Lancer Stephens, Ph.D.

Associate Dean for Sovereignty, Opportunity, Belonging & Engagement
Associate Professor

Hudson College of Public Health
801 Northeast 13th Street, Room 475
Post Office Box 26901
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73126-0901

(405) 271-8001, x46752

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 and social and behavioral factors of public health. Lancer’s interests revolve around children’s health, increasing motivation for healthy behaviors 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

Clinical/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

Select Publications:

Link to Dr. Stephens's current publications

Select publications:

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
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/
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
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
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

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