Dr.(Prof.) Nicole P. Yuan

Dr. Nicole Patricia Yuan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Promotion Sciences at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona. She holds courtesy appointments in the Department of Psychology and the Applied Intercultural Arts Research Program. With a multidisciplinary background spanning clinical psychology and public health, Dr. Yuan’s work is distinguished by its commitment to advancing research and community engagement in areas of health disparities, trauma, substance abuse, and violence prevention—particularly among underserved populations including American Indian/Alaska Native communities. Dr. Yuan earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Bowling Green State University and her Master of Public Health in Health Services from the University of Washington. Her early career was shaped by formative roles as a behavioral health clinician and research associate, eventually leading to a significant faculty role at the University of Arizona where she has served since 2006. Throughout her career, Dr. Yuan has conducted and published influential research on adverse childhood experiences, alcohol misuse, tobacco cessation, resilience, and intimate partner violence. She has served as Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator on numerous federally and state-funded grants, including a K23 Mentored Career Development Award from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), and she contributed to the development of culturally-tailored public health interventions across diverse settings. An active contributor to community-based participatory research, Dr. Yuan has maintained long-standing partnerships with urban and rural American Indian and Alaska Native organizations. Her work is characterized by a strong emphasis on ethical engagement, community advisory board development, and culturally responsive health interventions. She has provided technical assistance and consultation to tribal and urban Indian health organizations and played leadership roles in national projects on substance use prevention and violence research. Dr. Yuan has published widely in peer-reviewed journals and contributed book chapters and health education materials. Her research has informed programming for smoking cessation, trauma recovery, and public health policy, particularly in contexts where cultural and systemic factors intersect with health outcomes. As an educator and mentor, Dr. Yuan has taught extensively in MPH and DrPH programs, focusing on sociocultural and behavioral aspects of public health. She has supervised a broad range of student research at undergraduate, master's, and doctoral levels, fostering the next generation of public health practitioners and researchers. Dr. Yuan’s professional service includes editorial roles with journals such as Psychology of Violence and American Journal of Health Behavior, and she is an active reviewer for numerous journals and scientific meetings. Her dedication has earned her accolades including the Excellence in Teaching Award and the Consulting Editor of the Year from the APA journal Psychology of Violence.

• public health
• clinical psychology
• qualitative research
• quantitative research
• mixed methods research
• trauma-informed care
• program evaluation
• health education
• research ethics
• grant writing
• mentoring
• behavioral health
• psychological assessment
• stress and coping
• intervention development
• academic leadership
• community engagement
• teaching
• mental health research
• culturally responsive methods
• resilience measurement
• academic writing
• data analysis
• epidemiologic methods
• public speaking
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