Kristen Riley

Dr. Riley’s research advances health equity by improving access to behavioral medicine in underserved groups. She studies how racism and stigma shape tobacco use, cancer prevention, and sleep, using implementation science to expand care. Current work includes CBPR on lung cancer stigma in Black and LGBTQ+ patients, reducing Black maternal mortality via OB/GYN interventions, and developing sleep interventions for Black pregnant women to reduce postpartum disparities.

Publications:

• Experiences with a postpartum mHealth intervention during the COVID-19 pandemic: Qualitative study. Journal of Medical Internet Research. https://doi.org/10.2196/37777

• Smoking cessation in LGBT populations: A scoping review and recommendations for public health. Annals of LGBTQ Public and Population Health.

• Fitzpatrick, S., Tucker, C., Schneider, K., Ruiz, J., & Riley, K. E. (2021). Comment on National Institute of Health to End Structural Racism in Biomedical Research. Approved by Health Policy Council and Society for Health Psychology Presidential Trio at the American Psychological Association.

Media Appearances/Speaking Engagements:

• Riley, K. E. (August 2021). White Coats For Black Lives Racial Equity Training: Facilitator training (How to talk about race as a white facilitator), Mindfulness meditation seminar for racial equity and wellbeing. Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. Newark, NJ

• Riley, K. E. (2025). LatinX mental health initiatives.

• Riley, K. E. (2025). Integrated primary care for health equity

Previous Organizations: 

• Health Humanities Communications and Informatics Initiative from Black Bodies Black Health
• LUNGevity Foundation for LBGTQ+ and Black cancer patient research
• MSKCC Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities

Accomplishments:

• LUNGevity grant CBPR grant for Black and LGBTQ+ lung cancer patient support interventions
• CBT-I in older African American Adults consultant
• Integrated care grants (3)
• Grant awarded by the Office of the Vice Provost for Research for the project, Empowering Sleep Health: A Culturally Tailored Online Intervention for Black Pregnant Women (2026)

Upcoming Projects:

• Behavioral Health Equity Grant for Black pregnant women
• Black and LGBTQ+ lung cancer patient interventions

Dr. Riley’s interdisciplinary research program focuses on health equity by improving access to behavioral medicine interventions, particularly among underserved groups, in medical settings. Her work investigates how racism and stigma intersect with health indices such as tobacco use, cancer prevention, and sleep, employing dissemination and implementation science to expand access to care in historically excluded communities. Of particular relevance to ISGRJ is her research on racial disparities in lung cancer stigma, with a current Community Based Participatory Research grant in lung cancer stigma with a focus on Black and LGBTQ+ lung cancer patients. She also focuses on reducing Black maternal mortality and morbidity via psychological interventions in OB/GYN settings. She is part of the Health Humanities Communication and Informatics working group led by Dr. Charles Senteio that was supported by the RWJF Black Bodies Black Health grant, through ISGRJ. With HHCI, she is currently applying for federal and pilot grants about a sleep intervention in Black pregnant women as prevention of physical and mental health disparities postpartum to improve public health.