Cara Exten

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.

Sexual minority-related discrimination across the life course: Findings from a national sample of adults in the United States

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