MANCHESTER – Saint Anselm College junior Abigail Crane, of Pelham, received a research grant to continue her study of maternity nursing.

Through the New Hampshire Idea Networking of Biomedical Research Excellence grant, Crane conducts research at Catholic Medical Center in Manchester. The nursing major recruits volunteers to see if a nurse-administered educational intervention will reduce symptoms of postpartum depression in new mothers.

After initially gathering information from hospital patients, Crane follows up with them after six weeks, three months and six months via mail or phone. She has worked closely during the semester with Saint Anselm nursing professor Dr. Deborah McCarter-Spaulding.

During the summer break, Crane attended two conferences on breast-feeding. The first conference was with the New Hampshire Breastfeeding Task Force, and the second was with the Inequity in Breastfeeding Support Summit in Seattle.

Crane was one of 11 Saint Anselm students who received an INBRE grant.