Dr. Kristin Sandau is an associate professor of nursing at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. She has 30 years of clinical experience in acute care working with cardiovascular patients and teaching nursing students. Dr. Sandau's research focuses on health-related quality of life for people living with serious cardiovascular conditions (particularly advanced heart failure and arrhythmia), whose highly technical care requires enhanced education, collaboration, and self-management to optimize holistic well-being. Recently, Dr. Sandau has expanded her research to include self and family management, incorporating family care partners into her research.