Robert WS Coulter

Robert WS Coulter is an Associate Professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, holding dual appointments in the Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences and Pediatrics, as well as Clinical & Translational Science. His research mission focuses on eliminating substance use and violence inequities for LGBTQ+ youth and young adults through methodologies like quantitative/qualitative analysis, human-centered design, and systems science.

• Educational background: BS in Mathematics (Syracuse University, 2008), MPH in Community Health Sciences (Boston University, 2012), PhD in Behavioral and Community Health Sciences (University of Pittsburgh, 2017), and postdoctoral training in Clinical & Translational Science (University of Pittsburgh, 2019).

Key research areas include:

• Examining social mechanisms behind sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY) health inequities
• Designing interventions targeting multilevel determinants of substance use and violence
• Integrating Human-Centered Design (HCD) into public health education and practice
• Using systems science to understand structural drivers of LGBTQ+ health disparities

Dr. Coulter's work has been published in journals like Addiction, American Journal of Public Health, and Prevention Science, with media coverage from HuffPost, NPR, and Reuters. His intervention research spans school staff training, game-based educational tools, and violence exposure reduction programs.