Erika S. Trapl, PhD

Dr. Erika S. Trapl is a behavioral epidemiologist whose research focuses on multiple levels of determinants to prevent and reduce chronic disease, and she has led a community-engaged research program for over a decade. Much of her work over the past 15 years has involved informing or evaluating interventions to promote health behavior change and longitudinal data collection in partnership with community organizations, coalitions, residents, and health systems. Through this work, she has established content expertise with substantial contributions to the literature in the areas of tobacco control, community engagement, and evaluation and translation of health behavior interventions.

She has an extensive history in community-based tobacco control research and evaluation, with a specific interest in cigar, cigarillo, and little cigar use among urban adolescents and young adults, where her work has been funded by and informs the US Food & Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products. Her interest in tobacco control also extends to other vulnerable populations, including communities of color, low-income smokers, and sexual and gender minorities. Her research interests have recently extended into cancer prevention and screening in community settings, particularly among marginalized populations.