My research sits at the intersection of pediatric chronic condition management, family informatics, and human-centered design — anchored by the theoretical framework I developed and applied across conditions.
Pediatric chronic condition research overwhelmingly focuses on parental perspectives, which can marginalize children from their own care. The Common-Sense Model of Parent-Child Shared Regulation (CSM-PC), which I published with Insel in 2016, frames management as shared management — a dynamic responsibility held by parent and child together as the child grows. It has since been adopted across pediatric cancer, epilepsy, concussion, spinal muscular atrophy, and other rare diseases by research teams in the US, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, and Portugal.
From that foundation, my work extends into family informatics — using human-centered design to build technologies that support shared management — alongside system-level pediatric nurse practitioner workforce research that has informed national position statements, federal testimony, and expanded Title VIII funding.
A theoretical framework that reframes pediatric chronic condition management as a dynamic, shifting responsibility shared by parent and child as the child grows. Reformulated for sleep and asthma self-management in subsequent papers led by student mentees.
Foundational · 2016 →An asthma shared-management solution co-designed with children and parents. A wearable pairs with a companion app to track symptom trends and deliver tailored, gamified interventions that engage parent and child together.
PI · NIH/NINR R21A nature-based VR stress intervention designed with and for adolescents — the first known no-contact VR study, deployed during COVID. Co-PI with E.A. Bjorling at UW Human Centered Design & Engineering.
Co-PI · NIH/NIMHNational research with Dr. Jessica Peck — first to sound the alarm on COVID-19 impacts on children and the PNP workforce. Best Article 2021, INANE Hall of Fame, President's Choice 2023.
Federal testimony · Title VIIIA snapshot of currently active research grants and program funding.
Principal Investigator Mentor on an exploratory study of pediatric empowerment and shared management for school-aged children with cystic fibrosis. PI: A. Steidl (student mentee). CFF 009647H225.
Site Principal Investigator on a multicenter randomized controlled trial of pulmonary exacerbation management for children with cystic fibrosis. MPIs: D.B. Sanders & M. Rosenfeld. CFF 006811A124.
Site Principal Investigator on a longitudinal characterization of respiratory tract exacerbations and treatment responses in primary ciliary dyskinesia, within the Genetic Disorders of Mucociliary Clearance Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network. PI: J. Hatch. NIH/NCATS & NHLBI U54HL096458.
Trademarked spirometry training modules, patient and family training, and a methods core supporting spirometry in clinical research. Disseminated internationally in 13 countries through the IPCRG's Horizon 2020 Fresh Air program; Russian, Vietnamese, and Dutch translations available.
spirometry360.org →Selected publications across scholarly focal areas — theoretical foundations, family informatics, and pediatric nurse practitioner workforce.
Peck, J.L. & Sonney, J. (2021). Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 35(4), 414–424.
View on PubMed →Sonney, J. & Peck, J.L. (2023). Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 37(6), 658–672.
View on PubMed →Sonney, J., ★Cho, E., ★Zheng, Q., & Kientz, J.A. (2022). JMIR Pediatrics & Parenting, 5(1):e34117.
View on PubMed →★Taylor, Q. & Sonney, J. (2025). Journal of Pediatric Health Care.
View on PubMed →Sonney, J.T. & Insel, K.C. (2016). Nursing Science Quarterly, 29(2), 154–159.
View on PubMed →★Steidl, A. & Sonney, J. (2024). Journal of Pediatric Nursing.
View on PubMed →Including all peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, methods papers, and conference proceedings — updated continuously as the work evolves.