonio undergraduate research student, Denisse Zepeda Aguilar, Sunrise mentor. In this role, I gave research opportunities to my mentee such as data collection, analysis, recruitment methods, data management, and mobile app development/tailoring with the JUNTM app. My student has also successfully submitted an abstract that she will present at our school’s research day in January 2025 and at a national conference in March 2025, The National Consortium on Criminal Justice Health. I have also achieved having the student co-author on two manuscripts that are pending review.
2024 - 2025 – Mentor to Stacy Braddy, doctoral student at the University of Texas Health at San Antonio. Stacy is currently co-authoring two manuscripts and is working on grantsmanship under my direction. I am also sponsoring Stacy in a graduate research award focused on the topic of criminal justice. Stacy has also had experience with data management and analysis in past projects of mine.
2024 – 2025 Mentor to Destiny Francis, high school health careers student. I am giving mentorship to Destiny while she is finishing her high school degree. She is currently assisting with data management, tailoring of the JUNTM app and managing the research Tick Tock account.
2023 – 2024, Mentor to Ashlynn Estrada, bachelorette student. Ashlynn managed participant incentives and met with research participants to assist them with the mobile health intervention I was piloting. Ashlynn has been on one published manuscript under my mentorship and is hoping to apply for graduate school to become a research scholar someday.
2019 to 2021 Galen College of Nursing, Culture Club, member. In this role, we successfully modified maternal-child curriculum to discuss individuals who self-identity as non-binary as well as incarcerated populations.
Professional and Community Service Activities at the Local Level
Community Service
2025 to present, Consultant with the Supporting Justice Learners Collaborative in Bexar County to discuss and development community programming to break the school to prison pipeline by creating opportunities and pathways for youth in juvenile detention to obtain higher degrees.
2025 to present, Research consultant to the Bexar Juvenile Collaborative helping address the social determinants of health and issues regarding the prison-to-prison pipeline for San Antonio youth in juvenile detention. From this role, I have recently partnered with SW ISD to support research efforts for program evaluation.
2024 to present, Research Consultant Lifetime Recovery, a residential treatment center in San Antonio, Texas. I have met continuously with Lifetime’s leadership and community members such as doulas and those with lived experience with substance use disorder and incarceration to better understand the needs of the population. The goal of this collaboration is to seek funding to support their programming for women and children. As the principal investigator, I have since formed an interdisciplinary team with the intent to submit a grant proposal to the National Institutes of Health and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute.
2022 to present Research collaborator with Bexar County Adult Community Supervision. I am working with the department to identify funding opportunities and actively recruiting their clients to engage in community-based research. In addition, I am beginning the preliminary steps on working with their leadership in creating a specialty court to support pregnant, birthing, and postpartum people on community supervision.
2021 Volunteer American Civil Liberties Union, Texas. I worked to spread awareness regarding abortion healthcare. I also assisted in contacting sheriff departments across the state to lessen sentencing requirements for pregnant people in Texas county jails.
2019 Volunteer Volunteers of America, San Antonio, Texas. I volunteered in a treatment center for mothers and their children recovering from substance use.
2018 to 2019, Volunteer the Texas Jail Project, Austin, Texas. I assisted in writing state level legislation and spreading awareness about the healthcare needs of incarcerated persons during pregnancy and childbirth.
2015 to 2018, Volunteer the Mommies Program, San Antonio, Texas. I was the childbirth educator and liaison for this program that assists women with substance use disorder.
Community Service (Elected)
2024 to 2025, Board Member, Redeemer House. My roles is a board member for this organization which gives housing to mothers and their children with histories of incarceration and substance use disorder.
2023 to 2024, Board Member Bexar County Family Justice Center. My role was the board’s secretary and advocate for survivors of violence.
2023 to present, Board Member Hobby Middle School, a magnet health careers junior high school in San Antonio, Texas.
2022 Board Member Pay It Forward, a nonprofit residential treatment center in San Antonio, Texas
My role as a board member was to advocate women with substance use disorder.
