Linda Alexander , PhD
Visiting Scholar (IPA)
Basic Biobehavioral and Psychological Sciences Branch (BBPSB)
Behavioral Research Program (BRP)
linda.alexander@nih.gov
859-218-2039
Dr. Alexander joined the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Basic Biobehavioral and Psychological Sciences Branch (BBPSB) and the Tobacco Control Research Branch (TCRB) on an Interagency Personnel Agreement (IPA) in 2010. As a Visiting Scholar on an IPA, she will serve as the Senior Editor for an NCI Tobacco Control Monograph focused on tobacco-related health disparities, and will contribute to the development of a new NCI transdisciplinary network with a focus on the macro environment for cancer outcomes.
Dr. Alexander is an Associate Professor of Health Behavior at the University Of Kentucky College Of Public Health in Lexington, where she teaches both required and elective graduate courses in health behavior, cultural competency, and health disparities. Dr. Alexander came to the University of Kentucky in 2001 as a State Health Specialist serves as the first director of a novel conceptual idea that links an academic medical center with county-level health education programming in chronic disease. In addition to her faculty position, she served in the role of Academic Dean from 2002 to 2010. Currently, Dr. Alexander is a member of the National Cancer Institute and American Legacy funded transdisciplinary Tobacco Research Network on Disparities (TReND). As a member of TReND, Dr. Alexander served as guest editor and author for two NCI sponsored special supplements highlighting the evidence for tobacco related health disparities among priority populations. Dr. Alexander's career embraces both the research and practice areas of public health. Over the past 25 years, she has led, participated in, or developed several programs aimed at the reduction of tobacco-related chronic diseases among women, underserved populations, ethnic/racial minority groups, and children. The hallmark of her research career has been her community participatory based involvement with the populations she serves.
Dr. Alexander's interests and publications include tobacco-related health disparities, cultural competency in health programming, community-based and other qualitative research, and chronic disease in minority populations. Dr. Alexander's career trajectory in tobacco research began in 1987 as a Research Associate with the Social Psychology Behavioral Medicine Research Group at the University of Houston. While there, she developed secondary education curricula designed to influence adolescent experimentation with tobacco, and served as Co-Principal Investigator for three R01 funded adolescent tobacco projects. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Psychology and Masters Degree in Counselor Education from James Madison University; and a Doctorate Degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Virginia. She completed an NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship in Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology at Howard University in Washington, DC.
Secondary Branch Appointment:
Tobacco Control Research Branch (TCRB)
