Deanna Kepka

Deanna Kepka, PhD, MPH, is an Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing at the University of Utah, where she also holds an Adjunct appointment in Population Health Sciences. As an investigator at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, she focuses on health disparities in HPV vaccination, cervical cancer prevention, and cancer control for underserved populations.

Education:

• PhD in Health Services, University of Washington School of Public Health
• MPH, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health

Her research bridges public health, epidemiology, and global oncology, emphasizing geographic factors, culturally tailored interventions, and provider-patient communication. Key trends in her recent publications include vaccine hesitancy, health equity, and multi-level vaccination strategies.

Scientific Awards:

• Cancer Prevention Fellowship Merit Award, National Cancer Institute

Kepka leads NIH-funded projects such as the NCI/NIH study on geographic HPV vaccination patterns and the NIMHD/NIH-supported S Salud Juntos initiative. She also directs the Mountain West HPV Vaccination Coalition and the Global Oncology Initiative, focusing on international collaborations for cancer prevention.

Her community work spans rural healthcare centers, Latinx populations, and international settings including Jamaica, Mexico, and Peru. She developed a Spanish-language radionovela to improve HPV vaccine awareness among rural Latino parents.