Ellen D.S. Lopez, MPH, Ph.D.

Ellen D.S. Lopez, MPH, Ph.D. Ƶ Photo

Professor of Psychology
Director, Student/Scholar Core ~ Biomedical & Student Training (BLaST)
edlopez@alaska.edu

Fall 2025 Office Hours
Coming Soon

Please email Dr. Lopez to set up an appointment.

Research Interests:
Community-based participatory research with Ƶ Native communities
Factors that impact cancer prevention, early detection, control, and survivorship among Ƶ Native individuals, their families, and their communities.

Education and Training

  • 2002 – 2004  University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, MI
    • Post-doctoral Fellowship: W. K. Kellogg Community Health Scholars Program
  • 1996 - 2002  University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, NC
    • Doctoral Program of Public Health: Health Behavior Health Education
  • 1994 - 1996  University of Washington - Seattle, WA
    • Masters in Public Health: Social Behavioral Sciences
  • 1984 - 1988  University of Wisconsin - Madison, WI
    • Bachelor of Arts: Psychology and Social Welfare

Courses taught

  • Research Methods (Psychology 639)
  • Qualitative Analysis (Psychology 658)
  • Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
  • Psychological, Behavioral and Social Issues in Public Health
  • Theoretical Foundations of Social Behavioral Science Research and Practice
  • Assessment and Surveillance
  • Community Competence, Capacity and Empowerment (Co-instructor)
  • Research Methods in Health Behavior and Health Education (Co-instructor)
  • Cancer Prevention and Control Seminar (TA)
  • Core Course in Social and Behavioral Sciences (TA)

Research Interests

With my training and experience in public health and community-based participatory research, I am interested in developing strong and mutually beneficial collaborative research partnerships with Ƶ Native organizations and communities.

The focus of my research program is to identify and begin to address the factors that impact cancer prevention, early detection, control, and survivorship among Ƶ Native individuals, their families, and their communities.

Publications

Peer Reviewed Articles

Burg, MA, López, EDS., Dailey, A, Keller, ME, Prendergast, B. Minority Breast Cancer Survivors Reactions to a Survivorship Care Plan. Journal of General Internal Medicine (Accepted, 29 April 2009).

López, EDS., Khoury, AJ, Dailey, AB, Hall, AG, Chisholm, LR (2009).  Screening mammography: Characteristics of current, overdue, and never screeners.  Women’s Health Issues, 19(6), 434-445.

Classen, S, Winter, S., López, EDS. (2009). Meta-synthesis of qualitative studies on older driver safety and mobility. OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health , 29 (1), 24-31.

López, EDS., Fesperman, SF, Graff, SH, Schropp, S, Catalanotto, ST, Robinson, A, Major, ZI (2009). Florida Public Health Review, 6:50-57.

Hall A, Khoury AJ, Lopez, EDS., Lisovicz N, Avis-Williams A, Mitra A. (2008). Factors Associated with Breast Cancer Fatalism. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 19:1328-1342.

Nelson, A, Ricardo, F, Forges, B, López, EDS. (2008). Creando Nuestra Salud (Creating Our Health) – Results and findings from a breast cancer education program with rural Hispanic women. Florida Public Health Review, 5:99-103.

Dodge, B., Zachry, K., Reece, M., López, EDS., Herbenick, D., Gant, K., Tanner, A., and Martinez, O. (2008). Sexuality education in Florida: Content, context, and controversy. American Journal of Sexuality Education, 3(2), 67-93.

López, EDS., Lichtenstein, R, Lewis, AT, Allen, R. Johnson, P, Baum, N.(2007). Increasing Enrollment of Uninsured Children on Detroit's Eastside: Drawing from Freirian Empowerment Methods to Develop and Use Innovative Learning Maps.” Health Promotion Practice, 8(2):181-191.

Lichtenstein, R.,Banaszak-Holl, J, Calloway, J, Ross, R, Allen, R, López, EDS., Johnson, P. (2006). Training welfare caseworkers in service excellence: Increasing children’s Medicaid coverage. Journal of Healthcare for the Poor and Underserved, 17(3), 486-492.

López, EDS., Parker, E, Edgren, K, Brakefield-Caldwell, W. (2005). Planning and conducting community forums to disseminate research findings using a CBPR approach: A case study from Community Action Against Asthma.  Metropolitan Universities Journal, 16(1): 57-76.

López EDS., Eng, E, Robinson, N.(2005) Quality of life concerns of African American Breast Cancer Survivors within Rural North Carolina: Blending the Techniques of Photovoice and Grounded Theory. Qualitative Health Research, 15(1): 99-115

Chapters

Ellen D.S. López, Barbara Curbow. Social and Behavioral Sciences in Public Health. In Andresen E, Defries, E (Eds.) Public Health Concepts: An Undergraduate Textbook and Toolkit. Jossey-Bass Publishers. (in press)

Ellen D.S. López, Eugenia Eng, Naomi Robinson, Caroline C. Wang (2005) Photovoice as a Community-Based Participatory Research Method: A Case Study with African American Breast Cancer Survivors in Rural Eastern North Carolina. In Barbara A. Israel, Eugenia Eng, Amy J. Schulz, Edith A. Parker (Eds.) Methods for Conducting Community-Based Participatory Research for Health