Karen Alexander, Ph.D.

Karen Alexander, Ph.D.
Karen Alexander, Ph.D.
Research Scientist

Ph.D., Nursing, Duquesne University
M.S.N, Community Systems Administration, Thomas Jefferson University
kalexander@friendsresearch.org
Phone: 410-837-3977 ext. 233
Fax: 410-752-4218
Research Interests

Dr. Alexander is an early career nurse scientist with a focus on improving healthcare delivery for women with opioid use disorder (OUD).  Dr. Alexander has over 15 years of clinical experience as a registered nurse working with women and their families affected by substance use, and her long-term goal is to improve the delivery of healthcare to marginalized populations. She completed her PhD in Nursing at Duquesne University in 2018, and her dissertation resulted in further understanding of the significant mental health disparities experienced by women with OUD.  She has received mentorship and support from several sources throughout her doctoral and post-doctoral work, including the Jonas Nurse Scholars Program, the American Academy of Nursing’s Duck Hee Kang Mentored Grant Writing Workshop, and the Jefferson/Stratton Foundation Health Services Research Grant.  She is currently a scholar in the NIH-funded Michigan Integrative Well-Being and Inequality Training Program at the University of Michigan School of Public Health.

Selected Publications
Alexander K (Jan. 26, 2021). Shared Grief Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA Network) 325(4):349-350. doi: 10.1001/jama.2020.25000.
Alexander K, Hassen N, Maziarz M, Gerolamo A, Rising K (2021). The Impact of COVID-19 on Service Delivery and Outcomes in Individuals Who Use Opioids: A Scoping Review Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention and Policy 16(1), 1-10.
Alexander K, Short V, Gannon M, Goyal N, Naegle M, Abatemarco D (2020). Identified gaps and opportunities in perinatal healthcare delivery for women in treatment for opioid use disorder. Substance Abuse Journal 1-7. doi: 10.1080/08897077.2020.1803178.
Alexander K, Smith J, Clary-Muronda V, Ward J (2020). The relationship between past experience, empathy and attitudes towards poverty. Journal of Nursing Education. 59(3), 158-162.
Alexander K, Kronk R, Sekula K, Short V, Abatemarco D (2019). Implementation of a mindfulness intervention with women in treatment for opioid use disorder. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 40(8), 690-696.
Short V, Cambareri K, Gannon M, Alexander K, Abatemarco D (2019). A pilot study to assess breastfeeding knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of individuals who work in perinatal opioid use disorder treatment settings. Breastfeeding Medicine 14(5):307-312.
Alexander K (2018). Integrative review of the relationship between mindfulness-based parenting interventions and depression symptoms in parents. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecology and Neonatal Nursing 41(2), 184-190.
Alexander K (2017). A call to compassionate care Journal of Addictions Nursing 28(4):220-223. DOI: 10.1097/JAN.0000000000000198.
Alexander K (2013). Social determinants of methadone in pregnancy: Violence, social capital, and mental health. Issues in Mental Health Nursing 34(10), 747-751.