Sophia Allen

Sophia Allen, PhD, MBA is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences at Penn State College of Medicine. She serves as the DrPH Program Director in the Division of Health Services and Behavioral Research and is affiliated with the Penn State Cancer Institute (Cancer Control) and the Penn State Center for Research on Tobacco and Health.

• Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine
• DrPH Program Director, Division of Health Services and Behavioral Research
• Penn State Cancer Institute - Cancer Control
• Penn State Center for Research on Tobacco and Health
• ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1809-3749

Dr. Allen's research focuses on substance use (nicotine) and addiction among African Americans who smoke, with particular emphasis on improving mobile health (mHealth) interventions for smoking cessation to reduce health disparities. Her work addresses critical gaps in understanding how to effectively engage African American smokers in cessation services through culturally tailored approaches. She investigates the intersection of mental health and substance use, examines barriers to care in cancer treatment settings, and develops text messaging interventions specifically designed for minority populations.

Her recent publications demonstrate a strong trajectory in tobacco control research with increasing output from 2021-2025. The research shows evolving focus from basic understanding of smoking behaviors to developing and testing specific interventions, with growing attention to mental health comorbidities and social determinants of health. Her work combines quantitative and qualitative methods to develop more effective, culturally appropriate cessation strategies.

• Principal Investigator: 'Mixed methods research to increase engagement and smoking abstinence among African Americans enrolled in Quitline text messaging services' (2022-2026), funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse ($)

Dr. Allen actively mentors master's and doctoral students in health disparities research, providing formal lecturing and research training. Her educational approach emphasizes applying research to real-world health challenges affecting minority communities, with particular focus on developing culturally competent public health professionals.

Her laboratory work centers on developing and testing culturally appropriate mobile health interventions for smoking cessation, collaborating with patient navigators, clinicians, and community organizations to ensure research addresses practical needs in tobacco cessation services for African American populations.