Lancer Stephens, Ph.D. (Wichita/Creek)

Phone: (405) 271-8001, x46752

Office: Hudson College of Public Health

801 Northeast 13th Street, Room 475

Post Office Box 26901

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73126-0901

Email: Lancer-Stephens@ouhsc.edu

Lancer Stephens is a member of the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes of Oklahoma through his father and also half Muscogee (Creek) through his mother.   Dr. Stephens is an Associate Professor at the Hudson College of Public Health where he teaches classes on American Indian health, ethical research with diverse populations and social and behavioral factors of public health.  Lancer’s interests revolve around children’s health, increasing motivation for healthy behaviors, diversity and its effect on disease prevention.  Dr. Stephens is heavily involved with the development and continued support of non-profit organizations such as the Native Youth Preventing Diabetes (NYPD) coalition, the Oklahoma Inter-Tribal Diabetes Coalition (OIDC), and the Oklahoma Tribal Finance Consortium (OTFC), all of which are geared toward increased education, resources and disease prevention practices throughout Oklahoma’s American Indian populations.  Dr. Stephens also serves many of the tribes throughout Oklahoma through board and community service to further strengthen OU’s relationship with Oklahoma’s sovereign tribal nations and is an advocate for enhancing tribal research and partnerships.

Education:

• PhD, Health Administration and Public Policy, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 2009
• MS, Health Promotion and Education, Northeastern State University, 1998
• BS, Biology/Chemistry, University of Central Oklahoma, 1995

Appointments:

• Associate Professor, Department of Health Promotion Sciences, Hudson College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 2023-present
• Associate Professor of Research, Department of Health Promotion Sciences, Hudson College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 2021–2023
• Assistant Professor of Research, Department of Health Promotion Sciences, College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 2013-2021
• Assistant Professor of Research, Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 2009-2013
• Associate Director of Outreach, Oklahoma Shared Clinical & Translational Research Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 2018-present
• Outreach Director, Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 2009-2018
• Associate Director, Oklahoma Diabetes Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 2007-2013

Teaching:

• HPS 5213 Social & Behavioral Science in Public Health
• HPS 5853 Health and the American Indian
• HPS 5960 Directed Readings
• HPS 5980 Research for Master’s Thesis
• HPS 5990 Special Studies
• HPS 6980 Research for Doctoral Dissertation
• CTS 5231 Cross-Cultural Research

Research Interests:

• American Indian Health and Health Care Systems
• Diabetes prevention, intervention, and evaluation programs with tribal youth
• Community coalition/assets development
• Technology and Health
• LGBTQ2S/Cultural Discrimination

Link to Dr. Stephens's current publications

Select publications:

1. Stavrakis, S., Elkholey, K., Lofgren, M., Asad, U., Stephens, L., & Freedman, B. (2021) Screening for Atrial Fibrillation in American Indian Adults in a Tribal Primary Care Clinic. J Am Heart Assoc. 2021;10:e020069. DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.120.020069
2. Kracht, C., Sisson, S., Walker, D., Kerr, K., Stephens, L., Seward, J., Anderson, A., Cheney, M., Tallbear, C., Key, M., Jacob, A., Horm, D., Copeland, K., Salvatore, A., Weedn, A., and Dennison, M. 2020. Parents’ perception of working with early care and education and health care to prevent childhood obesity. Journal of Indigenous Early Childhood Education. 1(1). https://nau.edu/coe/ejiece/
3. Dennison M, Sisson SB, Stephens L, Morris AS, Aston C, Dionne C, Knehans A, Dickens RD. Obesogenic Behaviors and Depressive Symptoms’ Influence on Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in American Indian Children. J Allied Health. 2019 Summer;48(2):100-107. PMID: 31167011
4. Carroll DM, Wagener TL, Stephens LD, Brame LS, Thompson DM, Beebe LA. The Relationship Between Nicotine Metabolism and Nicotine and Carcinogen Exposure Among American Indian Commercial Cigarette Smokers and Electronic Nicotine Delivery System Users. Addict Behav. 2019 May; 92:58-63. PMID: 30583092
5. Smith BJ, Leyva MJ, Stephens LD, Aston CE, Hermann J, Payton M, Baker MZ. Relationship of American Indian Blood Quantum with Osteoporosis Risk: A Cross-Sectional Study of American Indian Women in Oklahoma. Osteoporosis International. 2018 Oct; 29(10):2251-2260. PMID: 29943190