Patricia Dolan Mullen

Patricia Dolan Mullen is a Teaching Professor in the Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences at the School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). She serves as Training Director for the Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research (CHPPR) and holds the distinguished title of University of Texas System Regents' Distinguished Teaching Professor.

Her research spans critical public health domains:

• Cancer prevention and control implementation
• Behavioral interventions for tobacco cessation during pregnancy
• Preconception counseling frameworks
• Smoke-free home policy adoption in low-SES populations
• Women's health decision-making tools

Dr. Mullen's work emphasizes real-world translation in clinics, jails, and community settings with underserved populations. She has led major federally funded initiatives including the NCI-renewed Interdisciplinary Training for Cancer Prevention and Control program and the CPRIT-funded Innovation in Cancer Prevention Research Training grant.

Her distinguished contributions are recognized through:

• UTHealth President's Scholar designation
• Minnie Stevens Piper Professor Award (2019)
• Society for Public Health Education Mentoring Award
• Election to UT System Shine Academy of Health Sciences Teaching

As Training Director at CHPPR, she mentors future public health scientists through NIH/CDC-funded programs focused on evidence-based intervention adaptation and evaluation. Current projects include the Smoke-Free Homes Program (SFHs), a minimally intensive intervention delivered via 2-1-1 social services to establish smoke-free policies in low-income households.

Her leadership extends to national advisory boards and study sections where she contributes expertise in dissemination and implementation science for contested health interventions.