Departmental Affiliations
Sean Allen, DrPH, MPH, uses research to inform drug policies and eliminate health disparities among people who inject drugs.
Research Interests
Rural health; HIV prevention; Harm Reduction; Drug policy; Substance use; Injection drug use; Overdose prevention; Public health vending machines; Geospatial analyses; Quantitative methods; Epidemiology; Polysubstance use
Experiences & Accomplishments
Dr. Sean T. Allen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health, Behavior and Society. His research examines the structural drivers of public health among marginalized populations, including people who use drugs. Dr. Allen has particular interests in rural health disparities, harm reduction initiatives, policy change as a structural intervention for infectious disease prevention, and the intersections between research and drug policy. Dr. Allen completed his post-doctoral training at Johns Hopkins University in the Drug Dependence Epidemiology Training Program. During his post-doctoral training, he also served as a Senior Policy Advisor at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.
Select Publications
Recent Publications
Allen ST, O'Rourke A, White RH, Sherman SG, Grieb SM. Perspectives on Fentanyl Test Strip Use among People Who Inject Drugs in Rural Appalachia. Subst Use Misuse. 2020;55(10):1594-1600.
Allen ST, O'Rourke A, White RH, Schneider KE, Kilkenny M, Sherman SG. Estimating the Number of People Who Inject Drugs in A Rural County in Appalachia. Am J Public Health. 2019;109(3):445-450.
Allen ST, O'Rourke A, White RH, et al. Barriers and Facilitators to PrEP Use Among People Who Inject Drugs in Rural Appalachia: A Qualitative Study. AIDS Behav. 2020;24(6):1942-1950.
Ruiz MS, O'Rourke A, Allen ST, et al. Using Interrupted Time Series Analysis to Measure the Impact of Legalized Syringe Exchange on HIV Diagnoses in Baltimore and Philadelphia. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2019;82 Suppl 2:S148-S154.
Allen ST, Footer KHA, Galai N, Park JN, Silberzahn B, Sherman SG. Implementing Targeted Sampling: Lessons Learned from Recruiting Female Sex Workers in Baltimore, MD. J Urban Health. 2019;96(3):442-451.