Karen Alexander

Dr. Alexander is a nurse scientist with expertise in improving healthcare delivery to vulnerable populations. She has over 19 years of clinical experience as a registered nurse working in acute, outpatient and community settings, predominately among women who use drugs. Her program of research aims to improve healthcare delivery with personalized interventions responsive to identified needs. She has an extensive background in qualitative research among healthcare providers and people who use drugs to assess stigma, bias, and opportunities for improving healthcare access and care experiences. She currently leads three NIH-funded clinical trials at Friends Research Institute; one centered on patient navigation in collaboration with Jefferson Health and two centered on digital healthcare innovations.