When cancer or a chronic illness diagnosis enters a family, its impact extends far beyond the patient. It restructures daily life, decision-making and emotional well-being for everyone involved.
That reality has defined the work of Lixin Song, PhD, RN, FAAN, who has been named an inductee into the 2026 International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame by Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.
Song, vice dean for research and scholarship at The University of Texas at San Antonio School of Nursing, is among 26 nurse researchers worldwide selected for the honor. She also holds the Hugh Roy Cullen Endowed Professorship and the Nancy Smith Hurd President’s Chair in Geriatric Nursing and Aging Studies.
The award recognizes sustained national or international impact on nursing science, practice and policy, placing this year’s inductees among more than 300 distinguished researchers globally.
“This year’s honorees represent the best of what nursing research can achieve,” said Lucas M. Davis, chief executive officer of Sigma, in the organization’s announcement. “Their scholarship has elevated the profession and connected communities locally and globally.”
Advancing care for patients
Song’s research focuses on improving health outcomes for patients with chronic illnesses, including cancer and Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, while also addressing the needs of family caregivers.
Her work spans supportive care, health disparities, decision-making and technology-based interventions that help patients and families navigate complex care transitions during chronic illness management.
Her path into the field was shaped by early experiences working with vulnerable patient populations and witnessing the toll cancer takes on individuals and their entire families.
That perspective continues to guide her work today.
“Receiving this award is both meaningful and humbling,” Song said. “As a first-generation immigrant, it reflects not only a personal milestone, but the power of mentorship, collaboration, perseverance and the opportunities this country makes possible.”
She added that the recognition reinforces the purpose behind her research.
“It reinforces why my work matters, that it is advancing compassionate, family-centered and innovative care for patients and caregivers navigating cancer and other chronic illnesses in community and home settings — and carries a responsibility to continue this work and mentor the next generation of nurse scientists.”
A more connected model of care
At UT San Antonio, Song is expanding that work through interdisciplinary collaboration and new research infrastructure.
She is leading efforts to establish a Center for Holistic Care of Cancer Patients and Families at UT Health San Antonio, the academic health center of UT San Antonio. The center is designed to bring together patients, their families, clinicians, researchers and technology to improve outcomes for the population of South Texas.
It supports clinical trials, digital health interventions design and development, and translational clinical research aimed at reducing the physical and emotional burden of chronic illnesses for both patients and their families.
In addition to her research, Song is widely recognized for her mentorship of emerging nurse researchers.
“My approach to mentoring is grounded in building both scientific rigor and leadership capacity,” she said. “I focus on developing scholars who can think critically, design impactful and methodologically strong studies and translate their work into real-world improvements in care.”
She emphasizes individualized mentorship that combines hands-on guidance with opportunities for independence, while also promoting resilience, collaboration and interdisciplinary thinking.
Her mentorship extends outside of nursing, working with trainees and collaborators across disciplines and countries, reflecting the increasingly global and team-based nature of research.
“Ultimately, my goal is to mentor and grow scientists who not only generate high-quality evidence, but also lead, innovate and shape the future of health care,” she said.
A global recognition of impact
The International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame is presented annually by Sigma and is considered one of the highest honors in nursing research. Inductees are selected based on their sustained contributions to the profession and the global impact of their work.
Song and her fellow inductees will be honored at Sigma’s 37th International Nursing Research Congress, held July 16–18 in Toronto, Canada.
To Song, the recognition reflects a long career of research but also a continued commitment to improving care for patients and the families who support them.