Jennifer Allen

Dr. Jennifer Allen is a Professor at Tufts University in the Department of Community Health, School of Arts and Sciences. She has dedicated over 30 years to community-based interventions aimed at reducing health disparities, particularly in cancer prevention and vaccine equity among underserved populations. Her current work includes co-leading the Tufts Initiative on Equity in Health, Wealth and Civic Engagement and studying HPV vaccine uptake in diverse communities.

• Education: DSc and MPH from Harvard University, MS and BS from Boston College.

Her research focuses on community-driven solutions for health disparities, with specific attention to peer-led interventions, e-health technologies, and vaccine hesitancy. Recent publications examine health challenges faced by Brazilian immigrants, equity in HPV vaccination, and systemic factors affecting mental health and chronic disease management.

Recent studies emphasize health equity, social determinants, and implementation science, particularly in Brazilian immigrant women's health, HPV vaccine acceptance, and Long COVID disparities. Her methodological approaches include cross-sectional surveys, mixed methods implementation research, and nationally representative studies.

Dr. Allen has received grant funding from the National Cancer Institute and Tufts Springboard for initiatives addressing prostate cancer disparities and HPV vaccine uptake. She actively serves on committees related to public health policy, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Committee.

Teaching includes courses on Intro Community Health, Developing Community-Based Interventions, and Public Health Research. She has advised numerous honors theses at Tufts University and contributed to implementation science literature regarding intervention fidelity and adaptation.