[8] Larson eventually joined the faculty at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and received the first Pathfinder Award from the National Institute of Nursing Research in 2003.

[5] As she gained recognition as the pre-eminent expert in scientific evidence, Larson was selected to serve on the President's Committee for Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses and the National Institutes of Health Study Section on HIV Infection.

[11] In recognition of her research into hand hygiene and compliance, she was the recipient of the John Stearns Medal for Distinguished Contributions in Clinical Practice from the New York Academy of Medicine.

[12] Considered a "pioneer in promoting hand hygiene for infection prevention and control," Larson was the first nurse to receive the John Stearns Medal for Distinguished Contributions in Clinical Practice from the New York Academy of Medicine.

[16] She eventually retired from her position as Columbia University's senior associate dean for research the following year but said she had "no plans to stop contributing to the nursing profession.