Professional and Community Service Activities at the Regional Level
2023 to present Health Equity and Justice Collaborative, a state-wide group of criminal justice experts who meet to discuss the needs of individuals in Texas with histories of prior or current incarceration. We have conducted round table discussions and quarterly presentations. Our future goals is to create a symposium or conference.
2022 Collaborator Ascension Seton
2022 Collaborator Texas Center for Justice & Equity
Professional and Community Service Activities at the National Level
Appointed
- 2025 to present, Seon Min Kim, PhD Nursing Student Committee Member, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, Texas
- 2024 to present, Regis College, Amanda Davalos, Nurse Practitioner student Committee Member, University of Texas Health School of Nursing, San Antonio, Texas.
- 2023 to present, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Scientific Reviewer. I was appointed as a scientific reviewer to assist in the merit review processes.
- 2020 to 2021 Galen College of Nursing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, Co-Chair, San Antonio, TX. In this role, we revised curriculum, language in school forms and policies, and reevaluated processes that needed revisions to enhance equity.
- 2023 to present, Reviewer Contemporary Issues in Health and Punishment
- 2023 to present, Journal of Gynecologic and Neonatal Nurses & Nursing for Women’s Health Editorial Fellowship Fellow. Was appointed as a fellow to learn and develop editorial skills.
- 2022 to present, Reviewer Journal of Gynecologic and Neonatal Nurses
- 2022 to present, Reviewer Journal of Substance Use and Misuse
- 2022 to present, Reviewer Journal of Women’s Health
Elected
- 2025 Member of the inaugural cohort of the Nursing Program for Advancing Training in Health and Social Determinants (N-PATHS), nine-week course; July 2025
- 2023 Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nurses and Nursing for Women’s Health Journal Editorial Fellow; 2023 National Cohort.
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCES THAT DEMONSTRATE IMPACT
Grants and Contracts
Planned Submissions
Crawford, AD (PI) 2/2026 – 2/2032
Title: Trial of Adaptive Programming for Women in Substance Use Treatment
Funding Agency PCORI
Total Direct Costs: $5 million
Planned LOI Submission: May 13, 2025
Aims: Clinical Trial using MOST Framework with CG with CBT and IG with CBT + Connections App with low responders receiving enhanced care with peer counselors
Crawford, A.D. (UTHSCSA) and Dylan Jackson (John Hopkins) (MPI) 7/01/2026 – 6/29/2028
Title: A Pilot Study of the PROMISE Program for Youth in Juvenile Detention
Funding Agency: NICHD PA-25-307
Amount: $275,000
Planned Submission: October 15, 2025
Aims: Clinical trial assessing the feasibility of PROMISE program for youth in juvenile detention with CG receiving traditional sentencing and IG the PROMISE intervention
Crawford, A.D. (PI) 12/01/2025 – 11/30/2027
Application ID: 1R21DA064847-01
Award document number: RDA064847A
Title: Piloting adaptive interventions amongst childbearing women in residential treatment for substance use disorder
Funding Agency: NICHD
Amount: $275,000
Submitted: February 13, 2025
Scientific Review: June 12, 2025
Aims: Clinical Trial using MOST Framework with CG with CBT and IG with CBT + JUN App with low responders receiving enhanced care with peer counselors
1.2 Under Review
Crawford, A.D. (PI) 7/01/2025 – 6/29/2027Title: Testing a mHealth app, JUN, to enhance self-efficacy for pregnant women
Funding Agency: Gates Foundation
Amount: $150,000
Submitted: March 15, 2025
Aims: Comparing self-efficacy outcomes of women on and off of community supervision using the JUN app.
Crawford, A.D. (PI) 7/01/2026 – 6/29/2028
Title: Testing of JUN to Enhance Self-Efficacy amongst Women on Community Supervision
Funding Agency: NICHD PA-25-305
Total direct costs: $2.5 million
Planned Resubmission: July 5, 2025
Aims: Clinical trial with one group having rule-based and the intervention group having machine learning based prompts from JUN to manage their health.
