About

Dr. Karen Parker Davidson, RN, is the leading expert in nasal function, objective airflow measurement, and airway-focused artificial and clinical intelligence. She is the founder of the International Society of Nasal Function Diagnostics and Therapeutics, the bestselling author of Breathe Through Your Nose, Don’t Pay Through It, and the creator of the My Little Nose children’s book series. Dr. Davidson is widely recognized for pioneering the clinical interpretation of nasal function data for treatment planning and monitoring, and for developing the first educational platform integrating courses, logic algorithms, AI methods, and analytic frameworks to interpret data from instruments such as 4-phase rhinomanometry, acoustic rhinometry, and the PNIF (peak nasal inspiratory flow meter)—tools that are first-of-their-kind worldwide.

Since 2017, she has contributed to more than 100 publications, lectures, and guest appearances on nasal function and airway science, translating research into tangible clinical impact for patients and their practitioners worldwide.

An Airway Clinical Nurse Specialist with more than four decades of healthcare experience, Dr. Davidson has held leadership, advisory, research, and consulting roles across medical technology and specialty clinical practice. Her background includes military service as a flight nurse and critical care nurse in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. She was the first to introduce objective nasal resistance as a measurable physiologic indicator in flow-based treatment options and protocols within dentistry, orthodontics, and other allied health specialties. Since 2017, she has advanced the original clinical application of 4-phase rhinomanometry and PNIF across multiple disciplines to enhance understanding of nasal function and expand clinical capabilities.

Her research explores the relationships between nasal resistance, aerodynamic pressure, and systemic physiology, including posture, neuromodulation, sleep disorders, bruxism, PTSD, and autonomic dysfunction. She has developed innovative clinical methods and diagnostic frameworks, including the Davidson Maneuver^© for assessing the external nasal valves, the MAVERICK Nasal Exam, Facial Analysis (Reading), Posture Adaptation Evaluation^©, the DAFNE Score™, the FACT Method™, and multiple airway-focused artificial intelligence platforms. In 2020, her team presented research on nasal delivery systems and device innovation for COVID-19 to White House officials through the Harrison COVID-19 Research Group. This body of work includes more than 40 government-registered works and intellectual property, reflecting the depth and originality of her contributions to nasal function and airway science.

Dr. Davidson serves as a consultant and subject-matter expert (SME) in health policy and for companies in the airway, sleep medicine, and medical device sectors, providing expertise in nasal physiology, airflow measurement, functional airway diagnostics, and the role of nasal function and resistance in systemic health, craniofacial development, oral health, and sleep regulation. She is an active member of multiple nonprofit and professional boards, including the Executive Board of The Healthcare Navigation Project, the Advisory Board of the Children’s Airway First Foundation, and the Nasal Health Council. Dr. Davidson also serves on the editorial board of Dental Sleep Practice magazine and is an invited peer reviewer for numerous medical journals. She is serving a consecutive four-year term on the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) review committee of the American Dental Association (ADA), and has authored national healthcare policy proposals reviewed by federal legislative channels.

An accomplished educator, she is an Adjunct Professor at Liberty University and Central Michigan University, where she teaches courses in health policy, grant writing, healthcare economics, and medical coding. She was named “Outstanding Professor” by Liberty University School of Health Sciences (Fall 2024) and regularly delivers workshops and lectures at national and international conferences, universities, and professional academies.

Her research on nasal function and resistance as key biomarkers and airway disorders appears in numerous journals, textbooks, and academic publications. She is a contributing author to major works, including Sleep, Craniofacial Form, and Airway Function Disorders: An Interdisciplinary Approach (2026), The Clinician’s Handbook for Dental Sleep Medicine (2nd ed., 2025), Healthcare Informatics Innovation Post-COVID-19 Pandemic (2025), and Health Informatics and Patient Safety in Times of Crisis (2023). She is also the co-editor of Remote Monitoring and Wearable Devices in Healthcare (2025) and co-author of forthcoming books on the tongue’s role in airway health and sleep apnea in pregnancy.

Her work has received international and national recognition. She earned a National Science Foundation award as part of a team for developing an emergency airway ventilation device, and in 2024, the team was honored with a letter of commendation from Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Mike Johnson. Additional accolades include being named among the Top 50 Women Leaders in Washington, DC (2022); finalist for the Carolina Nursing Alumni Award for contributions to nursing and research (2023); the Outstanding Dissertation Award from Central Michigan University (2020) for novel research on reimbursement policies for nasal function studies among payer systems for FDA-cleared devices; and recognition as a Top 100 Healthcare Leader by the International Forum on Advancements in Healthcare (2019) for her contributions to the healthcare industry as Vice President of GM Instruments, Ltd.

She holds a Doctor of Health Administration degree with a focus on healthcare policy, three Master’s degrees in health administration, education, and nursing, and a Bachelor’s degree in nursing. She is pursuing a PhD in Business Administration with a concentration in international business and is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists.

Dr. Davidson resides in the Annapolis, Maryland area with her favorite college baseball player, her son, Zach, and her dogs, where she continues her work writing the next book, developing healthcare policy legislation, volunteering as a board member for healthcare nonprofits, and advancing her clinical, research, and educational initiatives in nasal function and airway health.