
Cara Exten
Assistant Professor of Epidemiology
307D Nursing Sciences Building
814-863-9724
cer5374@psu.edu
Introduction
Cara is an Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing. She is an infectious disease epidemiologist, with a focus on health disparities affecting sexual and gender minority populations. Her program of research is focused specifically on disparities related to sexual health (e.g. HIV and sexually transmitted infections) and substance use. She has extensive experience in survey data collection, the application of advanced statistical methods, and working with high-risk populations. She is passionate about the examination of diseases in their entirety, including biological, sociological and epidemiological factors.
Recent Publications
Rice, C. E., Fish, J. N., Russell, S. T., & Lanza, S. T. (2019). Sexual minority-related discrimination across the life course: Findings from a national sample of adults in the United States. Journal of Homosexuality, 68 (2), 252-268. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/00918369.2019.1648083 PMCID: PMC7073284
Disparities in substance use behaviors and disorders among adult sexual minorities by age, gender, and sexual identity
Schuler, M. S. Rice, C. E., Evans-Polce, R. J., & Collins, R. L. (2018). Disparities in substance use behaviors and disorders among adult sexual minorities by age, gender, and sexual identity. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 189, 139-146. PMCID PMC:6083846
Is young adulthood a critical period for suicidal behavior among sexual minorities? Results from a US national sample
Fish, J. N., Rice, C. E., Lanza, S. T., & Russell, S. T. (2018). Is young adulthood a critical period for suicidal behavior among sexual minorities? Results from a US national sample. Prevention Science. doi: 10.1007/s11121-018-0878-5. PMCID:PMC6163093
Related News

December 24, 2020
At-home DIY smell tests could catch COVID-19 cases
PRC affiliate Cara Exten is co-author of this article written for The Conversation that was later shared by CNN.
Read more.
December 22, 2020
Researchers investigate an at-home 'scratch-and-sniff' test for COVID-19
PRC affiliate, Cara Exten, is quoted in this story from Penn State News.
Read more.
February 04, 2019
Sexual minorities face significant health disparities
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Sexual minorities — people who are attracted to members of the same sex or who identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual — are at a higher risk for several different health problems at different points in their lives, according to Penn State researchers.
Read more.