1.3 Awarded/In-Progress
Ihle (Crawford), A.D. (PI) 10/2024 – 10/2025
Title: Testing JUN to Manage Pregnant Women’s Self-Efficacy
Funding Agency: Institute for Integration of Medicine & Science Clinical and Translational Science Awards Pilot
Amount: $50,000
Main Achievements and Impact: This study will test the effects of JUN’sTM artificial intelligence in the ability to manage health. Differences between 50 pregnant women with and without community supervision in Oregon, Minnesota, and Texas will be analyzed. We are currently collecting data. Preliminary work that informed this research has been our methods paper (Crawford, et al., 2024 https://doi.org/10.1111/phn.13410) on using artificial intelligence in underserved communities and a pilot study (Crawford et al., 2024 10.1186/s40352-024-00277-6). This work has also informed a policy manuscript which has just been published in Nursing Outlook: Crawford, A.D., Linder Geramifar, L., McGlothen-Bell, K., & Salisbury, E. (2025) Reproductive Justice Investigation of Digital Intervention use amongst Women with Criminal Justice System Oversight: Policy Brief. Nursing Outlook. 10.1016/j.outlook.2025.102349
Ihle (Crawford), A.D. (PI) 8/1/2023-5/1/2025 3R01HD103634-03S2
Title: Assessing the Perinatal Needs and Outcomes of Women on Probation: A Diversity Supplement
Funding Agency: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Health & Human Development of the National Institutes of Health
Amount: $350,000
Main Achievements and Impact: This study is building off the parent R01 study which takes place across six different prison sites in Georgia, Alabama, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Virginia, and Arkansas to evaluate the context specific issues that may influence health outcomes and needs of childbearing women and their children on probation. We are currently analyzing and disseminating data. Findings have highlighted adverse perinatal outcomes such as preterm birth, spontaneous abortion, hemorrhage, and repeated cesarean sections during pregnancy and labor. Findings also have shown the high rates of interpersonal violence and lack of social support during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. The next steps are to obtain funding to test community-based interventions such as doula support and the JUNTM app amongst perinatal women on community supervision. I am also working with the community supervision department in San Antonio, Texas in early discussion on how to establish a specialty-court for pregnant, birthing, and postpartum women who are on community supervision.
Ihle (Crawford), A.D. (PI) 2/2025 – 2/2026
Title: Training a Chat-Bot to Enhance JUN
Funding Agency: In-kind
Amount: In-kind
Main Achievements and Impact: This study is training the chat-bot’s artificial intelligence to enhance the way it interacts with participants with risks associated with criminal legal involvement.
Ihle (Crawford), A.D. (PI) 2/2025 – 10/2026
Title: Exploring JUN
Funding Agency: University of Texas Health at San Antonio Office of Faculty Excellence Total Amount: $2,000
Main Achievements and Impact: This study will explore features of the JUN app amongst women on community supervision. Goals is to tailor features to enhance functionality of the JUN app.
Ihle (Crawford), A.D. (PI) 7/2024 – 7/2024
Title: Addressing the Perinatal Needs and Outcomes of Women on Community Supervision- A Diversity Supplement Grant and Publication Support
Funding Agency: Office of the Vice President for Research Internal Funding Programs Total, The University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio Texas
Amount: $2,042
Main Achievements and Impact: This award helped with the dissemination of data in a high impact journal. This project is completed.
Awarded/ Completed
Hernandez J. (PI) / Radhakrishnan K. (Co-PI) 4/1/2023 – 12/31/2024
Crawford, A.D: Co-Investigator / Site-PI
Title: A Culturally Adapted Sensor Controlled Digital Game to Improve Self-Management Behaviors Among Spanish Speakers with Heart Failure
Funding Agency: The University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing and St. David’s Center for Health Promotion Research Pilot Grant
Amount: $25,000
Main Achievements and Impact: This award is testing a technological intervention amongst those who speak Spanish with heart failure. We are currently analyzing data with the anticipation to submit an application for federal funding.
