Erin Kent

Erin Kent, PhD, is an Associate Professor and Associate Chair for Research in Health Policy and Management at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. She holds affiliations with the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research. Her work focuses on developing caregiver support interventions, policy-informing research on caregiving, and advancing equitable healthcare systems. Dr. Kent’s interdisciplinary approach integrates mixed methods and qualitative research to address challenges faced by cancer patients, their caregivers, and marginalized populations such as LGBTQ+ individuals.

Education:

• B.A. in Psychology, University of California, Berkeley (2000)
• M.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies (Animal Behavior), San Diego State University (2005)
• Ph.D. in Environmental Health, Science, and Policy, University of California, Irvine (2010)

Research Interests: Dr. Kent’s research prioritizes caregiver support interventions, cancer survivorship equity, LGBTQ+ health disparities, and palliative care. She leads the Caregiving Collaboratory at UNC, fostering mentorship and collaboration in caregiving research. Her projects include adapting caregiver support programs for rural cancer patients and analyzing state-level policies to improve caregiver services.

Grants & Mentorship: Supported by grants from The Duke Endowment and the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers, Dr. Kent trains students and postdoctoral fellows in research proposal development and intervention design. Her mentorship emphasizes mixed methods and community engagement.

Labs/Teams: She directs the Rural Health Research Program and collaborates with the North Carolina Serious Illness Coalition and Caregiving Collaborative to elevate caregiver voices and inform state policies.