Diona Martyn, PhD, PHNA-BC, PMHNP-BC, knew from an early age that she wanted to help people. Due to her love for helping others and seeing her mother work as a nurse, she realized that being a nurse was her calling. Dr. Martyn attended East Carolina University for her BSN and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte for her MSN in Community/Public Health Nursing (Clinical Nurse Specialist Track). She completed her PhD in Nursing from The Catholic University of America and completed the Postgraduate Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program at George Mason University. With a wide range of nursing experience that spans more than 24 years, she’s been able to leverage her skills into the realm of health policy research. Prior to working in health policy, she was the Associate Chief of Nursing Education & Research at the Washington, D.C. Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Additionally, Dr. Martyn’s experience includes hospital-based care, public health, mental health, substance abuse treatment, nursing education, and research. Moreover, she has served in adjunct faculty roles at Jacksonville University, The Catholic University of America, Johns Hopkins University, Georgetown University, and currently, UNC Chapel Hill. She is also a member of the Medical Reserve Corps to respond to public health emergencies such as COVID-19. Due to her hobbies related to art, poetry, and films, she is extremely excited to apply her nursing skills to the entertainment industry.