Crawford, A.D. (PI) 5/2023 – 10/2023
Title: Intervention Development Study: Mobile Health Application’s Cultural Sensitivity, Feasibility, & Usability in Women on Community Supervision related to their Sexual Health and Safety
Funding Agency: University of Texas Health at San Antonio Office of Faculty Excellence Total Amount: $20,000
Main Achievements and Impact: The findings demonstrated that mHealth apps are feasible and usable amongst women on community supervision and informed the development of the JUNTM app. Currently, we are conducting beta and pilot testing on the app amongst women involved in the criminal justice system in Texas and Minnesota to manage their health during pregnancy, substance use recovery, and transitioning from jail to the community.
Crawford, A.D. (PI) 6/2021 – 12/2022
Office Provost Early Career Fellowship
Funding Agency: The University of Texas at Austin Provost
Amount: $73,000
Main Achievements and Impact: This award assisted in giving post-doc training in precision health methods and is completed. I was given the ability to gain mentorship from Dr. Miyong Kim, PhD, RN, FAAN, a nationally renowned scholar, in how to conduct community-based research and leverage technology amongst underrepresented groups to enhance self-efficacy,
Policy
- Crawford, A.D: “House Bill 1308: Perinatal Taskforce in Texas County Jails”. 87th Texas Legislative Session, Austin, Texas, Provided Testimony. 2021 March. I testified on behalf of this bill in collaboration with Representative Isreal and Gonzalez’s office in the Texas State Legislature.
- Main Achievements and Impact: The bill was passed and put into state law in Texas mandating that incarcerated women have timely pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care such as having medical records transferred to jail systems on admission for continuity of care, proper nutrition and prenatal vitamins be provided during pregnancy, that those who are pregnant be seen and followed by a licensed obstetrician, that pregnant imamates get transferred to a medical facility during distress or signs of labor, and that those who are pregnant are not shackled unless they are a harm to oneself or others. This was the first law in Texas that mandates protections for pregnant people incarcerated in Texas county jails,
- Crawford, A.D: “House Bill 1651: Care of Pregnant Individuals in Texas County Jails”. 86th Texas Legislative Session, Austin, Texas, Author and Provided Testimony. 2019 March. I assisted in writing and testifying on behalf of this bill in partnership with the Texas Jail Project and Representative Mary Gonzalez’s office in the Texas State Legislature.
- Main Achievements and Impact: The bill was passed and put into law. This law mandated that inmates who are identified as pregnant are followed by a taskforce during their pregnancy, birth, and postpartum period to ensure they are getting timely and equitable perinatal care.
Volunteer Work
- 2021 to present, Volunteer as a Room Mom at local Elementary School
- 2022 to present, Volunteer at local Highschool
- 2023 to 2024 Volunteer San Antonio Food Bank
- 2023 Host Mom with Foreign Links Around the Globe, Foreign Exchange Student from France
Appointments
- 2023 - Present - Assistant Professor - UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
- 2022 - 2023 - Clinical Faculty - University of Texas at Austin, School of Nursing
- 2021 - 2023 - Postdoctoral Research Fellow - University of Texas at Austin, School of Nursing
- 2019 - 2021 - Faculty - Galen College of Nursing, San Antonio, Texas
- 2019 - Adjunct Faculty - University of the Incarnate Word, School of Nursing
- 2016 - 2018 - Graduate Research Assistant - University of Texas Health at San Antonio, Texas, School of Nursing
- 2016 – 2019 - System Resource Pool, Labor and Delivery/ Women’s Health - Methodist Health System, San Antonio, Texas
- 2015 - 2018 - Owner - Allison’s Baby Concierge, LLC., San Antonio, Texas
- 2014 - 2019 - Staff Nurse/ Childbirth Educator/ Lactation Counselor - University Health System, San Antonio, Texas
- 2014 - Staff Nurse, Trauma Intensive Care Unit - University Health System, San Antonio, Texas
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- Instruction & Training
- Research & Grants
- Service
- Publications