Deborah Polk

Deborah Polk, PhD, is a Visiting Associate Professor of Dental Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine with a secondary appointment in the Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences at the School of Public Health. Her research focuses on evidence-based clinical practice guidelines, implementation science, and reducing opioid use in dental pain management. She holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Indiana University and an AB from Cornell University.

Dr. Polk leads NIH- and FDA-funded studies evaluating strategies to enhance adherence to clinical guidelines, including a project developing opioid alternatives for acute dental pain and another testing implementation strategies for dental sealant guidelines. Her work emphasizes stakeholder engagement and systems-level improvements to bridge evidence-practice gaps.

Key research includes a cluster-randomized trial of deliberative engagement interventions to improve guideline adherence and a stepped-wedge trial assessing Deliberative Loop strategies in dental clinics. Her studies highlight barriers like implementation infrastructure gaps and resource constraints in healthcare systems.

Dr. Polk collaborates with organizations like the American Dental Association, focusing on translating research into actionable policies. She publishes in journals such as Implement Sci Commun and JADA, addressing implementation strategies in oral health settings and systematic reviews of analgesic efficacy.