
Mary Jo Kreitzer, PhD, RN, FAAN, FNAP
Mary Jo Kreitzer, PhD, RN, FAAN, is the founder and director of the Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing at the University of Minnesota, where she also serves as a tenured professor in the School of Nursing. She has been the principal investigator or co-principal investigator of numerous clinical trials focusing on mindfulness meditation for individuals with chronic diseases, including studies on solid organ transplants, cardiovascular disease, chronic insomnia, diabetes, and caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease. Recent studies include the use of social technology to enhance healing and well-being and the impact of mindfulness on brain-computer interface performance.
Dr. Kreitzer has authored over 150 publications and co-edited Integrative Nursing, 2nd Edition, published in 2019 by Oxford University Press. She earned her doctoral degree in public health, focusing on health services research, policy, and administration, and holds both a master’s and bachelor’s degree in nursing. In 2020, she was named one of the 100 most influential healthcare leaders in Minnesota by MN Physician. Dr. Kreitzer is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, a distinguished policy fellow of the National Academies of Practice, and a Fellow Ad Eundem of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.