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 a nurse scientist with a focus on improving healthcare delivery, especially for women and populations experiencing health inequities.  Dr. Alexander has over 18 years of clinical experience as a registered nurse working with women and their families. 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 opioid use disorder.  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 NIH-funded Michigan Integrative Well-Being and Inequality Training Program at the University of Michigan School of Public Health.  She is a member of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence and the Eastern Nursing Research Society. She received the College on Problems of Drug Dependence/NIDA Women & Sex/Gender Junior Investigator Travel Award in 2022 and the Distinguished Peer Award, Jonas Nursing and Veterans Healthcare in 2021.

Selected Publications
Alexander K., & Clary-Muronda, V. (2022). A scoping review of interventions seeking to improve aspects of patient-provider relationships involving Black pregnant and post-partum people. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 00, 1– 11. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.15537.
Darlington, C., Teitelman, A., Compton, P., Alexander K. (2022). Depression and anxiety interventions among pregnant and parenting women with substance use disorders: A systematic review. Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports.
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.